SIMBIOSE

It's been more than 4 years since my last music review! Seems like ages! But after I got ahold of the debut album of a Brazilian formation - Arcpelago, I just had to write something! But let's start from the beginning. Arcpelago is a new band of Ronaldo Rodrigues, a very talented keyboardist known to me before from his previous group - Massahara. Actually I reviewed Massahara's sole album a few years ago, so I expected something similar here. But I was wrong. Arcpelago is a completely different animal. While Massahara played heavy prog bordering on pure hard rock (a la Deep Purple or Uriah Heep), Arcpelago plays pure symphonic-prog stuff. However one thing remained the same: awesome, 70s atmosphere created by Rodrigues's array of analog keyboards: Hammond organ, Moog, mellotron and pianos (I'm not sure whether it's a truly analog equipment, but I could swear that it sounds like one).

1."Sopro Vital" (11:07) - albums begins with the best, mostly instrumental track. First Moog notes sound like something just out of Eloy's repertoire, but soon Ronaldo switches to his trusty Hammond and Jorge Carvalho delivers wonderful, pulsating bass lines. Then we can hear some fantastic organ/electric guitar passages. I'm not kidding you that I truly can't stop nodding my head while listening to it, especially the first 4 minutes are so vital. The Hammond sounds magnificently symphonic here and reminds me of Thij van Leer in his most baroque moments. After then the tempo slows down and the melody resembles Eloy's and Pink Floyd's classic stuff. There's also a short vocal part (sang by Ronaldo Rodrigues in Portuguese, so I can't understand it) followed by a ripping guitar solo in the vein of Frank Bornemann or David Gilmour. In general Eloy, Pink Floyd, Focus, and even Yes and ELP must have influenced these guys here.

2."Distancia entre um Dia e Outro" (7:51) - this composition is much different from the first one. It sounds rather grim, gloomy and heavy. A bit like King Crimson circa "Red" album. Eduardo Marcolino's guitar and Jorge Carvalho's bass are in the forefront here. Rodrigues mostly plays the electric piano in the background and lets his colleagues lead the way. Not a bad instrumental at all.

3."Ebulicao do Tempos" (5:27) - is a more up-tempo song and the only one that shows some pop-rock influences. It's quite full of singing and it's not 100% "progressive", but I think it was a wise decision to put it here, between the other epic monsters. The guitar solos played over synthesizers flights are classy too. I didn't like it too much at first, but after a few spins I started to value it more.

4."Cidade Solar" (6:47) - oh, that's an interesting track! Actually it makes a use of old Yarbird's song "Still I'm Sad". I don't mean the whole song or even the overall atmosphere, but the rhythm. However it's prevalent mostly in the beginning and then becomes more symphonic again. The organ solo is wonderful and reminds me of Manfred Wieczorke's work in Eloy (again). After that the acoustic piano takes over and the mood changes to dreamy. No vocals here, only pure music.

5."Universos Paralelos" (2:32) - oh, here I can even guess the English name. "Parallel Universes", right? Anyway, it's only a short (less than 3 minutes) miniature. Very pleasant actually. We can hear soft guitars passages, mellotron waves and even some flute (also a mellotron?). Nice.

6."Dentro de Si" (9:50) - the second long suite of the album starts tranquilly with delicate mellotron, melodic bass, acoustic guitar and humming organ. Before the 2nd minute also the vocal joins in. But for me this mini-epic truly commences when Ronaldo delivers another highly enjoyable solo on his Hammond. Then there is another short fragment with a vocal and everything ends with an extended organ and synth soloing that sounds truly majestic and can bring Tony Bank's style (from the 70s) to mind.

To sum up: "Simbiose" is a perfect debut for this young band. If you like symphonic prog, melodic space rock or just retro-prog in general, you'll sure find it very attractive. If you are afraid that it's in Portuguese, then don't be, because it really shouldn't bother you. Anyway, most of the compositions are instrumental.

I hope they will soon record another, even more refined prog-rock gem, and they won't vanish like Massahara. These guys really deserve more recognition at the worldwide music market.

