TUTANKHAMON

Well honestly by regarding of their whole discography, this album is the preferred one - among all their fans - although it's a quite raw LP of hard rock, with some "fusionesque elements", if We consider some breaks through performed at the keyboards (listen to the solos at Fender Rhodes for instance). The main structure is composed by the guitarist, whose job is excellent! Nevertheless - unlike the best Classic Progressive rock stuff - there are not such great interplays with the keyboards or particular surprising strange time signatures. The unique symphonic intro is pretty (a bit in the vein of such material of "UK New Progressive"), and you find it within the first track, along with some guitar solos emulating the best job by Steve HOWE within the title track... instead the style by Jimmy Page during his most acid and faster guitar solos with LED ZEPPELIN, sometimes emerges from his more experimental approach to the music harmony. Their sound anyway will become more "fusionesque" in the next album, while at their debut their imprinting was not completely defined!

Very interesting and not completely essential "Protoprogressive" album!!

This Spanish band ICEBERG came (like Manuel from Fawlty Towers) from Barcelona. Their debut album "Tutankhamon" (1975) is the most 'symphonic' release: tasteful songs with many shifting moods, ranging from fluent with biting and howling, wah-wah drenched guitar solos to dreamy with floods of choir-Mellotron and tender Fender Rhodes piano. The vocals are often passionate and the interplay between guitar and keyboards is flowing. Recommended.. !

With its great artwork sleeve (note the birds on the right of the iceberg or the one lifting it), Iceberg's debut announces the colour of its greatness and even if the following albums will differ greatly in style, the quality will remains constant until the end and a very stable line-up with only lead vocalist Angel Riba leaving and not being replaced after this album. I am generally wary of concept albums based on a historical background - Triumvirat's Spartacus or Suspersiter's Iskandar for example. Somehow the sound is in between early King Crimson, Yes and Mahavishnu Orchestra will typical Latin touches.

I must say that Iceberg's Tutankhamon avoid some clichés, although their switching from Spanish to English lyrics is a bit unsettling but not bothersome, that most of these fallacious historical pretences force upon - the narrations or lenghty texts linking the songs, their obligatory visions of Antiquity's music etc. All is not excellent either with a rather lenghty drum solo in La Muerte - I wonder how that fitted with their concept except being bored to death, and one of the cheesiest track recorded in Spain (Close To God - reminding you some of Santana's worst distractions in the late 70's). Guitarist "Max" Sunyer (ex-Tapîman) really shows his class (reminding you of Akkerman, Mc Laughlin and the great Carlos) and dominates the album although across him is a superb «Kitflus» Mas.

One of the first albums I would recommend if you are new to Spanish prog and are into symphonic prog. And even if not your first foray in Hispanic musical heaven, this is still highly recommended.

First Iceberg releas from 1975. As you know Icebrg came from Barcelona. Maybe this is their most symphonic album, later albums are more jazz latin orientation. The music has shifting moods, great guitar solos and nice keys passages. This is the only album with voice, the next 3 studio albums are entirely instrumental. The vocals interplay between guitar and keyboards very smooth and nice but, i prefer the one's without voice, for ex. Sentiments the best they ever done. Iceberg's debut announces the great albums that follows even is diffrent from the next one's. The best pieces are Too young to be a Pharaoh and Lying on the sand. After all a decent album, but not something special either . 3 stars

Iceberg is one of my favorite spanish bands, and this album is just great. If you like fusion, symphonic prog, concept albums and most importantly Yes, you will love it. The only complaint that I have is that the lyrics are in both english and spanish, which is a little bit anoying (at least for me)... but musically it is a very well composed and performed album.

The album presents a band starting to experiment with various influences and the concept album format. So what you get is sort of a mix between Yes and John McLaughlin. Although not very original, this is the band's first step in their search for their own sound: flamenco jazz-rock/fusion, which they will finally develop in Coses Nostres.

The storyline and lyrics of the album are centered around the historical moment and life of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. The story is very accurate from the historic point of view and the lyrics are beautiful and well written (both in Spanish and English)

The album starts with Tebas a great introduction to the album showcasing a symphonic sound close to Yes', specially the guitar. The lyrics start with Prologo (prologue), in Spanish, introducing the historic and social context of Egypt before Tutankhamen in a very effective and accurate way (+ the singer is very talented and pleasant), while musically the highlights are the guitar (very similar to Steve Howe), the jazzy keyboards and the percussions. 4

Sacerdotes de Amon continues with the same mood of the first tracks while continues with the storyline. 4

Amarna is a more eclectic instrumental track still led by the guitar but with outstanding percussions and a pleasant atmosphere generated by the mellotron. 4

Lying on the Sand is the first track with English lyrics and not completely dominated by the guitar, so we have a chance to admire the great work of the keyboardist with the mellotron, piano and, specially, the Rhodes with a great jazzy solo. Added to that we can still appreciate the talents of the guitarist, percussionist and singer, although the last one has a bit of an accent which is passable. 4.25

Amenofis IV is an instrumental fusion jam and a team work, in contrast with the previous guitar dominated tracks. Every musician shows his talent and how well the band can work together. 4.5

