REMINISCENCIAS

Iconoclasta is a Mexican Progressive Rock band which exists since 1980, which I consider a real "record" in survival years for a Mexican band, and more for a band in this musical style. Believe it or not, I only listened to a song from this band only once, maybe on a Mexican TV musical programme, many years ago. I wasn`t interested then, because they sounded to me as a band very influenced by Classical Music arrangements. So, I saw their albums in some record shops in my city several times many years ago without being really interested in buying them. But, I found this album in youtube so I listened to it twice and I found it very interesting. So, yesterday, I visited the websites of two Mexican record shops. For my surprise, I couldn`t find their albums there, with the exception of a very expensive import (!) CD copy. Anyway, they have their own record label and it gives them the musical freedom to do what they want, which is a very good thing for them.

As I expected, the members of this band are all musicians who formally studied in musical schools. At least I think so, because they are very good musicians who really sound like knowing a lot about musical theory and technics about how to play their instruments. All of the musicians really show to really know how to express themselves very well using a lot of "musical and technical vocabulary" which obviously the formal musical training can provide. At the same time, I think that the composition of the songs in the album, the same as the arrangemements, really were a hard work and I think that both things really took them a long time, and they really sound like they rehearsed the songs a lot. So, as a band they sound very well. The album is a concept album with a statement against nuclear war and with some ecological messages. The music at the start of the album is almost "quiet" but with the passing of time it becomes more heavy and complicated, with some changes in time signatures which sound very well. There is also the presence of two female members, and there are some very good femalel vocal choral arrangements in some parts, and a female lead singer who sings like she is singing an "opera aria".I couldn`t understand the lyrics despite they are sung of Spanish, and this female solo vocals are brief. All the members in this band really shine in their performances, but particularly Victor Baldovinos is a very good drummer.

The musical influences from other bands are inevitable. I think that their musical influences are from bands like Premiata Forneria Marconi, Banco, ELP and King Crimson, but at the same time they have their very own recognizable musical style which shows their Mexican roots very well.

I think that the recording I listened from this album in youtube was taken from a LP copy, so the sound is not very good. But the recording and mixing of this album is very good, with maybe the passing of time showing that it sounds a bit dated. Anyway, this is a very good album from a very good Mexican Progressive Rock band.