W.A.L.H.F. MORE F. (WITH A LITTLE HELL FROM MORE FRIENDS)

And the prog party continues! Anyone who has traveled to Mexico or familiar with Mexican culture will be aware that the nation is all about having a good time with one festive activity after another so it's little wonder that the Acapulco born Pablo Eduardo Ibarra Robles or better known in the prog world as GRECO BASTIÁN would make the perfect host to attract talent from around the world to craft some stellar collaborative efforts and make some unforgettably addictive avant-prog mixed with math rock, chamber prog, zeuhl and all kinds of other influences. Thoroughly impressed with his 2022 release "With A Little Hell From My Friends," i was awaiting another album in the same vein and only two years later we are treated to yet another star studded cast of hellpers on WITH A LITTLE HELL FROM MORE FRIENDS! Cramming together the influences of acts like Present, King Crimson, Koenjihyakkei, Magma, Frank Zappa and Ruins, GRECO BASTIÁN returns with even more friends than before for this avant-prog party of the year.

Partygoers include (just to name a few): Matt Hollenberg (John Zorn, Titan To Tachyons), The Mercury Tree, Markus Reuter (Stick Men, The Crimson Projekct), Marc Ducret (Tim Berne, Bobby Previte), Patrick Gauthier (Magma, Weidorje), Paolo Botta (Yugen, Ske, French TV), Bernard Falaise (Miriodor, Ensemble Supermusique), Tatsuya Yoshida (Koenjihyakkei, Ruins), Alan Benjamin (Advent, Mirthrandir), Anthony Beard (Ni, Piniol, Scherzoo), Rémi Leclerc (Miriodor, Les Projectionnistes), Emanuele Sterbini (Sterbus), Craig Walkner (Far Corner, William Kopecky), Ed RosenBerg III (Jerseyband, Kilter), Håkan Almkvist (Ensemble Nimbus, Hans Bruniusson), Ivan Rozmainsky (Roz Vitalis, Compassionizer) Vincent Sicot-Vantalon (Unit Wail, Scherzoo) Joe Lester (Intronaut, Mouth of the architect) Samo ?alamon (Quartet, Quintet...) Shawn Persinger (Boud Deun, Prester John) Steve Marek (Monobody, Loose Lips Sink Ships) Salvador Govea (Iconoclasta, Govea) Jonathan Piña-Duluc (Proyecto Piña-Duluc, El Trío) AND Juan Belda (Juan Belda Bit Band, Skalectric). Like WOW!!!

The album features eight tracks at a traditional album's playing time of 42 minutes but surprisingly not available on any physical format as of yet because GRECO BASTIÁN is still seeking a label to host his wild ride of a musical parade. Uh, Musea, Cuneiform? Why aren't you jumping on this? Delivering the same intensity and knotty crazy avant-prog excesses as the previous album, this one feels like a natural advancement with crazy complex time signatures run amok with crazy rhythmic drives and unrelenting brutal prog bombast. While complex and technically infused, the repetitive zeuhl inspired grooves offer a stabilizing force that allow adventurous riffing sessions and super energized soloing. Once again the long list of attendees offer a diverse approach to each and every track with GRECO's tight knit compositorial skills offering the tangible connective tissue as not to make the album sound like a various artists release.

While the album is similar in many ways to the last, this one is organized a bit differently and the production sounds better. Likewise the bass grooves seem more pronounced and the mixing job is supreme. The album starts and ends with the "Kobaïan Call To War" parts which pay tribute to the great Magma while the inner tracks ramble on at full speed. For those who disliked the previous album because of its unrelenting rapidity and incessantly unforgiving time signature brutality, then THIS ONE'S NOT FOR YOU!!!! This is one wild avant-prog vortex of sound that will freak your [&*!#] friggin' out! This one is for the most adventurous seekers of everything turned up to the highest prog levels possible. It's all instrumental and it's busy AF. Layers of crazy contrapuntal amass to create a frenzy of exciting intensity akin to one of those modern roller coaster rides that does an unthinkable amount of spins through tunnels and the like. This is complex prog for complexity's sake and for those who crave this, they are in for a treat.

