Detailed Reviews [Alexl - 2004 - "Triz"]

Prolusion. ALEXL is the pseudonym of Alexandre Loureiro. Back in the '90s, Alex was a guitarist and vocalist for the Brazilian bands Turangula and Raika, and now, on his first solo album, he appears as a multi-instrumentalist. Generally, the lineup on "Triz", which you can see above, looks very promising.

Synopsis. Here is another brilliant album, which is chock-full of fresh ideas reflecting an innovative, rather unusual approach to composing materials in the vein of Classic Symphonic Progressive and related genres. Only the first and the last track: Todo o Tempo do Mundo and Enfim (12) are out of the album's predominant stylistics. The latter is just a joke with a couple of phrases spoken by a woman, and the former, performed exclusively with chamber instruments, is an excellent piece of Classical music. All the other compositions, without exception, are highly eventful, and the arrangements are just unpredictable, at least for the most part. After beautiful, quiet and instantly comprehensible interplay between a few chamber instruments that most of the tracks begin with, everything begins moving: familiar paths become impassable, former 'traps' disappear, new ones appear, the way becomes now easy, now confused beyond words. But how excellently all this fits my conception of the best Progressive Rock! So, the music is highly intriguing, but this is not all. It is simply magical - throughout. Well, some three- and four-voice choirs may remind you of those in Queen and Gentle Giant, but exclusively structurally, as all the lead and choir vocal parts on the recording are distinctly original in fact. Well, the two classic Symphonic Art-Rock songs: Limites and Passatempo (3 & 10), both of which were performed without a drum kit, a bit resemble Genesis's brilliant Firth of Fifth (1973), but only by beauty and an overall mood, as all the instrumental arrangements here are as unique and genuinely inspired as just everything on this fantastic album. The other four songs: Trancado por Dentro, Circulos, Vozes-Vozes, Nos, and A Prece (2, 5, 6, 8, & 11) are more eclectic and, sometimes, when symphonic textures meet those related to Classical music and RIO, more eccentric. Nevertheless, each of the songs on the album has an almost physically perceptible warm sounding with acoustic instruments: pianos, violins, flutes, reeds, drums, metal percussion and classical guitar being as often at the helm of the arrangements as electric ones, including the Hammond organ. While there are little chamber and other acoustic instruments on Por Enquanto, Porem Quanto, and Relatividade (4, 7, & 9), all of which are instrumentals, these are real extravaganzas and are probably the most intricate compositions, combining all the aforementioned stylistic directions with those of Jazz-Fusion and Prog-Metal.

Conclusion. I like the album as a whole, as much as I like each of its tracks taken separately, as all of them are true pieces of Art. I haven't heard anything by the bands that Alex was part of before, but I am certain that on "Triz" is shown another creative side of this fantastically gifted composer and musician. This is one of the most gorgeous efforts of the year and is the best made-in-Brazil Progressive I've ever heard until now. I think it won't be wrong to say that with such unbelievable attractive, in every respect brilliant albums as the hero of this review we can bravely look forward into the genre's future. (>Top-20)

VM: August 6, 2004