COLETÂNEA II - INSTRUMENTAL

This album give us a very good collection of instrumental songs from the first six studio albums of the band. Sagrado Coração da Terra is a great representant of brazilian simphonic prog rock. Beatiful arrangements and rich orchestration. You can note strong influences in their music like classics, jazz-fusion, and so on, but in my opinion the band shows an original and harmonic combination. You will find violins (remembering, in some passages, Jean Luc Ponty), flautes (like old Camel?), fretless basses, sitars, sinthetizers, cellos, variated percussions...and wonderful melodies. The firs track "Planeta Minas" is short but incredible along with the 6th track called "Human Beans" are comparable with Anglagard. "Toccata" is more classic. "Solidariedade" is my favorite, really great.

Highly recomendable for those without preconceipts with southamerican bands and for all lovers of instrumental prog rock.

For whom is not in the habit with this important prog band from Brazil (Their homonimous debut album, plus "Farol da Liberdade" and "O Grande Espirito" are true must-have among the others melodic symphonic works...), this collection could be a good place to start with them: perhaps you could start with "Rapsodia Cigana" to get an inkling of Marcus Viana's grandeur and then to "taste" something from their excellent debut album you could prosecute with "Sagrado" and "A Gloria Das Manhäs" plus "Deus Dançarino" (probably it should have been better to insert something from "Farol da Liberdade" into, like the jewel "Dancas das Fadas" or "The Central Sun of the Universe", but nevermind).Moreover you can find their fine tune "Tocatta" taken from "Flexa", side 1 (but side 2 is to be forgotten) and something else which is unedited...of course it's not their best album, but you can have an idea of them, by means of this short resume.

Absolutely superb - pure delight!

I regularly evaluate countless of albums on recommendation. Some works are OK, some are better, but it's rare to come across something really fresh and truly exciting. This album is one of those. Frankly, I am completely floored by this. To call it a touch of genius would be an understatement, not kidding you here!

One could be excused for assuming some Latin rhythms from a Brazilian band. Well, not here, not on this album. It's pure and very unique Prog of the highest degree. All instrumental work of hauntingly beautiful melodies delivered with incredible skill and absolute precision, but don't let it fool you, it's no lame dinner music. Far from it!

Dominated by violins doing remarkably wild runs, yet the overall effect remains symphonic and therein lies it's beauty. Superb compositions provide solid foundations for the instrumentation that transcend musical boundaries.

Imagine early Camel tunes with those subtle half-notes and chord changes, delivered by the Mahavishnu Orchestra on steroids... Indeed, this work is almost like an improvement on Mahavishnu. Big words, I know, but that's the impression I get here.But it doesn't end there as one is also reminded of better Tangerine Dream pieces - all in the same compositions and with fine balance. Just how is that possible, I don't know, it's hard to fathom, but that's just how it is.

Brilliant improvisations on keys, solid, but not too dominant guitars, excellent percussion work complement the violins and this energetic delivery is carried through the entire album. It makes me wonder if the end result could be any better? Probably not, or at least hard to imagine so. I am in love with this album to the point that it would form part of my 25 "Desert Island" selection.

It's a rare find and would please many. My rating on this masterpiece is 5 plus.