Once again GRECO BASTIÁN seems to evoke Danny Elfman styled compositions are far as chord changes and various elements on board are concerned but the music of the myriad influences also shines through as do the idiosyncrasies of each guest musician on board. This is the type of prog party where things get so wild that the neighbors have to call the cops! This one offers no moments respite. No time for breathers. No ballads, no moments of contemplation, no way. This one is an incessant brutal speedfest from beginning to end with knotty angular rhythms, pummeling time signature changes and adrenalized performances with no chance for the musician's to catch their breath. OK a few scant moments do exist! Hardcore as hell and adrenalizing AF, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MORE FRIENDS delivers exactly what i was hoping for, namely more of the same uncompromising energetic drive and complexity of what the previous release offered. One of my favorite avant-prog artists of the 21st century so far! GRECO BASTIÁN is without a doubt the best part host prog has to offer! Completamente asombroso!

This Mexican composer can't play any instruments but loves music and knows how to create adventurous music. He only needs a first riff, and the rest comes by itself. All this with the help of 25 musicians! The music is dark and heavy, with some strong bass, fuzzy guitars, busy drums, and different keyboard sounds. There is too much instrumentation to describe here. Let's say that it provides a rich sound, showing a big influence from the avant-garde music of bands like Univers Zero, Present, and Magma. The songs are complex, and it is impossible to predict how they will evolve. The song "Cosmetology" is an amazing song that has an Anglagard influence. The music can be played at a slow pace or at a more frenetic pace, like a rollercoaster. If you enjoy the great bands of the avant-garde scene and adventurous prog rock with plenty of instruments, including xylophones, saxophones, and more, you will find this album one of the most original albums of this year.

Oh yessss!

Here I am once again happy and excited writing a review about a Mexican artist-composer-musician-alien-lunatic who works under the moniker of Greco Bastián, a truly creative mind who have just released a terrific album entitled "With A Little Hell From More Friends", a kind of sequel of its 2022 predecessor "With A Little Hell From My Friends".

This man is a mystery, and though I have spoken to him via social media and seen a (supposely) recent picture of him, I have no idea who he is; in fact, a couple of years I saw Greco Bastian's music live with a bunch of great local musicians, and one of them told me he just played Greco's music but he had never seen him. Whether that was true or false, I love that kind of mystery and how the mastermind behind this project is capable of turning the world upside-down in order to deliver top-notch music.

While reading his Bandcamp's profile bio, he openly says he has no idea of how to play an instrument, but he knows how they must sound, which is why he focuses on composition and invites musicians from around the globe to play those sounds. This obviously is reflected on the album's title, but mostly on its credits, because there is a vast list of over 30 musicians from the prog, RIO, avant-garde, zeuhl, jazz, experimental music scene who contributed to make this album happen. It is crazy, and when you read the names you might quite surprised. So a big applause to Greco Bastián for this amazing gathering.

And now, the music. This is an 8-track album that makes a total time of 42 minutes that kicks of with "Koabïan Call to War Part 1", an evident reference to zeuhl creators Magma. Chaos and power are present since the first seconds, tension is provided by guitars, and then just before reaching the first minute the song changes a bit, adding some epic-like sounds which might work for a horror film, with a great keyboard work of Scherzoo's Vincent Sicot- Vantalon.

To me is incredible to achieve another band (a band you like, of course) playing your music, and this happens in "4009, The Mezking" which freatures the three of The Mercury Tree members, along with another musicians including one of my current favorites in the name of Markus Reuter. Well, the bass notes will get your immediate attention and then while the seconds pass the rhythm and energy increases, creating countless textures and elements that are quite exciting. Heavy prog music is delivered here, but of course, zeuhl, RIO, jazz, Crimsonian and Zappa-esque winks are quite evident.

