MECÁNICA

Chile's progressive-experimental machinery continúes to originate amazing, exciting bands that provide renewing airs and refreshing energies to the Crimsonian side of prog. Autómata is one of the latest gems to come out of this side of the prog spectrum, with their debut album "Mecánica" being the perfect proof for that. The album's repertoire is a catalogue of incendiary combinations of modern Crimsonian art-rock, prog metal, industrial and hard-edged jazz-rock. This power-trio comprises two guitarists, a drummer and no bassist. The bass lines, together with the synthesized effects and layers, are provided by digital guitars. The seven uneven numbered pieces conform the repertoire's main nucleus, while the remaining ones serve as digital interludes, which go from Projekct-inspired soundscapes to minimalist electronics. The album gets started with 'Trigon0', a powerful roller coaster that creates sonic whirlwinds within the listener's head: less than 3 minutes is what the threesome need to display their vigorous riffs solidly placed on complex rhythm patterns. 'Antigonia' takes things to an even heavier strand, including some fabulous leads that add fire to the fire. 'Rubik' and the title track are the most obviously complex pieces in the album, which is perhaps the reason why the yare my personal favorites. In the sequence that goes from 'hydrokinetics' all the way to 'Loxosceles Laeta' we find Autómata exploring their own Crimsonian instincts with absolute fruition, combining the counterpoint dynamics of their 80s albums and the ethereal vibe of the Projekcts. 'Möeller' closes down the nuclear repertoire in a wild, wild way, recapturing the neurotic complexity of 'Rubik' and the title track. Of all the brief interludes, 'kinetic_07' is arguably the most bizarre one, an electronic trip that wouldn't have been out of place in a Can or Faust album. Right after 'Möeller', follows a series of 4-second tracks (all but one totally silent), until 'Desolacion' - the real closure - appears. This is an exercise on synthesized orchestrations played on digital guitar, portraying an air of somber majesty, distant and surreal. Well, all in all, "Mecánica" was one of the most amazing and explosive South American prog releases of 2005, and it really should be enough reason to stop ignoring the interesting music that is created in this side of the world. Autómata is an item to consider in a good prog collection.