CELESTIAL BLEAKNESS

Prog from Philippines is not very common and thinking to the sunny nature of those Islands in the Pacific Ocean, one wouldn't expect so much "greyness" in this album. Probably the album cover is not a coincidence.

Statua is a solo project of some Samuel Flanza. If you try to google him you won't find anything about him on the web. He probably hides himself behind the grey.

The tracks have an average "just out of radio-friendly" length, and how it often happens, the best one is the longest. So what we have here?

We have a number of instrumental tracks which in some moments may be close to newage, if it wasn't for background dissonances and a general darkness which is not in line with the newage standards. There's some oriental flavor, maybe thanks to the northern neighbour, Japan. But the principal ingredient is the dramatic mood which becomes quite cinematic in tracks like "Dark Sun", another very good one, where you can find a very nice guitar part reminding of Andy Latimer. It fades into a "Guitar Improv" which lasts for a couple of minutes. The less impressive thing of the whole album, I think

Then there's the mentioned longest track:"Sculpted In Stone". I wouldn't have been surprised to hear somebody sing in Kobaian on it, even after the intro, when the acoustic guitar takes the ownership of the track. It's hypnotically repetitive, until the drums and the keyboards start enriching the sound on a three chords progression. It's a pity that it doesn't have a proper end but a fade out (sorry for the spoiler). In total, the album scores less than 37 minutes, there was enough room for a proper ending if the artist wanted.

Few words also for the dark and depressive closer "Ghost Town". Very in tune with its title. As often happens in prog, we have a string of instrumental which seem to tell a story. Looking at the songs titles one can derive a story. In my own interpretation, likely completely uncorrect, it makes me think to a journey through the dark, in H.P. Lovecraft style, while the album title may be referring in some ways to Kobaia (just my own interpretation, likely it doesn't have anything to do with both Lovecraft and Vander).

So, should you give it a try? Yes. It doesn't present anything so new and intriguing as some well known masterpieces actually did, but is a good journey and the best way to enjoy it is laying down with airbuds on and closed eyes.

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