With "Extitled" there is an extraordinary keys amalgam I could have never dreamt of, because legendary Magma's Patrick Gauthier plays piano and pairs with utterly talented Mexican composer Salvador Govea who is responsible of the keyboards here. Bass, drums and guitars as well help increasing the chaotic atmosphere, and that xylophone adds a kind of Gong's Gazeuse essence on it. Greco Bastian's music is never plain and that is amazing, so you will find several changes and inifite sounds on its tracks.

Odd-time-signature is also a constant concept in this album's music and we can tell it by listening to "Retitled", who also shows-off the skills of its featured artists such as Dominican sax master Jonathan Piña-Luduc or American crazymind and guitarist Matt Hollenberg. I love how there is always a tense atmosphere but instead of making us swith off, it produces a magical addiction so it is impossible to separate even one second from the headphones.

This feeling continues with the amazing "Baclamán, the Bad One", which features once again saxophone and xylophone, increasind the color palette on the sounds the musicians create. To compose music like this is quite a job, I don't really know how many days, months, years took Greco Bastián to devise these tracks, but it is clear his talent is beyond comprehension.

Believe it or not, the fire and adrenaline slows down in "Cosmetology", the craziness is still present, however, we can take a deep breath and relax a little bit. This track leads to a fantastic journey not only of sounds, but also of visual atmospheres, and that is something I appreciate a lot, because good music always modifies your senses and emotions. The guilty crew this time is linked to amazing bands like Miriodor and Yugen.

"Clownnecticut" is another gem with an exquisite mixture of textures, nuances and musical genres, its cathartic sound is really exciting, you won't stop moving your body as the music's rhythms, but also you will be persuaded by any of its instruments, because all of them add crucial notes or figures that clearly exemplifies what richness of sounds is.

And finally they give us "Kobaïan Call to War (Part 2)" which has the colorful touch of Roz Vitalis' Ivan Rozmainsky on keyboards, along with a superstar line-up that includes three guitarists playing three different solos.

I'd like to congratulate all the people involved in this release, mainly the fellow Mexican guys including my friend Miguel Saenger who played drums in three tracks and designed the amazing artwork.

After listening to this gem I think we all need a little bit of hell and friends to boost that hidden artistic and creative side we surely have. I hope this album generates interest among prog loves, because this is really amazing and I don't think we can witness a line-up like this one playing these crazy but outstanding compositions.

The name of Greco Bastián may not be the most nominated title in the modern day of avant-prog, but this year definitely crowned him king of the genre with his newest offering of With a Little Hell From More Friends.

This is a sequel of sorts towards With a Little Hell From My Friends, which was released 2 years ago in 2022. I had known of Greco due to seeing that record around in ProgArchives from time to time, and it was intriguing, but not enough for me to listen to it. However, this year I did check it out, and I just thought it was pretty good. So imagine my surprise when the real Greco Bastián, yes really, offered a free download for his new escapade that he and his friends have created. Safe to say, curiosity got the better of me, and let's just say I am a dead cat, murdered by amazing music!

Like the title suggests, there are now more musicians here than before, with 34 in total, most of which come from more avant-prog acts. We have such names like Tatsuya Yoshida, Matt Hollenberg, Patrick Gauthier, and the most intriguing being the entirety of Mercury Tree. The list continues on from there, but you get the picture. With this eclectic set of hands, the album would sound like a nightmare, surely right? Well, yes, but also not in a bad way. With each set of musicians being set into an individual track, they are able to put their all into the recordings without it feeling too overbearing.

The musicians work flawlessly together. None of them feel like they really overshadow the other, which I think is great. A lot of collaborated projects like this oftentimes make one act in a large collective shine above the rest, but none of them have that here. Sure, some definitely seem to have a bit more stage presence with some showing back up in later songs, but even still the dynamic remains pure. It is honestly magical.

