LAST TANGO

Another excellent release from this interesting rock orchestra. It is indeed a major change from their masterpiece "Danse Macabre", but despite the massive change in sound (perhaps due to the loss of a guitarist) they still managed to create a very great album. Musically it comes closer to their debut release, though with much more progressive influence in the songs. It is a much more driving sound this time, probably because of a loss of some classical influence.

The album begins with a cover the The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby". I'm not really a fan of covers, but if a band feels the need to do one it should be something like this. It is a huge departure from the melancholy original, a very upbeat and driving track that you can't even recognize as Eleanor Rigby until they reach the chorus.

"Still Life" represents the driving sound to be heard throughout the album. It starts out in a similar way to parts of Danse Macabre, a seemingly aimless arrangement that encompasses most of the instruments. About halfway through the music starts to become more focused and the vocals start up. "Painted Lady" is a nice tune, though it doesn't really hold much progressive influence. "Obsession" is slightly more progressive and has some very nice keyboard work throughout. More laid-back than the rest of the album, though that's certainly not a bad thing. It is dark and depressing but at the same time very powerful.

"The Rape" is likely the only Esperanto song that could be considered an epic, and at over 12 minutes clocks in as the longest track they've ever recorded I believe. It does not disappoint either. Easily the most powerful track here. Outstanding performances from the vocalists, keyboards, and strings dominate every moment. The closer title track "Last Tango" is similar to the closer on Danse Macabre (also a title track). The latter is a rock version of a classic tune, while Last Tango is basically a rock version of a tango song. Like the Danse Macabre track it doesn't serve much of a purpose to the direction of the album; but it does function well as a fast, fun closer track that ties off the album well.

Overall the change in sound works well, though it is disappointing that it doesn't create the kind of atmosphere that was prevalent on Danse Macabre. This is however a much more accessible album than the classically influenced Danse Macabre, and for that reason I'd recommend this one as a good first choice for someone looking into Esperanto's tiny collection. Recommended for fans of symphonic especially.

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