OPUS I - DIMENSIONS

Great ideas, excellent musicianship but a bit repetitive

A few days ago, TAURUS from Chile was suggested to Symphonic, after listening Opus III - Research, my impression was that Claudio Momberg had done a fantastic job, but closer to Electronic Prog and New Age, rather than to Symphonic. Then I got Opus I - Dimensions, my opinion changed, this music was closer to Symphonic, but less inspired than the third release, so the band was added and I started to write my reviews.

The album is opened by Movement I - Air, a 24 minutes epic in which Momberg creates interesting atmospheres that remind me clearly of Watcher of the Skies, the problem is that the atmospheric section seems to last forever and never evolves or even changes, somehow sounds as if it was a long introduction that goes nowhere. Good ideas, great performance, but absolute lack of development.

Movement II - Structures is more or less a continuation of the first track, even when here there's a slight evolution in the song, the problem is that he does in almost 16 minutes what could have been done in 5:00. Better than the previous, but not enough, the lack of surprises makes it tedious.

Movement III - Solids is a clear improvement, a vibrant track with lush keyboards and delightful abuse of Mellotron that reminds me of MAGENTA'S debut Revolutions. At last a song that keeps the listener interested from start to end, my impression is that TAURUS should stick to short tracks, because the lack of variations is more evident in extremely long musical piece. This is how all the album should sound.

The album is closed by the tedious Movement IV - Tension, again great ideas, impeccable performance but repetitive to an extreme, if it wasn't for a dramatic organ passage around the mark of 3:45, I would had fallen asleep.

Normally I would rate this kind of albums with 2 stars, but being that it's Claudio's debut as soloist, I will give Opus I - Dimensions 3 stars that should be 2.5 if the system allowed them.

I can't wait to review the fantastic Opus III

A prolific multi-instrumentalist and engineer from Chile,Claudio Momberg decided to start this one-man project under the name Taurus in 2009.Momberg is the keyboardist of Chilean bands SETI and Subterra,but the slow recording processions of the second SETI album forced him to create this project,initially started as a work of Classical-oriented music.His first album ''Opus I: Dimensions'',released in 2010 on Mylodon Records,would see him going a step further though.

The album opens with the great 24-min. instrumental journey ''Air'',a composition built around Momberg's synth and piano work with only a few spots with STEVE HACKETT-ish melodic guitar work and some strings added,but the track is actually a hypnotic number of Symphonic Electronic music with strong hints of VANGELIS and THE ENID music,very mellow but with an intense inner power and plenty of atmospheric parts.''Structures'', clocking at 15 min., is the second movement of the album, continuing the style met in the previous movement,but now with a more rock attitude.This time the guitar work has a basic role with strong MIKE OLDFIELD leanings,while the rhythm section is an integral part of ''Structures'' all the way.The synth,harsichord and piano work of Momberg remains though the centerpiece of this instrumental epic,again in a grandiose symphonic style.Moving on to ''Solids'',the shortest piece in ''Opus I: Dimensions'',the style comes closer to Momberg's regular bands,modern Neo/Symphonic Prog with floating synths and nice organ throughout with a little heavier guitar parts but always a strong tendency towards Classical composition.For the closing ''Tension'',Momberg decided to leave his keyboards apart and deliver a classical-guitar crescendo close to the likes of RICARDO ZAPPA and MIKE OLDFIELD,but this one is maybe a bit stretched out.

The first solo work of Momberg under the name TAURUS offers some really strong work of Symphonic/Electronic Prog with series of beautiful soundscapes and comes strongly recommended for fans of the style.