Musically it is magical too! This record bends the more classical styles of RIO, the jazziness of zeuhl, and the noisy brutal prog to its whims, and in doing so creates a mix of something that feels passionate and haunting. Kobaïan Call to War (Part 1) and Clownnecticut legitimately gives me chills by how creepy they sound, and the rest of the album too has this almost perverse air that I cannot get enough of. There is so much music jammed into each track that the more I listen, the more I see each track for the masterpiece they are! Really, there are no bad scores here. Some tracks I do prefer over others, but what is on here is still extremely well made.

Also the production value is honestly superb. With a Little Hell From My Friends has good mixings too, but this one is just amazing. I honestly never expected a self release like this, especially from a solo act could end up sounding so great! It's noisy, but in a way that suits the music. It's intense, but not in a way that makes things too hard. It's raw, but not unfiltered. It is a perfect blend of strength and clarity that really gives it magic.

This love letter to the avant-prog scene is now permanently in my heart, as I see it, like many others, as a purebred masterpiece. Where Mannequin offered a masterpiece in the more lush world of prog pop, and Charcoal Grace made a masterpiece in the progressive metal landscapes, With a Little Hell From More Friends showed an avant- prog experience worth remembering. With how good modern day avant-garde music has been, it seems like we are in a new renaissance for some juicy opposing rocks.

Best tracks: Extitled, Kobaïan Call to War (Part 2)

Worst tracks: n/a

Hijoesietemilputas!!! Lo hiciste de nuevo. México-Máxico 🌮🌯´ Surrealismo puro. Conchetumare!! Jijuesiete!! De Acapulco para el mundo!! Ponte_a_trabajaaaaar_CDV!! LOQUEBIENESIENDO ESTÁN_TIRANDO_CON_LUMBRE_LO_QUE_EH Alonso_te_amo Nos_cambiaron_al_4009

English version: My dear brother, I'm so proud of your masterpiece. Viva México!! Again, you showed your creativity and volatile mind on this second offering, which won't keep anyone bored. Greco Bastian is not for the faint hearted. There's always a twist around the corner, an unexpected sharp turn that could take you to misty places. Great collaborations from well known people in the scene. Beware, listeners: this is a one-of-a-kind album (together with his first). Looking forward to the next one!

I want to say that this album has been a continuation of the first album and is much stronger and more powerful. I congratulate you dear brother and thank you for making me immortal and as the saying goes...... It's to be or not to be, I look very attractive. Honey is [&*!#]!! Brother, the album is truly amazing and you know it is!!! Alonso is jealous and I want to tell you that thank you for this magical music that you make for everyone and for everyone who participated!!! I wanted John Lennon on the album... brother we love you. You put your name at the top as Juan Gabriel as a Mexican and as a miserable person. Diego is [&*!#] and you know it!! Cheto is going to disappear from this era and will come in 2030 and I want him as your husband. brother thank you very much

Greco Bastián, the composer with two left feet, is back, enticing another All-World list of collaborator musicians to render his sometimes-challenging compositions unto audio/digital tape.

1. "Kobaïan Call to War (Part 1)" (2:39) easy on the brain due to its straightforward pacing and long-held keyboard chords, but the sound palette is cacophonous, as one would expect. (4.5/5)

2. "4009, The Mezking" (6:12) a whole bunch of instruments playing this angular melody together (unless they're all MIDI-ed). I don't like the uncharacteristically murky sound quality: it's as if all of the high ends have been dimmed or muted and the low end (bass) magnified. Weird. I've heard experimental sound before, but is this intentional or just bad engineering choices? Time and stylistic shifts at the three-minute mark and again at 3:25 followed by a total clearing out at the end of the fourth minute for an electric piano, but then everybody kicks back in, including the carnival band, calliope, and kitchen sink. There is a lot to laugh at here, as there is also a lot that would make people with enochlophobia or coulraphobia run screaming (or collapse into catatonias). (8.875/10)

