GRANDE ESPÍRITO

This is an album that, musically and lyrically, makes me feel the grandeur of things bigger and more important than myself. "Grande Espirito" is too humble to be called pompous, too earnest to be called pretentious, and too significant to be called too earnest. It is not a religious album per se, yet its devotion rings from every corner of both channels...in fact, please listen to this with headphones at least once. You will believe yourself haunted by the "sacred heart of the earth".

Although this album features mostly songs rather than instrumentals, most tracks take their orders from Marcus Viana's instrumental contributions, in particular the violin. He manages to convince this listener that the violin is the most versatile of instruments, whether it is used in a dialog with guitars and Firmino Cavazza's cello in the pan-eastern "Rapsódia cigana", in the rock context of "Human Beans", as a critical part of the majestic and powerful symphony that is the title track, or as a sentimental yet jazzy accompaniment to the emotional vocals of "Sweet Water", Viana asserts himself again and again. This alone would be enough, even if the songs weren't masterfully written and arranged, if the other instrumentalists weren't supremely talented, and if Bauxita wasn't an expressive vocalist with a wide range in every direction. But they all are.

One could argue that "Human Beans", as one of only two English sung pieces on the album, has weaknesses inherent in the band abandoning their native tongue, but that cannot explain why the other anglophile piece "Sweet Water" can make a stone heart melt, or that the final track "País dos sonhos verdes" might be a bit too big a mouthful, and shows a distinct Mike Oldfield influence in the latter part. But it's pretty hard to find glaring weaknesses when you have such strong melodies as "Grande Espirito" , "Kian" and "Libertas" in your corner.

"Grande Espirito" is a totally modern symphonic progressive rock with no holes barred, possessing every quality hated by critics of the genre, and with twice the vision needed to dodge the opposition. My highest recommendation.