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VIGESIMUS

Cast

Symphonic Prog


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Cast Vigesimus album cover
4.17 | 140 ratings | 8 reviews | 34% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2021

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Ortni (5:31)
2. Black Ashes and Black Boxes (6:18)
3. The Unknown Wise Advice (9:43)
4. Another Light (3:40)
5. Manley (5:16)
6. Location and Destination (7:52)
7. Crossing (10:00)
8. The March (7:21)
9. Contacto (10:44) :
- i. Primer Acto
- ii. Profundi
10. Dredging to the Higher Plane (10:13)

Total Time 76:38

Line-up / Musicians

- Luis Alfonso Vidales / keyboards
- Bobby Vidales / vocals
- Lupita Acuña / vocals
- Claudio Cordero / guitars
- Roberto Izzo / violin
- Carlos Humarán / bass, backing vocals
- Jose Antonio Bringas / drums, percussion

Releases information

Label: Progressive Promotion Records (PPRCD092)
Format: CD, Digital
March 5, 2021 (Europe), March 19, 2021 (World)

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
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CAST Vigesimus ratings distribution


4.17
(140 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(34%)
34%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(33%)
33%
Good, but non-essential (21%)
21%
Collectors/fans only (11%)
11%
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
1%

CAST Vigesimus reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Another solid release from one of the world's most prolific, creative, and accomplished symphonic rockers.

1. "Ortni" (5:31) nice instrumental (8.75/10)

2. "Black Ashes and Black Boxes" (6:18) nice piano intro and effected vocal. The rest of the band then picks up the same driving riff from the piano to build a hard-driving song from. Vocalist Bobby Vidales is so talented! I wish the music didn't sound so tired and hard-pressed. (8.67/10)

3. "The Unknown Wise Advice" (9:43) The first 4:45 sounds like an American Christian rocker. When things click into third gear and the guitars start to show it gets better. Is Cast the ghost of Neal Morse-era Spock's Beard? (16.5/20)

4. "Another Light" (3:40) More rote prog but still, it's at such a higher level than 95% of the other bands out there. A band that, when riding on fumes, still rides higher, faster, and smoother than most everybody else. (8.67/10)

5. "Manley" (5:16) a jazzy, spy-thriller soundtrack sounding song. Jose Antonio's snare sounds terrible! The complex keyboard and guitar chordal replication of an orchestral sound is excellent--were it not for those dated keyboards! (8.67/10)

6. "Location and Destination" (7:52) built around a folk dance melody, the music smooths out for the vocal section, with keys and violins providing a nice orchestral background and Lupita's background vocals supporting Bobby very nicely. These guys know each other so well! Piano and violin work shines. Relying purely on their intuitional mutual support works really well. I don't get how the final 2:30 wasn't clipped off in the editing room to be called/created as a separate song. Weird! Still, a top three song for me. (13/15)

7. "Crossing" (10:00) excellent plaintive bombastic prog opens this one--nobody does it better: that dynamic classical/theatric prog. I think I'm getting the point here that the instrumentalists had much more music created for this album than Bobby Vidales had for lyrical/story ideas: It's 3:47 before we even have a clue that there's going to be words/vocals. Again, Bobby is such a talented vocalist; too bad he couldn't come up with anything worth singing. The "harp" supported seventh minute is a real highlight for me. (17.25/20)

8. "The March" (7:21) piano and some "strings" support Bobby's vocal--perhaps his best, most sincere and heart-felt on the album. Strings become much more important as we go--as Bobby keeps singing. Great support from Lupita, and from Bobby himself, in the fourth and fifth minutes, respectively. The rock instrument presence builds but never takeover as Bobby sings start to finish with little-to-no break. Wow! (13.25/15)

9. "Contacto" (10:44) an instrumental of nice complexity and superlative performances all around (18.25/20): - i. Primer Acto - consists of two major motifs, two different speeds and styles (one infused with Spanish guitar) - ii. Profundi - at 6:30 we switch back into the first motif at a higher speed with very aggressive lead guitar. Beautiful ninth minute. Instrumental prog does NOT get much better than this. One of the best whole band selections you are going to hear from 2021.

10. "Dredging to the Higher Plane" (10:13) violin and a bailar folklorico dance motif open this before Bobby quickly joins in with one of his finest Broadway-deserving performances in a long--certainly the best of this album. But then he's gone! The pit orchestra plays themes and overtures for the next four minutes straight! When he returns it is with no where near the acrobatic show of the opening minute; more like Javert on Les Mis. Then the musicians in the pit take over again--stretching out in their race to the end. A song with tremendous potential--especially as an album ender--but fails to bring closure satisfactorily. (18/20)

Total Time 76:38

A band that creates top notch music but whose continued use of outdated 1990s computer keyboards makes me often cringe. Both their dedication and their creativity are awe-inspiring, their skills as musicians of the highest caliber; where they seem to come up short is in innovation and adoption of /adaptation to evolving technologies. Masters of melody and great performers, all, it's really hard to downgrade their wonderful music for sounding "dated" and "same ol' same ol'" or "Cast doing what Cast does" because it's at such a higher than others level.