3. "Extitled" (7:20) this song opens with a mathematical problem being played out by the full band, first together, then in separated, from different angles, always coming back together to discuss their individual findings before venturing off again. In the second half of the third minute it would appear that the slide guitarist is on to something as he is left to go alone for a bit before everyone else rejoins--perhaps egging him on or rejoicing in his success. But then, a minute later, everyone is slogging along as if mired or depressed. At the end of the fifth minute another electric guitar, and then the bass player and pianist, are the centers of attention as everyone else looks on with bated breath. The Mellotron voice is particularly indicative of the solo minors' progresses, respectively, though the xylophone player is equally fixated. And then it just ends! To what end? What was the result? (13.25/15)

4. "Retitled" (4:21) some heavy, Crimsonian angular melody-making that, when woven together like this, make for an interesting The open-room drum sound (particularly the military-style snare) is particularly interesting as he is probably the only musician operating with any sort of freedoms, the others all restricted or constricted by rather proscribed pathways. It reminds me of watching mice running mazes. But then there is the fact that I hate this kind of drum pattern. Interesting and admirable as a composition but not very enjoyable to me. As much as I appreciate the hyper-dsiciplined approach to composition and performance that Robert Fripp and King Crimson have remained so affixed, it is not the kind of music that I would ever enjoy playing, nor that I listen to repeatedly for my own enjoyment. (8.75/10)

5. "Blacamán, the Bad One" (5:38) now here is someone expressing themselves like humans who live by the illusion that they have freedom: guitarist Samo Salamon! The others are creating mosaics and molecules of angular forms and ruled connections (and doing it quite well, I might add!). (9/10)

6. "Cosmetology" (7:37) Samo is loose again! And the piano and others are on the trail like bloodhounds and a police posse. The spaciousness of this one is appreciated for the way it allows my puny little brain the time to negotiate and appreciate the convoluted pathways, subways, tunnels, and airtubes that the other instruments are zombie-walking in order to try to find and catch Samo. The pursuants are pretty relentless though they do take a break every here and then (as does Samo: resting, hiding, watching, assessing the next best route to take in order to avoid capture). Occasionally a Greco song reminds me of something. The voices here remind me of any creepy Danny Elfmann-like horror film music. A tempo and motif switch in the seventh minute moves everybody into run and chase mode-- including Samo, as the dogs are hot on his heels. One last ditch effort in the bogs and swamps outside of town but then he is caught! At least I had fun with this one! (Too bad for our 1984 hero, Samo). (9/10)

7. "Clownnecticut" (5:25) this one starts out as one of the more tame, avant compositions on the album, with a fairly- simple, nearly-Japanese-Zeuhlish polyrhythmic ("Discipline"-like) structural weave (this despite the fact that there are no Japanese musicians present on this song). Even with the back-and-forth shifts into a second, slightly different, slightly more angular motif, the music remains fairly tame Zeuhlousness. At 2:45 there is one more series of shifts into a Zeuhlish style that is even more-closely aligned with the Japanese traditions of the 1990s and 2000s--and yet there also pops up the Danny ELFMANN melody and sounds in the synth horn banks toward the end. A likable song--if more due to its accessibility. (9/10)

8. "Kobaïan Call to War (Part 2)" (2:57) screaming, wailing, modern cinematic Zeuhl. Got any movies you need scored, Tim Burton? (9/10)

Total Time 42:09

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of remarkably-accessible though quirkily-engineered, sometimes Zeuhlish, avant- garde/RIO--this one often sounding a little more human and a little less computer-generated than his previous "Friends" effort.

This album is a sequel to an album by a similar name from 2022, With A Little Hell From My Friends. The gist was that Greco Bastian wrote some really complicated music, and had friends from throughout the progoshphere play it. It was among my favorite albums of that year, if not number one, so when I heard that there was another album with more music in the same manic vein, I had to hear it. After waiting fruitlessly in hopes it would appear on Spotify like it's predecessor for about a month, I gave in and bought it digitally on Bandcamp. The music is the same I believe (except for one exception I found), but the cover is Nursery Cryme yellow instead of the off-white shown here, and the album title is abbreviated as W.A.L.H.F More F.

