Detailed Reviews [AngulArt - 2004 - "Donde Renacen las Horas" ]

Prolusion. ANGULART is a quintet from Chile, which was formed only four years ago. "Donde Renacen las Horas" is their first official output following a couple of demos. The information on their website is in Spanish, but it's understandable that they are an actively touring band.

Analysis. These guys bravely experiment with different genres, though it would probably be more appropriate to say that their musical horizons are just naturally broad. Another appealing factor is that this young band is highly masterful and, moreover, has their original style already at the beginning of their creative way. However, I feel that having pointed these general details out, I said almost nothing, because this music is just fantastically impressive and interesting. Being highly complex, it's also positively hypnotic and is immediately attractive, gently grasping the listener's attention without anxiety. The album begins and ends with naturalistic sound effects, such as wind howling and the wash, though only those in intro are located on a separate track, the very short Despieria, which is the only number here without vocals. As a matter of fact however, there is no pause between it and Locuzco, taking the second position, so it's much easier to perceive these as one unbroken composition than vice versa. The same remark would probably be even more topical concerning the three-part Rock suite Judas, which, while being divided into three tracks and being diverse stylistically, sounds both monolithic and exceptionally coherent, throughout. Generally, things are going swimmingly when the band changes its musical course, inasmuch as they do it cleverly and accurately. From a rather harsh Prog-Metal with elements of symphonic Art-Rock and, sometimes, those of quasi Jazz-Fusion on the first three songs: Locuzco, Engendrando Ciegos and El Atras, they moved to a more polymorphous and very picturesque music on Judas. The piano-driven, predominantly acoustic, yet, highly profound and intriguing Symphonic Progressive with distinct elements of Classical music is reigning in the first part of the suite and prevails on the further one, though here also appear heavy textures, which are extremely unique, defying a precise definition. The guitar riffs remind me of a mythical old dragon lying in his den and angrily grumbling while looking at the 'younger entities': Hammond, piano, acoustic, bass and drums, dancing and singing in a fancy ring, unpredictable in their 'youthful carelessness'. In the third act, new heroes arrive on the scene. The entities of Jazz-Fusion, they entangle with others, making the maelstrom of events more and more complicated. The dragon's grumbling becomes sinister, but he is too old to let out a roar and stop the play. An exceptionally unique synthesis of symphonic Art-Rock and Classical music performed by dints of the former genre, with plenty of acoustic and chamber-like instruments and sounds in the show and only the bits of heaviness, is the essence of each of the following / remaining four tracks: Acta Non Verba, Ambar, El Gran Viaje and Un Planeta en Mi Retrovisor, though the latter two contain also some features of Avant-garde academic music. Indeed, these Chilean men are free like birds in the flight of their inspiration and don't recognize any borders! The vocals are excellent as well. As such, with lyrics, they occupy only about one third of each of the songs, on average, but it would be wrong to lessen their importance in this music. When a singer's band mates get far into the instrumental jungle, he often does a mysterious ethereal vocalization, as if coming from a distance, adding even more magic to this primordially highly mesmerizing music. Generally, everything the band does on the album is marked with distinct signs of authentic inspiration and high mastery.

Conclusion. AngulArt's debut is strong in every possible respect, and the album as such is just superb. Free of any pomposity and affectation, the band's music keeps many secrets in its depth, and you have to have several listens to get the key to open them. As a result however, you will be generously gifted with lots of those amazing moments of truth that all we love our music for. This is one of the very best albums I've heard this year, and I believe most of you, Prog Fellows, will perceive it the same or a similar way. (Top-20)

VM: December 1, 2004