EN EL COMIENZO DEL TOPOS URANOS

1. "El Ultimo Dia" (6:13) nice, tight performances and some okay melodies wasted on a song with too little substance or purpose. (7.5/10)

2. "La Casa Del Invierno" (5:18) nice neoclassical piano opening turns sappy, syrupy at 0:45. Guitar entry is welcomed and nice. Unfortunately, the syrupy melodies and feel continue. At 2:02 there is an awesome key change that opens the door for some nice synth-midi soloing before everything cuts out leaving a very spacious soundscape for the whispery voice of Roxana Truccolo. The instrumental section that follows sounds like pure CAMEL--even the key/chord changes. At 3:53 we're back to the instrumental chorus section--which builds into a very full (classical piano flourishes in the background!) soundscape before it all ends. (8.5/10)

3. "Un Cristal Bajo El Agua" (7:42) piano and Mellotron open this song briefly before a lively organ establishes a NEXUS sound. Things slow down as drums and bass keep pushing us forward while piano, guitar, and organ take turns soloing. Nothing so extraordinary yet. Begins to feel familiar like a circus chase scene soundtrack. Things slow down in a bombastic way in the fourth minute with wild synth soloing coming somewhat from the background (behind the drums and bass). The drumming drives me to distraction--I just can't enjoy the other instruments. (7.5/10)

4. "En El Tercer Planeta" (4:46) driving spy soundtrack theme opens and propels this one from the start. Various synths and electric guitar carry the melody and power over and above the rhythmatists. Dynamic shift in the third minute allows for an emotional electric guitar solo to shine. At 3:15 it really breaks down to basics with pounding piano and then chunky bass before gearing back up into third gear for an organ solo. Soloing synth takes us to the end. (8/10)

5. "Huellos" (2:49) Organ! Church organ! This is cool! But, no! Lalo fades into the void so that Carlos can do a classical piece on his acoustic's nylon strings. Very pretty but I would have loved to have heard more of Lalo's organ--with or without the guitar. (8.5/10)

6. "Soplo De Vida" (9:10) as in the third song of the album, this one opens up with guns firing at full speed. There's a bit of a RUSH-like sound and feel to the bass lines in this one. Meanwhile guitars and synths are screaming at and over one another for two minutes before there is a short break. We soon return to the speed limit, this time in an odd time signature as synths and guitars continue their trailblazing. At 3:30 we again switch time signatures until everything falls into a brief drum-and-bass-less lull (recharging their batteries, no doubt) before returning to the opening pace and cadence. This is really a masterfully constructed and performed piece of prog complexity. The true lull in the sixth minute has a kind of meditative, clandestine feel to it--as if we temporarily ran into a church for some peace and solace. As we break back out into the sun the hero feels depleted, as if the pace of the first two third has taken its toll and now, despite brief flourishes into action and adventure, the pace is much more proscribed, controlled, yet still steady, still driven. Excellent prog epic! (9/10)

- Bonus Tracks : 7. El Color Que Cayo Del Cielo (7:02) 8. Heliotropo (5:17) 9. Los Sacerdotes Malignos (7:24)

I'm not sure why the bonus tracks are separated in the credits even though they are included in the "total time" calculations, perhaps because the 36-minute body of the main six are a little shy of a full album. Still, the band has pulled it together again. But I have to admit, they're feeling a little old (especially in the drums but overall).

Four stars; a nice addition to prog world from some seasoned masters.

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