DIVERGENCIA Y CONVERGENCIA

The Spanish formation Onza was founded in 1989, in the wonderful Andalusian city Jerez De La Frontera. In the early days the band was support-act for Pendragon when this Neo-Prog legend visited Spain for the first time. In 1991 Onza released their debut album entitled Reino Rocoso, on the known French progrock label Musea. And now, 30 years later, Onza have released their new album Divergencia Y Convergencia, it is their 5th effort since Reino Recoso. To be honest, it took a few listening sessions to get into this music, due to the huge variety in the atmosphere in the six compositions. For example.

The first and final compositions are instrumentals featuring fluent rhythms and bombastic eruptions with a powerful and dynamic rhythm-section, embellished with wonderful work on synthesizers and guitar. The interplay is awesome, in a fusion atmosphere but very melodic and accessible. The titletrack includes an interlude with tender piano, soaring strings and beautiful acoustic guitar, in a slow rhythm, finally organ joins. And in La Campana De Cristal the climate turns halfway into more mellow with lots of varied synthesizer play, and an accellaration with fiery guitar solo. The other 4 tracks are song oriented, and blended with pleasant native vocals.

Sensitive and fiery guitar runs and a dynamic rhythm-section in Lado Negativo.

From a fluent mid-tempo with strong interplay and sparkling synthesizer flights to mellow with acoustic guitar, moving electric guitar and emotional vocals in Nostalgia.

Recuerdos is a beautiful ballad with acoustic rhythm guitar and melancholical vocals, topped with intense violin work. Halfway the mood shifts to more lush and dynamic with moving electric guitar and orchestral keyboards.

El Tercero En Discordia delivers a dreamy intro with high pitched flute sound, then a slow rhythm with a strong rhythm-section, and a sparkling synthesizer solo in the second part.

If you are up to Onza its varied and eclectic, very melodic sound this album is a fine musical experience featuring wonderful work on keyboards and guitar, pleasant native vocals and fuelled by a splendid rhythm-section (as usual in Spanish prog).

My rating: 3,5 star.