Himno al Sol is a very jazzy song while being at the same time symphonic in the style of Yes' Relayer and the lyrics are in Spanish again. One thing that bothers me is the obvious Yes ripoff by quoting a guitar riff from Siberian Khatru several times. 4.25

La Muerte is a great jazzy/symphonic instrumental track featuring an amazing (and a bit too long) drum solo. 4.5

Close to God is a quieter track with more English lyrics, very close to a ballad with a jazzy instrumental background (it remembers me some Colosseum II tracks). 4.25

Too Young to be a Pharaoh is the "heaviest" track of the album with some more guitar soloing ala Howe and very dynamic vocals (in English). Another highlight of the song is the drumming (Jordi Colomer is definitively very talented). 4.5

Tebas (reprise) is the best way of closing a concept album, quoting some of the themes of the previous tracks and closing magnificently with a guitar solo. 4.25

Total: 4.25

This is sort of a Yes clone album with jazzy overtones but the band will later evolve in their own particular style, which will prove to be very original and not really close to Yes' sound (more in a flamenco/jazz-rock direction...something noticeable in some sections of Tutankhamon).

Great debut album from very talented artists who will release masterpieces after defining their personal style. 4 stars for an excellent and highly enjoyable but not essential album.

Another band from the huge 70's spanish progressive rock scene which remained faithful in the progressive rock roots from the start to the very end of their career.ICEBERG released five worth- mentoning albums (four studio and one live) between 1975 and 1980 and their discography starts with ''Tutankhamon'' in 1975.As far as I am concerned this is their only album with a singer.The lyrics alternate betwwen the english and the spanish language through the rocking voice of Jose Mas

Anyone who expects somekind of spanish influened- or flamenco prog rock full of spanish guitars and the likes should really avoid.ICEBERG draw their influenced from 60's-70's hard rock,jazz rock and symphonic prog.So we have to deal with a blend of musical styles here.Some tracks,as the ''Tebas'',''Sacerdotes...''and the ''Tebas (reprise)'' are pure symphonic rock of high quality.Some of them have an evident jazz/fusion leaning like ''Prologo'',''Amenofis'' or the eclectic/fusion ''La muerte'',while in some others the band pays a tribute to the rock giants like LED ZEPPELIN as in ''Lying on the sand'' and ''Too young to be a Pharaoh'',where the singer not surprisingly sings in english and with a more hard-edged style...As a conclusion I would say that this album would be better without vocals because sometimes the excellent musicianship loses its orientation with the addition of the hard rocking vocals...

ICEBERG's debut is nothing more than a enjoyable disc and a recommendable addition to your collection,which deserves no more or less than 3 stars...An interesting mix of hard rock,symphonic and jazz rock covering all the possible styles...Later on the band would choose a more fusion way of expressing their musical feelings...

3.5 stars. This was ICEBERG's debut album from 1975. This Spanish band is so impressive instrumentally, that is especially noticed on their next two albums where they changed to more of a Fusion style. This debut is their only one with vocals, and although they're not bad this would work better for me as an instrumental work. Most of the tracks here blend into one another and this is a concept album.

"Tebas" opens with almost 1 1/2 minutes of beautiful guitar then the vocals come in. More pleasant guitar after 3 minutes when the vocals stop. Piano and percussion are prominant as well. "Prologo" has a fairly heavy intro as vocals join in. It settles with mellotron and sax. It's kind of dreamy here. It kicks back in as contrasts are repeated. "Sacerdotes De Amon" sounds so good to open as the mellotron builds like an impending storm. It then kicks in with guitar and drums leading the way. Contrasts continue. "Amarna" offers us this great guitar solo early as mellotron, piano, drums and vocals follow.

"Lying On The Sand" is a short tune where the guitar solos tastefully. "Amenofis IV" is just over 1 minute long and is pastoral. "Himno Al Sol" continues mellow until guitar, drums and keys start to make some noise. A Howe-like guitar melody comes and goes. Vocals too. "La Muerte" has a good uptempo rhythm. "Close To God" is where we get a drum solo until the guitar and keys come ripping in. "Too Young To Be A Pharaoh" opens with piano then vocals. This is too sweet for my tastes. It does kick in late and we get that Howe-like guitar melody again. "Tebas (Reprise)" is a beautiful mellotron drenched track with prominant guitar.

There is so much that I like about this album that it's hard not offering up that fourth star, but the truth is that there are passages and songs that are average at best. Their next two albums surpass this one as they are more to my tastes.

I really recommend this album to those who search for that feeling of really authentic prog rock which can only (or mostly) be found in the 70's. This is the debut album by this spanish band and their most symphonic-rock one, with emphasis on "rock". After Tutankhamon they would loose singer Angel Riba and their music became instrumental and more fusion oriented (still great btw).

Rock came late in Spain due to the dictatorship of general Franco, and therefore this album although dating from '75 sounds in many ways as earlier records from the UK (american rock was not much influential in Spain at that time). As with many 70's records what is lovely here is the sense of authenticity. It was still too early to talk about influences, genres, clones and things like that, as we excessively do today. The guys simply did what felt right to them at the time, and there and then this happened to be simply wonderful music.

