ENIGMA

Fast paced, very wild album that sounds like a very special trip of a bit drunken Progster that is trying to incorporate as many melodies as possible. I'm aware that being drunk is usually associated with negative connotations, but in this case, our drunkard of an album have a very clear mind, with which he is positioning layers of this big structure that we, for a lack of better words, call Prog.

Lovely, thoroughly intricate, vigorously shining (maybe because they hail from Brazil, remember Bigorna) and I somehow can't help but get a feeling of a new Echolyn album from this Enigma. Which is not exactly an enigma, because it's album everyone can enjoy, there's nothing inaccessible, mysteriously hidden in difficult listening there.

One thing of importance, this music is heavily dominated by piano sounds, together with "lushness" of other instruments. Maybe that's not a proper term, but in this case, why not, its sound is really full, with heavy bass growling (this word fits perfectly into what the bass here is doing), occasional keyboards (they aren't as dominant as in most of other Prog acts and are because of that they appears muffled a bit) and of course, vocal work that is far from being flat and unemotional, with what sounds to me like a well sung English (not much accent, but then again, I'm not a native speaker). There are parts where acoustic guitar plays gentle intros/outros - rare, but nice. In this complex. Drums are sometimes lost in the lushness though, but they are there.

60 minutes, fine line between too short and too long of an album, because there is something like a theme, leitmotif that is used (with variations) on a few spots. Also, because of previously mentioned facts and opinions, Enigma is a very consistent album.

ProgArchives, in contrast to many other internet communities, is a very special place. With its age distribution, it has much higher average (35?) than for example gaming forums, where 20 or so would be my guess. I'm one of those younger generations, who have a disadvantage not to live in 70s (and see/hear/live it through myself). However, as I am thoroughly listening Prog for last 4 years, trying to make up for it and compensate somehow. The point of this paragraph, except the fact that it can serve as a quick study, is that I have heard quite a few hundreds of artists, with many thousands albums. The more I listen, the more sparsely I use 5 star rating. Yet here, without hesitation or a slightest doubt, I use it.

5(-), the right direction of a modern Prog ?

The one idea bandied about this site that bugs me the most is that prog rock that uses forms developed by the bands of the last half century (damn that makes me feel old) are not being "progressive". I disagree. And this beautiful album proves my point.

Seven Side Diamond masterfully takes influences from the classic seventies up through modern prog metal, and blends them into something quite familiar, while remaining fresh and original. This is not a clone band, although many of the references to the past are quite plain. The song Shine has more than a few lyrical nods to Yes (and at least one musical one), but the song is anything but a Yes imitation.

The focal point of the album is the thirteen part Enigma, that takes the listener on a long voyage through many progscapes. To my ears, this is the finest work of prog to come out this year.

The instrumentalists are all exceptional, and singer Diego Americo has a voice that fits perfectly in the gruff metal passages, and even sounds amazing when singing in Freddie Mercury-like ranges.

I must say that this band should be a force in prog's future.

A little heavier than I like, but this is definitely an album of stellar performances and creativity! "Shine" (9/10) is my favorite, though the "Enigma" suite (8/10) is great, too. Nice to see that Latin America is coming to prog life! The future of prog looks very good if bands like this one, Haken, Camembert, Aisles, Airbag, Sean Filkins, Sanhedrin, Ciccada, Frequency Drift, My Brother the Wind, Karfargen, Sunchild, Unexpect, Fen, Autumn Chorus, etc., etc., ETC. keep popping up (out of nowhere!) What a year was 2011! Can '012 (or any year) top it?! It's tough to imagine! 4 stars--excellent addition to anyone's prog collection.

I'm listening to this work while (re)writing the review. 'Cause when I thought that my assessment was concluded, I decided to give it one more audition before publishing the text. Surprisingly, some years after several plays of this work on my equipment, it managed to gain even more of my sympathy.

So let's go to the review.

The dark and mysterious atmosphere that introduces the album is short, with consistent sound effects, ending with a phenomenal bass. This short track only introduces the second, when they move to a more prog metal vein, specially on guitars, which along with the piano, performs some fabulous phrasings. Memorable synth phrasings are present on the first steps of next track. It's a very solid and diversificated composition. The arrangements and time signatures aren't always as solid as they could get, becoming a bit confusing, but they demonstrate that the musicians make a very organic and tuned group. A gorgeous acoustic guitar opens the fourth track. It's a pity that it's so brief. Henceforth, the composition now is more simple, but vocal harmonies are nice. In an overall view it's a good hard-rock, but not a great prog rock effort. When they are almost finished it gets more complex, but once again they seem kind of lost. The next track starts with wonderful vocal harmonies, and a delicate inspired balance between acoustic guitar, bass and piano, all of them firm and secure. Therefore some accelerated performances switch places with more groovy notes kind of Focus-like, almost in a celebrating mood. It's by far the best vocal executions on the album.

Before going to the last track's review, which has a 34min extension, seems to me proper to point that its 13 parts are not divided on the CD; as it is on youtube. This configures one difficulty, for me, on analyzing the suite, because the youtube versions don't deliver all the nuances and details of their music. That said, this music starts with a mysterious atmosphere, alternating to a more lyric approach. And before moving to the next part these two different executions get mixed. The next part has a rythym that gets heavier but suddenly stops to a fantastic piano tune, above an inspired harmonic base. One of the highlights of the disc. The following parts are very versatile, with a crossover prog path, but soon going to a jazzy execution, when the bass and keyboard players get highly inspired; the drummer is also splendid when using the cymbals. Somewhere on this part the composition turns to a symphonic prog style. There's this excerpt, a bit long, when they alternate very well the composition through these prog rock genres. Vocal harmonies are also better, changing timbres and heights. Some rock-oriented passages are present, one storm noise either, before this amazing passage with a dramatic and lyric Pink Floyd-vibe. On my last listening of this release, I almost cried on this part. I consider it's a little disappointing that they didn't conclude the album right here. Even though what comes next isn't bad ? a festive piece with nice instrumental ? I always think it's more wise to close the work with a great song. If not the best, at least one of the bests.

Writing this review was satisfying: made me remind that it's never too late to give an album a fourth or a fifth chance. It's not that I didn't enjoy this release; but now it's when I could fully appreciate even more the songs.

4.2 stars. If the vocals were better, certainly this rating would improve. I just listened to "Hepta", their last release, that's on many streamings (including youtube) today. And the vocal material improved a lot.