MINORISA

I've never been much for the Druidic chanting that pops up in progressive music from time to time, nor the hooded cultism it implicates or musical disruption it causes. But I can get past it here because it's sporadic and this Barcelonan foursome's instrumental composition so good, I forgive any weakness of this band to foist it upon an otherwise fine progrock LP. But it does annoy when there, no doubt about it. The bad with the good, I suppose. The 'Ebusus' Suite is a worthy nineteen minutes of rich if aimless Europrog, moving through the atonal pianos of Manel Camp, echoed with Marti Brunet's twiddly guitar, ruffled timekeeping of drummer Santi Arisa and Jordi Camp's bajo electrico. This would've been pretty sophisticated stuff for a little Spanish rock band in '75 and has plenty of the quirky humor so essential to what would normally be an exercise in prog tedium. The piece incorporates as much jazz-fusion as British influenced symphonic and infuses the two rather well.

Companion suite and title cut 'Minorisa' is more bellicose and energetic, has distant cathedral bells overlaid with Arisa's rising military drums, strange and unexpected shifts, neat mellotronics, and synthed-up Clockwork Orange Mozart from guitarist Brunet. A lot of fun, and though parts 1 & 2 of 'Llaves del Subconsciente' are more like superfluous afterthoughts they do heat-up if left to simmer. Satisfying old fashioned prog from more than competent players.