ÅTABAL-YÉMAL

TEMPANO released their debut album back in 1979, and became one of Venezuela's first progressive rock band. Although, after listening to the tracks from the original album, I would have never guessed that "Atabal Yemal" came out in the late seventies. The music here features tones that have more in common with the late-80s prog scene. This is mostly due to the use of early digital synths, and modern guitar sounds, but the band also seemed more interested in exploring new textures rather than copying the early 70s prog sound. Passages throughout the album strive for a certain beauty and mellow atmosphere.

The CD is mostly instrumental, but there are a few vocals tracks which might not appeal to all prog collectors. Some of the vocals here tend to give the otherwise progressive sound a commercial quality that might remind the listener of many neo-prog bands. Three bonus tracks have been added, and are quite impressive. They continue to explore the atmosphere of the original album, while adding stronger compositional ideas. Overall, if you love South American prog, "Atabal Yemal" is a great album to add to your collection.