LIVING FOSSILS

An Argentinian band from Buenos Aires, started during the millenium as a project by composer/guitarist/singer Sebastian Medina, to become a regular band in the process.Medina was responsible for William's Gray debut ''Living Fossils'', an ambitious Progressive Rock concept, which was said to be an audio-visual experience complemented by a multi-media site, where the band was supported by a 10-member choir and a small Classical orchestra of 7 musicians.The rest of William Gray were Juan Manuel Tavella on keys/piano, Federico Ferme on guitars, Juan Manuel Salidas on bass and Mauro Graziano on drums.The album was privately released in 2006.

This is trully a flexible and varied modern Progressive Rock album, where Symphonic and Heavy Rock are blended with the charm of Argentinian tradition and the atmosphere of Classical Music, somewhat like a mix between the lush arrangements of SPOCK'S BEARD, the haunting sound of AFTER CRYING and the lyricism of PINK FLOYD.The majority of the album follows an eclectic style with melodic guitars, heavy grooves, excellent vocal lines by Medina and some great work by Tavella, including both analog (some great organ runs to be found) and digital keyboards, characterized by nice arrangements, lots of instrumental rooms but also a strong melodic content.William's Gray stylings though range from mellow and emotional vocal-based parts with deep acoustic themes to intense and passionate electric musicianship with a grandiose sound.In between the longer tracks or even during these rock arrangements there are plenty of Classical orchestral moments, performed by the rich supporting string section, or smooth piano interludes delivered by Tavella.However the strongest contribution of William Gray through this abum is the modest addition of elements from Argentinian Music in a few tracks like the Tango-inspired version of ''Urban battle I''.

The first time I spinned this album it was a really hard following with this great mass of different styles.But time would proove that ''Living Fossils'' is a certain grower and I consider William Gray a band with a bright future.This is a strong and recommended eclectic album for fans of intricate Progressive Rock.