The core of Iceberg were keyboardist Josep "Kitflus" Mas and guitarist Max Sunye, both coming from a jazz environment, but the times were prone for symphonic rock and they embraced the genre eagerly, resulting in a delighful album which blens symphonic, jazz- fusion, still a few atmospheric psychedelic traces and pure 70's rock. This is not symphonic similar to the big ones Genesis, Yes, ELP, Floyd etc.This is authentically personal music, not trying to copy anybody. No long suites, no excessive focus on virtuosity, no bombastic feeling, just simply great music.

It's a concept album about the famous pharaoh although it does not tell a specific storyline but just assorted themes around his figure. It's sung half in spanish half in english and unfortunately the voice is not the strong point, but the composition and instrumental work more than compensate for it.

The starter "Tebas" is a great short instrumental overture, reminds me somehow of the wonderful debut album of Ted Rundgren's Utopia. "Prologo" has a delightful 5/4 jazzy time signature and much wah-wah guitar, very 70's. "Sacerdotes de Amon" starts with a hard guitar riff but soon shifts to more atmospheric moods. "Amarna" is an instrumental delight of that sort you think that it could only be made in the 70's. "Lying on the sand" is a great slow-mid tempo song again mixing rock with jazzy elements. "Amenofis IV" is instrumental, again a beautiful sample of what the unadelturated mood of the times could produce. "Himno al Sol" has a great 7/4 ? 3/4 rhythm. "La muerte" contains a drum solo as was the fashion in those times, although not too long and not by any means the best in the song, the short fragments where all the instruments play are awesome. "Close to God" is a more pop song, very melodic with great Rhodes piano and wah-wah guitar. If only all pop songs were like this. "Too young to be a pharaoh" is hard-rock-prog at its best, and the reprise of the opening "Tebas" puts the symphonic cherry on the cake.

Again, this is not Genesis, Yes, ELP or PFM. This is more jazz-rock-oriented prog, the voice is not great and the production is improvable by today's standards, but this is really wonderful authentic music very worth knowing about for a prog fan.

Emerging just as Spain was on the cusp of its transition to democracy, Iceberg's debut album finds the band unsure of just what direction they intend to take. Regular nods to the conventions of symphonic prog aside, the band's heart really seems to lie in funk-influenced jazz fusion, leading to an intriguing blend of styles which keeps the album entertaining - though I'm left with the impression that the music would be improved if Iceberg had committed to one musical direction or another rather than prevaricating. In particular, I'd like to hear much more saxophone and less vocals from frontman Angel Riba, though guitarist Max and keyboardist Kitflus trade solos more than competently.

Debut album from one of the most unfairly forgotten spanish prog bands of the 70!

And unlike their posterior releases which are clearly more jazz oriented, Tutankhamon was a lovable attempt from this band to create a prog-rock album in the vein of Yes, Camel with a touch of King Crimson. So, it's nothing really new or truly original to be heard in this record, but it's surely worth your time nevertheless if you are into this kind of music.

The album opens with Tebas, a Little instrumental track with beautiful melodies which are very Yes influenced. After this track Prólogo introduces some powerful guitars and the fine vocals from Ángel Riba, who sings in a very passionate and solid style giving the band an extra amount of personality.

Sacerdotes has another great riff at the beginning and curious saxophone which contribute with some extra symphonic elements. The lyrics are sadly a bit ridiculous, but that's the weakest point of the band anyway. But this problem is not to be find in Amarna, an instrumental composition with some wah wah guitars, mellotron and a fine dark atmosphere.

Lying on the Sand has an enigmatic beginning and slow verses, and that's a good 70's standard prog-rock song excepting the lousy English pronunciation of Ángel... In my opinion, this mixture of Spanish and English lyrics was a mistake. They should have made the whole album at Spanish and after this experience is not a surprise that they became totally instrumental on their second release Coses Nostres.

Amenphis is another instrumental song with some Syberian Kathru influences while Himno al Sol is one of the centerpieces of the album, this time with even interesting lyrics and excellent guitars. And also, an excellent guitar and keyboards playing is to be find in La Muerte, a good instrumental ruined by a boring drums solo.

Close to God is a song that could have been recorded by The Flower Kings years later, being an obvious influence for this great Swedish band. And his beautiful and dreamy track is perfectly linked to Too Young to Be a Pharaoh, the best track of the album with a killer riff, great vocal interpretation and a guitar which could have been played by Steve Howe himself. After his adrenaline discharge, a reprise from Tebas closes the album in a fine way.

Conclusion: in a land so complicated for prog-rock like Spain, Iceberg managed to release a very solid 70's prog album which works almost like a single track. Coherent, well written and with very solid instrumental skills by the whole band.

Is was by no terms groundbreaking or truly original, with influenced that are a bit too obvious, but it will surely please you if you like the typical 70's prog rock made from the heart. Recommended!

Best Tracks: Tebas, Himno al Sol, Close to God, Too Young to be a Pharaoh.

My rating: ***