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.

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.