B/four stars; an excellent addition of high quality symphonic prog rock despite sounding at times like the product of a tired A-level band. Recommended.

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
5 stars Back in the Nineties I became aware of Mexican band Cast (this is pre-internet remember), and from somewhere I was sent the first four albums to review. They blew me away, and I then managed to get in touch with the band who sent me their current album 'Beyond Reality'. I loved their music but somehow lost contact again, and the next album I heard was 2017's 'Power and Outcome', which I gave top marks. Now I have in front of me their last album, 'Vigesimus', and it took me a while to get it to the player. The reason for that is I always have way too much music on my plate to review, and I know there is every likelihood that a new Cast album will become a problem in that I will just keep playing it to the detriment of everything else I have to listen to.

As soon as it started, I knew I was in trouble, as it was clear from the very beginning that this was yet another superb piece of work from the guys. Formed in 1978 by keyboard player Alfonso Vidales, he is still there as is drummer Antonio Bringas who has been involved since before the debut album. It is the same line-up as the last album, with the band completed by Bobby Vidales (vocals), Lupita Acuña (vocals), Claudio Cordero (guitars), Roberto Izzo (violin) and Carlos Humarán (bass, backing vocals). Together they create a symphonic crossover progressive sound which is huge, and this time also brings in multiple theatrical elements, and I found myself being reminded of some of Clive Nolan's work.

There are those who may argue that some of the sounds they use can be somewhat dated, but I find the combination of those keyboards with the stunning guitar quite sensational. The vocals are superb, with all lyrics in English ? btw, it is really nice in these days of digital downloads to actually hold a physical CD and be able to read the lyrics in the nice booklet. As with many of Cast's albums, the artwork is also essential. There is no doubt that these guys have been top of the Mexican prog tree for many years, and I still find it strange that they are not more widely known in Europe, as they are producing prog which is vital, exciting, and incredibly dynamic. The interplay between the electric violin, keyboards and guitars on "The Unknown Wise Advice" is a sheer delight, and the album is well worth seeking out for that track alone!

If the name Cast is new to you, and you enjoy driving symphonic prog with elements of theatricality all wrapped up with great vocals, arrangements and musicianship then you need it investigate this immediately, if not sooner.

Latest members reviews

5 stars "Cast" is my favorite Latin American band. I saw them live maybe 20 years ago, at "Valparaiso University" (long down south, not Indiana but South America). I was teaching a course and they were on tour, 5.000 miles away from home. I was impressed by their performance very much "Yes stile" ... (read more)

Report this review (#2691137) | Posted by chiang | Thursday, February 10, 2022 | Review Permanlink

5 stars CAST, known by chance in 2006 thanks to Musea when they had been playing since 1978, released their 20th album! CAST is a symphonic sound added to a basic neo-prog tune tinged with medieval, ethnic, belonging to this distant continent having something to do with it; a little GENESIS and ELP, K ... (read more)

Report this review (#2540255) | Posted by alainPP | Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | Review Permanlink

4 stars STILL ALIVE AND PROGGING AFTER 40 YEARS!! In the Nineties I listened to a serie of albums, and witnessed Cast on a Dutch progrock festival. But then I lost the band, this new studio album (#20 since Landing In A Serious Mind from 1994) is my first musical encounter with Cast since the late Ni ... (read more)

Report this review (#2535554) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This is the first album I have heard by Cast and it is fantastic. The melodies here are magnificent and each song is written with perfection. This album is definitely a solid contender for the best album of 2021. The keyboards are especially great here. The vocals also shine on almost every track. T ... (read more)

Report this review (#2535287) | Posted by BlazingProg | Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Awesome symphonic, heavy prog album. Cast's 20th album...where have you been all my life? You're my favorite Mexican prog album! That said, Vigesimus doesn't adorn herself with Mexican musical baubles. Truly, I could never guess what country this devilish ditty sprung from. The singer offers no cl ... (read more)

Report this review (#2530325) | Posted by omphaloskepsis | Tuesday, March 30, 2021 | Review Permanlink

5 stars The 20th album release from Mexican band,Cast,formed by keyboard maestro,Alfonso Vidales,in 1978. Power and Outcome was my album of the year in 2017.They since released Sinfonico live in 2018,and so to Vigesimus in March 2021.Almost 80 minutes of music -10 tracks -4 of which are around 10 minutes ... (read more)

Report this review (#2526147) | Posted by daisy1 | Thursday, March 18, 2021 | Review Permanlink

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