The best songs: "Sopro Vital" & "Dentro de Si".

4.5 starts out of 5 from ozzy_tom

"Out the blue, love came rushing through, out of the sky, came the sun". These Roxy Music lyrics on "Out of the Blue", ring certainly true on this wonderful discovery. Scouring dozens of bands weekly can be quite the grind, and when a petulant bass guitar reaches out and grabs my earlobe, I get quite excited. And when it happens to be also from Brazil, the rest of my senses start dancing as well. Arcpelago released this debut in 2016, flying well below my radar until it landed in my collection by pure luck. A quartet featuring four talented artists, guitarist Eduardo Marcolino, Renato Rodrigues on keyboards and vocals, drummer Renato Navega and the afore mentioned master of the rubbery four string monster, Jorge Carvalho. What makes this album so special, beyond the vintage keyboard arsenal at their disposal , all the usual suspects, well known figures in the prog mob is the symphonic nature of their style, very 70s with heady doses of Floyd, Eloy, PFM etc?

Hypnotized into rapt obedience in following the omnipresent bass line from the outset, "Sopro Vital" takes an 11- minute swaying joyride into a driving and uncompromising groove, with blossoming exhortations from Rodrigues and Marcolino , sprinkled with enough twists and turns to foment revolution (LOL). Rambling organ structures, prickly and crisp electric guitar sprawls, and the obligatory shifting speeds and moods keep the thrill meter dial in the red zone. The dreamy and echo-laden vocals exude a well-meaning expansion to the track, as a springboard to an even more elaborate conclusion, where the bass leaps out in Wetton-like solidity, guiding the delirious lead guitar into sublime realms , putting the piece to bed with a jazzy final swirl.

"Distancia Entre Um Dia e Outro" is a different beast all-together, offering stunning e-piano droplets, an octopus drum attack and an upfront bass splurge to die for, reminiscent of Hugh Hopper's elastic fuzz style made famous on many a Soft Machine album! A petulant, somewhat abrasive heavy jazz rambling steamroller, deliciously vintage, retro 70s sound that has eternity stamped all over it. Halfway through, Renato Navega and Jorge Carvalho usurp the arrangement by slowly rebooting the escalating groove into an insane electric guitar solo, up and down the fretboard's shaft like maniac miner looking desperately for gold. The sizzling synthesizers keep the fire burning , looking for the motherlode.

A trio of shorter tracks ensue, "Ebulicao dos Tempos" shrouded in a more accessible mode, with a compact rhythmic rock foundation, laden with forlorn vocals as if the distance evoked in the previous piece remains illusionary and timeless. The soloing is accomplished and patrician, no frilly nonsense , an in-your-face rocker. That nasty Lemmy-like bass takes the lead on the throttling "Cidade Solar", a forward plunging flip into more galactic horizons, a glittering synthesizer setting the controls to the heart of the cosmos, no hint of looking back at the road travelled. Rodrigues gets the shine like a fireball when boosted with added fuel, yet unafraid to settle into astral calm, with some delicate piano excerpts. The guitarist gets to curl his fingers on the joystick, tensely echoing in the silence of space, a gripping extra vehicular adventure.

Highlighted by the appearance of a comfortably numb mellotron flutter, "Universos Paralelos" serves as a momentary lapse of turbocharging, a floating and reflective intermission with flute patch synth as a major point of interest.

An epic finale is to be found on the spectral « Dentro de Si », as close as possible to any Floydian expanse, what with the elementary bass/drum pattern, the overtly whopping organ carpeting , vaguely misty vocals and industrious use of contrast and variation to keep the mood flowing expansively. Invariably both psychedelic and muscular, with enough muscle to seduce that softer tinge into submission, the platform is set for an awesome electric guitar solo that uses little effects, preferring incredibly nimble technique, and then handing off the spirit of the age to Rodrigues's delirious organ spotlight. As the bass returns to the front of the limelight, the apotheosis is reached , as f an exploding super nova settles the score.

Many years have passed, but if there ever was a need for a sophomore album to emerge from Brazil, then this would take the top of the podium. 4.5 Island synergies