The bookends of the album are Kobaian Call To War Parts 1and 2. Part 1 starts things off with some shrieking instruments repeating and building on each other, as the namesake Zeuhl often does. 4009, The Mezking comes next, starting with a fun bass riff before guitars and weird keyboards kick in. Everything speeds up and builds upon itself, breaks into a section of more avant noises, kicks back into the riffs from before, breaks into different noises, and returns again before ending on the fastest sections yet.

Extitled and Retitled come next. Extitled is a longer track, once again eargasmically mixing a bunch of chaotic elements from musicians worlds apart into a cohesive buildup. There's a xylophone going along with the bass for example, all sorts of satisfying synergies. Retitled continues the happy go lucky tone of the previous track with prominent sax this time, my favorite jaunty instrument. The next song, Blacaman, The Bad One, also has sax, albeit a different one played by a different person, to just as good effect. An earlier version of this song, Blacaman (el malo), is on an earlier collection on spotify, and most likely the same as appears on the album No Cover here on PA. It's just a bit less instrumentally dense on there, since it doesn't have the large ensemble. Cosmetology and Clowneccticut seem to also have their beginnings in the earlier albums as well, though I haven't heard these earlier versions. These songs are excellent here though, the former being a (relatively) slower burn with some infectious motifs appearing throughout, and the latter an appropriately flouncy circus swing dance for its name. Imagine a posse of clowns waltzing about, inhumanly speeding and slowing with the tempo? beautiful!

Finally we're back to Kobaian Call To War Part 2. The Bass thunders harder than De Futura, as distorted guitars burble over it. There's also some crazy keys and effects and the drumming is wild as can be, a fitting end for such a high-energy album. Interestingly, the digital version I have from Bandcamp is 3:09, not 2:57 as listed here on PA.

This album is great! It has a fun atmosphere and can hang with the big boys of humorous virtuosity any day. 5/5 from me, and perhaps my favorite of the year so far. While many of the songs can trace back to earlier releases, the great playing from everyone involved makes this sound truly special and unique.

Greco Bastian returns with his second fully formed album. While he had been active for a number of years his debut album, With A Little Hell From My Friends realized his dream of enrolling full time musicians to perform his compositions. The cast list from that album was a who's who of the stars of the prog rock scene. For this second album Greco has assembled a similarly impressive list of musicians to contribute, too many to list individually in this review but key bands performers are drawn from include Miriodor, Mercury Tree, Yugen, Heldon & Far Corner! The album is dark and brooding with the major influences appearing to be Univers Zero, Magma and Present. How all these disparate elements come together to produce such a coherent album is amazing. Congratulations Greco, I'm looking forward with anticipation to the next installment, highly recommended.

A Nod to the Past, But What About the Future?

As an avant-garde prog fan, I had high expectations when listening to this record, especially after reading several glowing reviews. I thought I might be in front of a new masterpiece, but after a few listens, doubts started to set in.

After repeated listens, I have to say it's not as groundbreaking as I initially believed. It's a good prog record, but not revolutionary. Some reviewers made it sound like it could be the next Fragile by Yes, In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson, or Foxtrot by Genesis. But let's be fair?those are standards that few modern prog records can realistically meet.

Greco Bastián, the Mexican prog musician, released this album as a sequel to their 2022 record With a Little Hell from Friends. Now in 2024, With a Little Hell from MORE Friends is an ambitious avant-prog instrumental project that brings together a host of guest musicians and complex compositions. The album showcases Bastián's technical skill in detailed compositions, though it leans heavily on familiar sounds reminiscent of Peter Hammill's The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage and the intricate, dark atmospheres of bands like Anekdoten, All Traps on Earth, King Crimson, Magma, and Frank Zappa. This wealth of influences gives the album a nostalgic quality, making it feel more like a respectful nod to the genre's roots than a reinvention.

