FROM THE CENTRE OF THE LABYRINTH

The Great Labyrinth Project is a one-man endeavor: Peruvian guitarist-bassist-keyboardist Ricardo Rodriguez, currently residing in Plantation (FL), has caught the attention of some enthusiastic progheads worldwide with his musical proposal. "Desde el Centro del Laberinto" ("From the Center of the Labyrinth" non-Spanish speaking markets) is TGLB's debut album. The musical trend delivered by TGLB is based on the energetic facet of symphonic prog with eminent doses of hard rock and space-rock oriented psychedelia; to complete the picture, some guitar leads even flirt with modern jazz-rock, a not so recurrent element but noticeable anyway. Major references are Rush, Yes, 73-75 Pink Floyd, the dreamy atmospheres of Ozric Tentacles, and the stylish dynamics of Satriani-Vai. Steering away from the retro-prog tendency, TGLB goes headlong for the development of a modern kind of heavy prog sound. The very clever use of programmed rhythm sequences allows each track to retain both its colorful rive and its typically progressive magnetism. 'Intro' brings us an effective alternation of cosmic layers and heavy-oriented (almost progmetal) walls-of-sound. This alternation serves as the announcement of something big about to emerge, and that's exactly what happens in 'Roller Coaster', an effervescent piece full of catchy riffs and powerful dynamics that reveals its punch right from the start. Moderately complex but sophisticated enough to become a highlight. 'Fotografía' is more complex regarding the resolution of the variations that appear along the way. The bluesy factor in the interlude provides an eerie moment before the arrival of an enhanced reprise of the opening motif. 'El Despertar del Dragón' delivers an extroverted punchy vibe with an added touch of funky cadences in the rhythm section. Between these two tracks there are the exotic flavors of 'A.L.G.D.G.A.D.U.', which reveal a potent mixture of Middle East atmospheres and psychedelic rock ornaments. The result is sober while still hot in terms of rock music. 'Hermoso Amanecer' bears a well-sustained lyrical simplicity, flaunted by the eerie guitar solos and the captivating keyboard orchestrations that go floating in the background: try to imagine Satirani emulating Latimer, and you can get the picture of what Rodrigue is achieving here. 'Aprendiz' and 'La Princesa de Eskurtu' are the best of Rodriguez's earlier compositions. The former is focused on mysterious ambiances, at times slightly bordering on the somber, although consistent with the album's overall colorfulness. The latter is an exercise on constant diversity of mood, motif and tempo, a bit disjointed at times, but definitely well inspired in its main passages. The influences of Howe and Lifeson on Rodriguez's own style are quite obvious here. Equally diverse but more cohesive and catchier than 'Princesa de Eskurtu' is 'Viajero del Tiempo', my personal favorite - this piece can easily be described as a marriage of Yes, Rush and Kansas, with its variations handled in a very fluid manner. The album is closed down by 'Outro', a reprise of the rockier section of 'Intro'. This is an attractive closure, but I believe that this track works better as a whole than divided in two. Anyway, "Desde el Centro del Laberinto" is a most pleasant progressive surprise that comes out from Peruvian rock scene. If you love your prog rock melodic and modern sounding, you should pay real attention to The Great Labyrinth Project.