FERMÁTA

Lately the Eastern European label 'Opus' has been re-releasing some fine vinyls of classic prog fusion albums from behind the Iron Curtain. Fermáta's debut album is a fully formed symphonic prog fusion record in the vein of Mahavishnu and Finch. In their own region (Tjecho Slovakia) it could be compared to Leb I Sol, SBB and Blue Effect. Fermáta's debut is a particularly fierce tour the force of rockin' fusion vibes, greatly enhance by the added mystery of being such an unknown group in the West for so long. The music is obviously influenced by American fusion, yet it has its own way of thinking. Their compositions are quite dense and fast and it takes some time before you can swallow it hole, but boy is it worth getting to known this gem. The electric guitar of Frantisek Griglák is an obvious eyecatcher with his fast and fierce licks. Yet the band as a whole performs as a tight unit and the drums sound massive as well. The recording sound is surprisingly fine, the band its spark it really caught on tape here. The final track 'Perpetuum III' combines both the fierceness and the melodic skills of the band best in my opinion. A strong four star rating for this one.