OCELOS

This five-piece band comes from the Northern part of Chile and is rooted in 2002, it took a while before they got the opportunity to release this debut CD on the new Chilean progrock label Watcher Records. This CD is a concept album about the experiences of the phases into the band, it contains four movements.

1. Dioscuros (The Genesis) : a very alternating piece with spectacular work on keyboards (from a soaring choir-Mellotron sound to a flashy synthesizer solo and powrful organ runs), 'angelic' Spanish female vocals and fiery guitar runs, it sounds very dynamic and exciting!

2. Letargia (The Flight) : after the sound of the sea and birds, the atmosphere is first mellow with thin vocals and tender piano and then more hypnotizing with a slow rhtyhm delivering twanging guitar and a choir-Mellotron sound, a majestic piece of music that contrasts perfectly with the previous song.

3. Semjases (The Encounter) : this is also a very alternating track, from dreamy with wonderful female vocals to mid-tempo featuring propulsive guitar/drums and flashy synthesizer flights and a compelling final part with the focus on sensitive and fiery guitar work, very moving!

4. Ocelos (The Future) : this is their 'magnum opus' (at about 11 minutes) with lots of flowing shifting moods, sensational work on keyboards and guitar and a splendid bombastic final part with awesome interplay between sparkling piano, propulsive and fiery guitarplay, beautiful, often thin female vocals, an adventurous rhtyhm-section and spectacular synthesizer runs, symphonic prog at its best!

To me this sounds as a very strong debut CD. You can hear that this band plays together for many years. If you are up to the often thin and high-pitched, 'angelic' Spanish female vocals, this will be an excellent symphonic prog experience!