If you're looking for reinvention, or just hoping to hear great music?well, in my case, I just want to hear good music without bombastic, over-the-top elements. Fans familiar with Hammill's work and his time in Van der Graaf Generator will likely catch echoes of those distinctive sounds here. The atmosphere is brooding, intense, and introspective, though it sometimes feels more like an homage than a fresh statement. While this approach doesn't diminish the album's craftsmanship, it might feel overly familiar to some listeners.

The album taps into the dark, intricate soundscapes pioneered by Anekdoten and refined by All Traps on Earth. The dense instrumentation and haunting melodies evoke the complex arrangements of these prog bands. While Bastián captures this moody, immersive sound effectively, the album leans a bit too comfortably on these established stylistic elements without introducing a distinct twist of its own.

Bastián's choice to collaborate with multiple musicians adds depth and texture to the album, though not always with the impact it aims for. Some guest contributions blend seamlessly into the mix, complementing the core sound, but they don't always stand out in ways that reshape the music. For listeners hoping for bold experimentation, this approach might feel too safe, though it does add a pleasing richness for those who appreciate a more classic prog sound.

The album's ambition is undeniable. However, the intricate layers and abrupt shifts can sometimes feel overwhelming or even disjointed. Bastián clearly has a passion for complexity, though the album might have benefited from a bit of restraint to let certain motifs breathe and develop more naturally.

Production-wise, the album is clean and polished, lending clarity to every instrumental detail. However, the modern sound might feel at odds with the raw, organic quality that grounds some of the classic prog influences Bastián draws from. While the pristine production adds sophistication, a touch more grit might have enhanced the immersive atmosphere.

In the end, With a Little Hell from MORE Friends is a well-crafted work that pays tribute to the giants of prog and avant-garde while showcasing Bastián's technical composition skills. For fans of classic progressive rock, the album's familiar sounds and respectful nods will likely be a welcome experience. Though it may not push boundaries, it's an enjoyable, richly layered album that celebrates the prog tradition with skill and a clear love for the genre's darker, more atmospheric side.

Perhaps my expectations were overreaching. The record is fun to listen to, but before diving into the reviews, I'd suggest forming your own impression. Then, decide for yourself whether this album resonates with you as a nostalgic tribute or if it leaves you wanting something new.

Second installment of this mysterious Mexican character about whom there is not much information and apparently he is not even a musician in the strict order of ideas. And I say this not to the detriment of his work but to his advantage, because in some way that amazes and intrigues me, he has managed to convince another handful of big names from the international avant-prog scene to collaborate on a brief but powerful selection of songs.

Their first album was a pleasant surprise, although it was evident that it was still a mix of real musicians with virtual instruments, which although it achieved effective cohesion, it was only until this second release that a more organic intention was perceived in the sound and I applaud that, At least after a couple of first listens, I see an evident intention to go one step further in terms of the complexity of his compositional skills, amalgamating dozens of riffs that go through clear influences from the RIO & Zeuhl genres, but in a clear path. towards achieving his own seal in his sound. One of the most adventurous albums in 2024, a year where great bands abound but few risk exploring deeper into their own sonic ideas.

I just wonder: what else could this man invite in a third installment? Extravagant trip and experience, without a doubt.

Greco Bastián is somewhat unusual in that while he is a composer he does not actually play any instruments and instead relies on others to complete his vision. In 2022 he released his fifth album, 'With A Little Hell From My Friends', and now he has released his sixth in a similar vein, called 'With A Little Hell From More Friends'. This is quite a list, but is definitely worth including to show just who enjoys his vision: Matt Hollenberg (John Zorn, Titan To Tachyons), Markus Reuter (Stick Men, The Crimson Projekct), Patrick Gauthier (Magma, Weidorje), Marc Ducret (Tim Berne, Bobby Previte), Bernard Falaise (Miriodor, Ensemble Supermusique), Alan Benjamin (Advent, Pekka Pohjola), Paolo Botta (Yugen, Ske, French TV), Rémi Leclerc (Miriodor, Les Projectionnistes), Vincent Sicot-Vantalon (Unit Wail, Scherzoo), Anthony Beard (Ni, Piniol, Scherzoo), The Mercury Tree (Ben Spees, Oliver Campbell, Connor Reilly), Sterbus, Craig Walkner (Far Corner, William Kopecky), Ed Rosenberg III (Jerseyband, Kilter), Juan Belda (Juan Belda Bit Band, Skalectric), Steve Marek (Monobody, Loose Lips Sink Ships), Hakan Almkvist (Ensemble Nimbus, Hans Bruniusson), Jonathan Piña-Duluc Proyecto Piña-Duluc, El Trío), Samo Salamon (Quartet, Quintet), Ivan Rozmainsky (Roz Vitalis, Compassionizer), Salvador Govea (Salvador Govea), and The Villagers of the Legendary Town of San Jamás de los Jamases.

