MINORISA

As ambitious and proggishly definitive "Minorisa" is, this reviewer doesn't get a sense of excitement from this album. Although it's a pleasant enough rock application of classical influences, I feel the composition is lukewarm. It has all the correct surface elements, from the neo-classical melodies to the mellotron moments, to the expansive jamming fields, which may be enough for some, but as I don't necessarily and gratefully lap up every single symphonic prog album that comes my way, I find plenty of fault.

The first three minutes of "Ebesus" are great fun - the chanting is original and creepy, while the organic twiddling at least stalls the moment where the music settles into tradition; the rest is bland compared, sounding like a band attempting to cover for a missing member and not quite succeeding, as there is an empty to the remainder of the track.

The title song has a little more flourish and enthusiasm, capturing a mood that owes a lot to Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and runs along similarly gothic lines. It feels rather average and artificially extended in places, but it can entertain if you're not looking for anything groundbreaking. Interestingly, the closing piece (cleaved in twine for the CD issue) is most interesting to this reviewer because, as Fusioon's music can be repetitive, a spacy and experimental environment feels more suitable than a symphonic rock foundation. "Llaves del Subsconsciente" is dramatic and drenched in layers of classic keyboard syrup and pinging, reciprocal guitar lines, and as such is blissfully psychedelic. Two stars mostly for this reason, and apologies to the band for my preference for their shortest experimental piece, forsaking the main thrust of the record.