ROBE

Thus, once Extremoduro had definitively ended, Robe got to work with the same solo band with which he had recorded the excellent "Lo que aletea en nuestras cabezas" and the even better "Destrozares," but adding the exceptional guitarist Woody Amores. What no one could have imagined was that they were shaping what would become one of the best albums in the history of Spanish rock: "Mayéutica: La Ley Innata II."

The album was produced again with keyboardist Álvaro Rodríguez Barroso during 2020, and was finally released on April 30, 2021, featuring a bold cover by Diego Latorre. It marks the return of the more rocking, progressive, transgressive, and visceral Robe. The same one who brought us the wonderful "La Ley Innata," but with even greater compositional maturity and with a group of musicians capable of elevating his musical proposal to heights unthinkable and unreachable for any other contemporary Spanish band. Perhaps with Extremoduro Robe could have made this "Mayéutica," but I suspect it would have been very different, and I believe not as good.

"Mayéutica," like its first part, is a 45-minute song divided into an Interlude, four movements, and a coda, as if it were a kind of symphony or classical work. Musically, it brings us a very powerful, varied, and completely progressive heavy prog in its harmonies, evolutions, and developments. As for the lyrics, if "La Ley Innata" spoke to us of a lost love that destabilizes the author's world, "Mayéutica: La Ley Innata II" speaks of the reunion with this love, of finding the lost vital axis again, of second chances. And as such, it is a more vivid and cheerful album, though with its traces of darkness and melancholy.

So, if you are a fan of the best progressive rock and have not yet listened to "Mayéutica," I highly recommend you do so, as it is the best progressive rock album released so far this decade. Absolutely dazzling in composition, execution, and lyrics.

Best tracks: since it is a single 45-minute song, highlighting one track does not make much sense. However, in my opinion, the best parts of the album are the third and fourth movements, a complete progressive orgy of the highest imaginable quality.

In this second "solo" album, Robe delves even deeper into the glamorous, baroque, and intimate style introduced in "Lo Que Aletea en Nuestras Cabezas," further distancing himself from the sound he created for Extremoduro. He ventures into more symphonic and intricate territories, all tinged with an aura of pessimism and human pain that makes this album very special. At first listen, "Destrozares" feels quite similar to the previous album, but subsequent listens reveal that both thematically and musically it is diverse enough to have its own personality.

The production and execution of all the instruments is impressive, as is the compositional quality of almost all the songs. And I say almost because this is what prevents me from giving this album the highest rating. In my opinion, there are a couple of tracks like Cartas desde Gaia and Puta Humanidad that are a bit below the rest, but that doesn't prevent the album from being very enjoyable from start to finish and will surely delight the lovers of symphonic, baroque, and beautiful rock, which characterized the first two solo albums of this Spanish genius named Roberto Iniesta.

Because with the later "Mayéutica" everything was about to change! Or not?

Best Tracks: Hoy al Mundo Renuncio (perfect opening, with a crescendo leading to a memorable final stretch), Querré lo Prohibido (the most progressive one, with another outstanding bass line), Del Tiempo Perdido (perhaps the best track on the album, complex, dense, to be savored slowly), Donde Rompen las Olas (romantic and evocative song, thematically linked with other Robe songs like El Hombre Pájaro), La Canción Más Triste (wonderful work of keyboards and violins), and Destrozares (a song that was partially presented during the Extremoduro era, and here it is expanded and improved to offer a delicate, wonderful, and unforgettable track)

After releasing the uneven "Para todos los Públicos" in November 2013 and completing an extensive tour with Extremoduro in 2014, he finally released this album in June 2015 through El Dromedario Records, featuring a beautiful cover by Antonio Ojea.

The style of this first album under the name Robe coherently connects with the last three Extremoduro albums, especially the misunderstood "Material Defectuoso" and some sections of "Para todos los Públicos" (..Y Rozar Contigo and De Manera Urgente could easily be part of this album). However, it delves even deeper into the more delicate and symphonic side of the brilliant musician from Plasencia, with sections that venture into folk, art rock, and chamber music, using instruments rarely seen in Spanish rock, such as violins, clarinets, accordions, and saxophones.

Here, Robe is unafraid to unleash his most lyrical and sensitive vein, something that might have been more difficult within Extremoduro, as the band had a legion of fans expecting to continue hearing the raw, sexual, and transgressive rock characteristic of the band until "Yo, Minoría Absoluta" in 2002. This style began to fade in the 2008 masterpiece "La Ley Innata," and in this fantastic "Lo que aletea en nuestras cabezas," it transforms into something that, despite containing all the DNA of its author, is a free and pure bird that sings with unique beauty.

Therefore, "Lo que aletea en nuestras cabezas" is a highly recommended album for lovers of the most beautiful, sensitive, and sincere symphonic rock. It marked the beginning of a new phase in Roberto Iniesta's musical career, leading him to a level of musical maturity in both studio and live performances of absolutely incredible quality.

Best songs: Un suspiro acompasado (one of the most beautiful rock songs ever written in Spanish, with an inspired lyric), Nana Cruel (a song with harsh and highly critical lyrics about humanity), Por ser un Pervertido (delicate verses, a catchy chorus, and an incredible saxophone solo), Guerrero (another absolutely captivating song, which curiously connects with the song "Prometeo" from Extremoduro's excellent album "Agila"), and Contra todos (a song that has rightfully become a classic of Spanish rock)