ARCHAEOPTERIX

This group from Peru has delivered a really fine dark cosmic album. Please behold some of my diary remarks from this archaic trip offered by them;

A quiet dark sound wall starts "Archaeopterix", hard riffs slowly entering without haste, then building up a dark stoner rock progression with spaced-out synths (wow). Echoed vocals aren't very heavy, not making this very metal-oriented music, and thus probably more accessible to vintage music listeners too. Beautiful minor chords open slowly then "El Llamado", building up another dark cosmic vision containing some experimental aural activities and really fine guitar solo. Bass brings in a key progression, and power escalates. In the third track "Al Viento", an acid blues starts to grown in over distantly humming delicate and vast aural space, containing persistent hypnotic minimalism. After nine minutes the pressure relieves to a quiet moment visited by echoed sounds, and then a new theme starts to build from simple guitar key as drum enters with a jazzy restless rhythm, creating a quite oppressive sequence. In song "Nave F'enix" dirty "radiophonics" skimmer in the global stratosphere, joined by funky drums attracting distorted bass and guitar to crash another fine stoner rock progression circling steadily in the orbit. Nice backwards treated vocals drive forward this powerful rollercoaster ride. Final epic "Cordillera" is the longest track here, running over 24 minutes. It starts with a sad, oriental sounding chords, later a hallucinogenic motive is introduced going to heavier levels again, rhythm stopping and continuing periodically. A quiet phase enters, having minimalistic throttle fully switched in. creating a long wave of psychedelic cosmic sound.

The evolvement of music as such waves is quite characteristic to this record, growing from open, quiet calm sections to more harder stoner riff progressions. I think it's nice, making this as a pleasant to listen, and the heavier parts have counterpoints for balance. Recommended warmly for fans of cosmic-flavored stoner rock. Appreciation of raw and heavy sounds are necessary, but there are no growling vocals here, so don't panic if allergic for them. References for comparison could be a little heavier and more stoner rock oriented incarnation of Swedish The Spacious Minds, maybe blended with elements from early Black Sabbath doom tracks.