ATEMPO

Running at over 70 minutes,you won't realize what is to come by the listening of the first three tracks:slow atmospheric keyboards,smooth acoustic (and a few electric) guitars and fronted by the voice of Gonzalez,these tracks create a ballad-like psychedelic atmosphere,a very calm one for the average proghead's ear...but what actually follows is a grandiose classical-inspired 47-min. epic with changing climates and a balanced intensity.''El Final'' is split in nine parts,which range from dynamic keyboard-driven groovy parts and excellent flashy synth-based solos to soft piano-led classical music and some awesome vocal lines.The composition flows unbelievably nice and easy,while it also contains some supporting guitar work and very strong drumming.Symphonic rock combined with classical music at its best,obviously influenced by acts like E.L.P.,RICK WAKEMAN and TRACE.The overall sound reminds me also of some other Latin-American keyboard-based progsters like BLEZQI ZATSAZ or JAIME ROSAS QUARTET.''Abismos del tiempo'' worths to be discovered even only for the maginificent epic it contains,as the three other tracks do not reach the same level of inspiration and musicianship.A nice modern symphonic suite.

1. Subreal 1 : This composition starts slow, followed by a heavy and bombastic atmosphere featuring opera-like vocals and mellow pieces with beautiful piano, warm vocals and great orchestrations. The final part is outstanding delivering a very sensitive electric guitar solo, beautiful piano and dramatic vocals.

2. Triste : First a dreamy climate with fragile piano work, in the end a great finale with howling electric guitar runs.

3. El Circo De Los Tuneles : A very alternating track with twanging guitars and soaring guitar, a slow rhythm with dreamy vocals, sumptuous keyboards and vocals with lots of passion, a mellow part with senstitive electric guitar and in the end a fiery and bombastic atmosphere featuring heavy guitar riffs and sweeping drum beats.

4. Simple : Another varied song, from dreamy with piano and sensitive electric guitar and a strong beat with sparkling piano to bombastic with flashy synthesizer runs. The fluent shifting moods shows the huge progress Atempo has made in 3 years!

5. Experimento - SU 2.0 : After fragile piano work the music becomes more and more fluent and swinging to a mid-tempo rhythm with sparkling piano and a dynamic rhythm-section. The focus is on fiery saxophone work and jazzy- like piano, the interplay is great.

In my opinion Atempo has prooved their huge potention with this captivating album.

"Abismos Del Tiempo" has 4 themes where dramatic elements are emphasized in lyrics, some dense instrumentation and -specially- in the singing style. While "Héroe de la Soledad" has a dark and even heavy atmosphere, following two cuts -"Lluvia Mística" and "Cárcel de Sueños"- are some kind of intense ballads. At this point, we would talk about a correct and simply nice album, but with "El Final" (a 47+ minutes suite) the best progressive elements appear: instrumentation becomes more complex, and variations and beautiful soundscapes invades the listener. Not completely a majestic track because melodic beauty disappears at some moments, but really enjoyable.

This is a good album, not superlative. Well worth a listen, but I would recommend -for those who want to know the contemporary Argentinian progressive panorama- to start with NEXUS' "Metanoia" or "Detrás del Umbral".