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Tarkus - A Gaze Between The Past And The Future CD (album) cover

A GAZE BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

Tarkus

 

Symphonic Prog

3.48 | 21 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

CCVP
Prog Reviewer
3 stars Could have been a better album

You know, i am usually very impressed by brazilian prog, when it is good, because in this part of the equator we don't have a good progressive rock industry like in other places around the world. Bad recording equipment, bad market, bad advertising, lack of founds, you name it and we have it here. So, it is usually hard to put out an album so i tend to support the bands the way i can.

However, the band must earn that support by putting out a good album and not just releasing an average album. Tarkus almost releases a good album, but in the end, due to two problems that i will mention ahead, their album is just average. Their music, though very inspired by the 70's prog sound, don't sound dated nor derivative, the songs are pretty interesting and the lyrics are not bad also. Their main influence here, despite the obvious Emerson, Lake and Palmer tribute in their name, is the dutch band Focus, along with minor Yes and ELP influences.

There are, as i said before, two big problems in A Gaze Between The Past And The Future, and those problems make the album lose a bit in the overall quality: 1) their guitarist isn't good and 2) the vocals are hesitant and/or out of tune in some parts throughout the album, besides having a reasonably strong accent (but the accent was a much bigger problem for Frank Bornemann and that didn't stopped him, right?). The guitarist isn't able to play the notes clearly when he is supposed to be playing fast and the vocals are usually out of tune due to the bad vibratos.

Besides having those two problems, the album is pretty decent. The flutes are very good when they appear, the bass and the keyboards do a pretty god job also, being those three the highlights of the album, as long as instrumental work goes. As far as the songs go, the highlights go to: Exit from Calcutta, Blue Light and The Raft of Medusa.

Grade and Final Thoughts

I rate A Gaze Between The Past And The Future as an average progressive rock album because it is quite of a mixed bag. Though the flutes, bass and keyboard works are very good, the guitar and the vocal work are not good, although not being horrible. So, in the end, the bad parts and the good parts add up, resulting in an average result. If they solve those two problems in the future and do release another album (since MUNDUS NOVUS IS A HOAX) they may be able to deliver a truly good album.

Better luck next time.

CCVP | 3/5 |

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