VIAJERO ASTRAL - LIVE IN BRAZIL (AS JAIME ROSAS CUARTETO)

Not totally Live in Brazil, since the rendition of 'Lluvia' was taken from the Cuarteto's performance at Baja prog 2004 in Mexicali (Mexico), still there is an undeniable flavor of how well the audience at Rio Art Rock Festival 2005 connected with the energy and musicality of Jaime Rosas Cuarteto. This is an excellent live album: it has great sound production and it comprises great performances. The tracklist is cleverly selected as to enhance the main features of Rosas' progressive vision, leaving room for other sources right through the middle. The repertoire begins with the suite 'Viajero Astral', from the Extremos album, and then it goes on with the first two parts of the 'Lobo Estepario' suite that Rosas brought in for Entrance's sophomore release En la Tierra. Ultimately, the last piece is the remaining suite in Rosas' history so far: 'El Mito del Eterno Retorno', from Creciendo. It's easy to suspect that the tracklist is designed to make great statements of pomposity, melodic variety and musical drama at both the starting point and the curtain call. Like I said, performances are robust and accomplished, which is a great help concerning the development of the compositions' colorfulness. The reflective mood that prevails in the second part of 'Lobo Estepario' ('Despertar') makes things a bit ceremonious before the arrival of the full forntal fire in 'Gravedad'; this piece brings in the prog metal leanings that Rosas manages in his rockiest compositions. This piece sounds like a mixture of ELP, Gerard and Moore-era Dream Theater, and the same can be said about 'Creciendo', a monster song that adds punch and catchiness to the fold. I've always been a sucker for the sort of dynamics that this song inspires in the listener's mind. Things turn radically to ver ydifferent atmospheres for the next two pieces - 'Lluvia' and 'Un Volcán en las Nubes'. 'Lluvia' is a beautiful ballad taken from Rosas' debut album Virgo: you can almost touch the breezes of melancholy and solitude emanated from the lovely piano melodies and harmonies. A mesmerizing symphonic ballad, indeed: different from the more orchestrated studio version, this one is focused on the piano, which enhances the sense of intimacy. 'Un Volcán en las Nubes' moves to the realms of mysticism, with those introspective pipe organ layers that sound quite Baroque in a Haendel sort of way: the ambience is more dreamy than it is lightful. The four brief rock pieces ('Breves Piezas Rockeras') taken from Virgo and Extremos lighten things up on a road of no return where the pyrotechnics of prog metal and the magnificence of vintage symphonic rock marry in one single sonic source, the way that Jaime Rosas usually does it. All in all, this is an excellent live prog rock album: it's been 3 years since the time of this performance, but this CD makes it feel as vibrant in the listener's mind as if it were a concert that they attended a few days before.

If you are into ELP and Dream Theater, please take a note of this band and album.

I got this live album ages ago and I have just ordered two (out of total three) studio albums. I therefore do not know how this band really sounds like. Live albums sometimes tends to distort the full picture (of a band). The band tends to give full speed and the more lyrical themes is wiped out on a live album. I do not know if this is the case for Jaimie Rosas Cuarteto. Only the studio albums will give me that answer. But this live album is pretty lively.

ELP and in particular; Keith Emerson tends to be often mentioned in combo with this band. This is why I am a bit sceptical to this live album and gave the warning above. The reason is that the band sounds much more like Dream Theater than ELP on this live album. Maybe this is because the adrenaline is flowing and the new guitarist in the band is on a John Petrucci trip. This live album is very much a shared effort between the guitars and the keyboards. That is the strenght of this album.

The vocalist is not bad, but still the weakest point in Jaimie Rosas Cuarteto. But he is still acceptable on an album which is so keyboards and guitars driven.

The sound is also a mix of Dream Theater, neo prog and some ELP. Jaimie Rosas is a dedicated Keith Emerson follower (if the biography is to be believed) and he sometimes throw in some ELP influenced solos. But I would also mention Rick Wakeman as a good influence on Jaimie Rosas. His pedigree is excellent, his work is flawless and Jaimie Rosas should be regarded as one of the best keyboard and tangent player in today's prog rock scene.

The quality of the songs here range from good to excellent. There is a lot here to feel euphoric about. There are a couple of ballads which could had been omitted from this live album because they depends on the pretty weak vocalist. But the instrumental parts of this album is just a joy and utter joy. This album is more Dream Theater than ELP. But it is still an album symphonic prog fans would enjoy. My name can now be added to Jaimie Rosas Cuarteto's Appreciation Society.

4 stars

Jaime ROSAS is a Chilean composer and instrumentalist, whose solo career kicked off in 2003 with the release of "Virgo". A further three studio albums have so far been issued in the under his own name, as Jaime Rosas Trio or Jaime Rosas Cuarteto, the most recent "Flashback" from 2011. Rosas also have one live album to his name, "Viajero Astral: Live in Brazil". This CD consists of live material recorded back in 2005, and was jointly released by Rock Symphony and Musea Records in 2008.

Musically we're dealing with a slightly perplexing band here. The keyboards are at the heart of the matter at most times, and one can easily understand the references to ELP as an important influence. When it comes to swirling, challenging and technical abilities at the tangents Rosas knows very well what he's doing, and appears equally at ease playing gentler keyboard passages, bombastic organ sequences or tightly paced keyboard excursions with more of a shredding character to them. Harmony constructions tightly interwoven with the guitar another strong presence, as are the keys used in a more subservient manner when the guitar is given the limelight.

In expression this is a band that roams most corners of the symphonic art rock universe. Even gentler, atmospheric passages, although they are in a clear minority. But tight, energetic performances with a certain bombastic tendency are plentiful. Often harder edged, occasionally verging on progressive metal in style. And while guitars and keyboards dominates throughout, bass and drums puts up a firm and solid foundation. Occasionally reminding me of the rhythm section of 70's Camel in style, but more intense.

The vocal passages of these songs can be a so-so affair, but whenever this act hits an instrumental section to explore they are generally at their best. The two epic compositions both worth mentioning as positive assets in this regard, and even more so the four selected pieces from their "Breve Pieza Rockera" series of tracks, most of which are delightful experiences.

By and large a good quality live production, documenting a strong performance by one of the harder edged symphonic progressive rock artists. A production worth considering of you tend to enjoy material of this nature, and especially if you enjoy listening to them performed live obviously. The recording quality is of good quality too, in case someone might wonder about that.