RUÍNAS CIRCULARES

During the summer of 1987 Amir Cantusio Jr. recorded the fourth album of Alpha III, it was the second time he performed a work entirely by himself, playing bass, drums, piano and keyboards.Titled ''Ruinas circulares'', this one was inspired by the tale ''The circular ruins'', originally written by Argentinian writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges in his ''Ficciones'' book.This was also the last work released by Cantusio under the Faunus label.

After the dreadful ''Agartha'' Cantusio couldn't do else than provide better and more convincing musicianship, having already an experience as a solo multi-instrumentalist.''Ruinas circulares'' is a largely instrumental album, still retaining many of the symphonic values of the previous Alpha III releases, not helped however by the below average, almost basement-like production.The music sounds decent enough with strong RICK WAKEMAN and TANGERINE DREAM influences, passing from Classical piano interludes to cosmic/Electronic acoustics and featuring a highly symphonic flavor inbetween.I doubt Cantusio played all the drums on the album, because these sound mostly like drum beats than natural performances, except from a few of pieces, but his keyboard executions are quite interesting, lots of organ and piano are delivered next to his standard synthesizer vibes.The varied atmospheres are the most acclaimed aspects on this album with melancholic themes followed by cinematic soundscapes and from Classical auras ending up to virtuosic keyboard pyrotechnics.Tracks are rather short, completing apparently a long, concept suite.Strange thing, I hear some hard guitars on ''Holocausto final'', although not credited in this album, while the 11-min. closer ''Danca para a eternidade'' shows Cantusio moving further into cosmic electronics, this is a slow-tempo synth-drenched suite, supported by light drumming, with depressive and spacious soundscapes and a heavy TANGERINE DREAM source of inspiration.

Decent Electro/Sympho Rock from the darkest 80's days.I admire Cantusio as a composer, although productionwise his works sound like B-movies fighting the budget of Oscar-winning films.Rock Symphony has reissued the album with a different tracklist plus a couple of bonus tracks.Recommended.