HIPOTESIS UBICUA

Aly was a musical project of Alonso Romero, he was born in Mexico (1979), started to study piano when he was 8 and he is playing guitar since his 13th. He has a varied taste: with the band Toccata he released the album entitled Circe (2005) on which he plays guitar in the progmetal vein but he also made a classical album with flute and guitar.

We can find back this captivating contrast between rock and classical on Aly their instrumental debut album Hypotesis Ubicua. Alonso has invited a wide range of musicians featuring drummer Adolfo Raimundo (who did a tour with the new line-up of Italian progrock legend Il Balletto Di Bronzo).

On most of the nine compositions Alonso delivers heavy guitar work with obvious hints of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, fueled by a thunderous rhythm-section evoking Metallica and Opeth. How exciting and I am impressed by Alonso his furious, blistering and biting guitar runs and propulsive fat guitar riffs. The most interesting element of Aly their music is in my opinion the way he blends the sound of varied keyboards with the powerful guitar work. Often this evokes a lot of tension in the Aly sound. Dazzling interplay with synthesizers (El Aspecto Sombrio De La Desinhibicion and Sirenas Posei­das En La Mente De Omicron). And lush organ waves (Necesidad Ilimitada), dreamy piano work (Instinto En La Nostalgia) and orchestral keyboards (Ocular).

Another wonderful contrast on this album is the short track Ocaso Inesperado that contains classical guitar, it sounds very warm. But the highlight is the 'magnum opus progressivus' Meh - Lahn - Coh - Lih Ah, a 25 minutes composition that is divided into six alternating parts. First a majestic violin-Mellotron intro, soaring keyboards with howling guitar runs and an interlude with dreamy keyboards. Then an exciting wah-wah drenched guitar solo with populsive drums, powerful Hammond organ with heavy guitar work (bombastic prog metal climate). And finally a beautiful final part delivering acoustic rhythm guitar and a choir-Mellotron-like sound, goose bumps!

What an exciting debut album, I am sure the progmetal and Heavy Prog fans and heavy metal guitar freaks wil be delighted about Aly their music. Unfortunately it's still silent, after 10 years, no new album by this very promising musician.