PROGNOISE

This album has been in mid-high rotation on my playlist for almost a week, so I have had enough time to digest and understand the band's proposal, which to be honest could be confusing at times. This is not necessarily bad by any means, but it does plays a little bit against the overall review and rating.

Nefrectomia (nephrectomy), or surgical removal of a kidney, opens the album with a tardy and dark instrumental passage, like an oboe submerged in thick water. The title track Lacrimal stays on the instrumental side showing some of the dark prog arrangements that will be revisited and enhanced in the immediate future of the musical trip, crunching and metallic guitar soling invades the already tired loop that immerses the listener into the bright-less Amazonian jungle. Rhythmic section is fenomenal, and the bass per se a highlight, fat heavy and powerful. There's a tonality progression throughout the track, somehow atoned but interesting, Iommy meets Howe, definitely very Sabbath like with the doom feel. Noite starts like a continuation of Lacrimal, only heavier riff wise and finally bringing the first vocals of the album. More Iommy like riffing with the key layers on the back that add some color to the obscureness, the guitar work is great again, and some invited flute thankfully invades the desperate feeling that the lyrics depict. Then halfway through a symphonic mood is elegantly inserted to show the band can be bright and less fudgie, jumping into the Floyd universe, sounds crazy but it all works and makes sense, they masterfully perform the progression and as successfully they bring back the song to the darkness again just before it comes to an end. With Shedding Tear my first confusion arrives. A very soulful song with guitar licks as beautiful and melodic as any Gilmour or Latimer playing, spacey and meaningful, but far from the initial proposal of the band for this album. Overall I'm not totally into Germano's vocals, however I rather him singing in his native Portuguese than in English, don't get me wrong, he does a pretty good job, is just that it feels a little forced. I like the song, I do, just don't feel it belongs to this specific album.

Enigmatic Eye (parte um) combines acoustic guitars and very hypnotic synths, it does bring back the same dark and somehow melodic ambience of the first 20mins. The flute intervention warms everything a little and immerses the listener into an enchanted forest, I love this song, it grows on me with every listen. Enigmatic Eye (parte dois) totally separates itself from its predecessor, back to the sabbath like riffing and atoned licks, very chaotic at times even when the violin tries unsuccessfully to tie all together. Again I find myself a little confused with the proposal, don't even feel part one and two belong to the same conceptual creation, maybe it does an all makes sense, I don't see it though. If Shedding Tear felt a little misplaced, When simply confirms my mental mix up. English vocals return to the scene in what I believe must be de single (or at least the desired/chosen one) with exporting quality! I strongly think this song belongs in the same musical proposal as Shedding Tear, but not as companion as tracks like Noite, Lacrimal and the two upcoming tracks. De Caelo brings me back to my prog alley and coincidentally opens the best 18+ minutes of the album. Bass, drums and keys are back, the tempo arrangements and how the song progresses showcases the unquestionable musical level the band has, soaring guitars that feel like serrated knife blades while the synths add the galactic ambience that evolves into a dark Eloy-like song. Túmulo closes the trip with my favorite song. Vocals are back, in its native Portuguese and everything around it sounds perfect. Pink Floyd and Eloy are impressively present here. However it feels authentic, heartfelt and sad, very sad. Túmulo (tomb) has all to be loved from the band, when Lobo (guitars) and Dickow get together they really add to the band's sound, it gives them power and an epic classic prog feeling. Guitars are fenomenal and lead the final moments of the album. Looking forward to more music from these South American prog rockers. THE END The review shows 3 stars, however I give 3.5 because basically it deserves it!

What is one to make of a band that calls itself PROGNOISE emerging from the remote region of Rondonia, Brazil in the city of Porto Velho? The cover of the band's debut album ESQUIZ'IDE looks like its straight out of the early 70s with amateurish cover art and a moniker that makes you wonder if this is a proggier side project of Sonic Youth or Lighting Bolt but no way, this is a bonafide band from one of those regions of Brazil that wasn't too long ago in the past was part of the Amazonian rainforest before settlement went wild in the 80s. This band consists of Alessandro Amorim (bass), Alessandro da Cuna (drums), Zeno Germano (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards) and S'lvio Lopes (keyboards) and has released two albums so far.

ESQUIZ'IDE was released in 2014 and is an unexpected mix of 90s alternative rock, 70s Italian symphonic prog and Brazilian folk music. With only six tracks that misses the 27 minute mark, this is a rather short listening experience. What we basically get here is not Sonic Youth gong all King Crimson on us at all but rather a mix of grungy guitar parts that are straight out of the Stone Temple Pilots demo playbook along with more pastoral prog sounds that bring back the symphonic 70s along with occasional Jethro Tull flute inspirations. There are also psychedelic effects with atmospheric cloud covers and occasional.

This is really a band that doesn't know what it wants to be. Tracks like the opening 'Abertura Esquiz'ide' are dreamy and psychedelic and the lengthy 'No Ralar Do Dia' is like taking a trip in the way back machine as it elegantly evokes classic Italian prog of the 70s such as the symphonic folky infused sounds of Le Orme only sung in Portuguese with some Jethro Tull inspired flute runs for good measure. However 'Crimsoniana' and 'Espasmo' exhibit a 90s alternative rock approach although i think PROGNOISE was going for more of a King Crimson 'Red' sound on these tracks and while exhibiting progressive tendencies are more on the light side of things with a lazy drumbeat and more grunge sounding guitar riffing action.

Nice try guys but this one is really boring and awkward sounding. The unfocused nature of alternative rock and symphonic prog sounds stilted and the production is extremely amateurish on top of that. This sounds like the first time around for all involved and the results are a rather hodge-podgy display of influences without anything creative to add to the work table. The album cover is rather fitting actually. The music sounds like it's trapped in a bottle that's been floating around for 40 years and has gotten shaken up a bit. An unamused face tolerates it but would rather put something else on and the music is about as sophisticated as the album cover art. Average quality at best.

2.5 but not good enough to round up