I mean, anyone would be pleased to get Markus Reuter involved, or anyone from French TV, or Ivan, or Alan, or Craig, or Anthony, or Jonathan (all of whom I have reviewed, multiple times) let alone all the above. Also, bear in mind that this is truly a worldwide project with the Mexican bringing together people from America, Europe, South America and Russia. Why Greco is unsigned is just beyond me as here we have a RIO/eclectic/experimental album which is off the wall and probably off the map. Anyone who enjoys this style of music will already know the names of many of those involved, and it is no surprise that we get an album which sounds as if it has been released by Cuneiform or Dur & Doux with influences from Present, King Crimson, Ni, Magma, Frank Zappa and more. It is experimental, it is fascinating, yet while there are different musicians and line-ups on every track there is also a consistency throughout which makes this very special indeed.

I do find it strange Greco has yet to be signed to a forward-thinking label as this is a work of some import which anyone with adventurous musical tastes will get a great deal from. I note that on his Bandcamp site he is offering his complete digital discography for just $18 USD. A bargain not to be missed.

Where to start with this?

a totally unknown Mexican man (at least to me), who released in 2022 one of the best Avant-Prog albums in the world WITHOUT PUTTING HANDS IN, literally, but accompanied by at least 10 musicians whose careers and bands we all know in the scene. This is, to say the least, curious and strange.

What has me writing this review is the astonishment caused by the fact that Mr. Greco Bastián has done it again, but corrected and increased, this time counting on 25 GUEST MUSICIANS, all recognized names from Zeuhl, Rock in Opposition , Avant-Rock and Jazz. Why do these busy musicians say yes to our mysterious friend? I think the answer can only be one and this is the undeniable fact that the guy has enormous compositional skills and a quite personal version of what he considers to be Avant-Prog: a brutal merciless mix of Math Rock, Zeuhl, Avant-Prog. Prog and Jazz surgically mixed in songs that jump unpredictably from one riff to another, alternating at will odd time signatures, measures, scales, arrangements and speeds. It seems that the guy is in a hurry to finish everything because his work is a tornado of sound motifs that follow one another without a single opportunity for rest or respite.

In times when formats seem to be the same on almost all albums, it is appreciated that artists like Greco embark on the adventure of doing things without asking or being guided by what is happening around them. Sure, there are obvious influences in his work, but once I've listened to both albums in one sitting, I think this Mexican already has his own sound and I'm simply curious to see what he can give us the next time.

I didn't know about the existence of this character until I saw a certain review on Youtube and I have been very pleasantly surprised with the very particular style and history of this Mexican composer.

Like an industrial blender, Greco seems to want to tell us so many things in such a short time that the result is overwhelming in the best of ways (at least for those of us who love the school of Rock In Opposition, Zeuhl and Avant).

It is noteworthy that, even with the participation of so many renowned musicians, the album stands out for its uniformity and cohesion. The pieces sound connected by an invisible thread that is undoubtedly Greco's composition, weaving with careful care the instruments of at least 30 human beings from different parts of the world who somehow manage to sound like a single band, song after song.

The man achieves what he seems to want in the listener: a permanent feeling of unease and power that very few bands achieve in this genre today. Magnificent!