CHAOS

Souls Ignite is an enigmatic progressive rock duo fro Argentina that only released this hidden gem and have disappeared into Oblivion since then.

Backed by an all star band from argentine progressive scene the duo composed this amazing rock opera, where every singer plays a different character.

1 - Obertura: the album kicks off with a powerful instrumental piece that features all the main themes that will be developed later on. What's strikes you on the first listen is the fantastic musicianship the band and guests possess. Drummer Mike Buenaventura Lima particulary makes a terrific job handling so many rhythm and time signature changes. Insane wakemanian keyboard solos and king crimsonian guitar solos collide with each other in a dissonant section that represents particulary the Chaos after which the album was named. This oberture ends with a slow crescendo ala Oldfield that ends with a huge climax.

2 - Lakshmi: the weirdness continues. Hindu music, lead by a sitar riff, is met by electronic drums, acoustic guitar and a creepy mellotron. After this strange intro the celestial voice of Jelena Perisic takes us to another realm. The vocal melodies are particulary good, specially the heartfelt chorus (which utilizes the same theme as the climax in the overture). This calm, weird, acoustic - hindu section is followed by an insane guitar solo over heavy riffing that comes out of nowhere. It shouldn't work at all, but it al falls into place perfectly. This insane mix is what Souls Ignite is about, and it's fantastic and fresh progressive rock of the greatest calibre.

3 - Want Me: this rock opera never stays on the same place for more than a few dozen seconds and for track three we have a completely different setting. Funk verses and a heavy metal chorus, with vocals by a completely different female vocalist called Canela Sol. This song is catchy as hell.

4 - Plane Crash Scene: after the freshness and brutal sensuality of the last track we are once more presentes with a big epic title called Plane Crash Scene. This piece is 9 and a half minutes long and it's a dark prog metal tune that takes many of the main themes subtly presentes before and takes them to hell and back. Kudos to singer Osvaldo Mellace, who's performace is marked by his strong personality. After the insane first half of the track we are left on a pink floydish ambient sequence that is gracefully interrupted by a terrific piano piece by Fernando Refay that reminds of the best Keith Emerson. The band is clearly teasing us with their insane change of musical styles here, which they pull off this time by making it like someone us changing channels on the tv. The track resumes with a jam section featuring keyboard and guitar solos and concludes with Mellace's refrain.

5 - Free: this small track starts as a full blown metal tune and we think everything is going to explode once the vocals start, but once more we're caught off balance when it becomes a, kind of creepy, acoustic piece sung by Canela Sol once more. I'm mermerized by her own operatic backing vocals on the refrain. Is it the same motif that was presented on Want Me butt turned into something completely different? You bet! The guitar solo at the end is out from this world.

6 - White Light: an ambient intro takes us into the most straight forward song on the album. I've got to admit it comes as a breath of fresh air coming from all the progressive weirdness since the begining. White Light is a nice acoustic piece sung my the very talented Milena L'argentiere.

7 - Only Chaos: the final track features all of the guests singers and ends the development of the whole array of motifs that have been appearing and fusing since the beginning of the piece. It's absolutely perfect and everything a prog rock epic should be: insane musicianship and theme development, virtuosic solos, lovely melodies and performances by the singers. Check it out for yourselves.

I'll be honest with you. This is a very HARD album. It's super complex, multilayered and weird as f*ck. But it only gets better after many listens (like the best albums) and always offers more to the dedicated listener.

It's, without a doubt, my favorite album from the 10's and one of the greatest musical acomplishment (along with Anabelas and Los Delirios del Mariscal) to come from my own home country.

And it's free on bandcamp...