LOS NATAS

Just about every where I looked online the word "legendary" was placed in front of this album. It truly is a special record where the band added space, psychedelia and space rock to their heavy sound. Distorted guitars rule here and I said this when I reviewed the two albums that follow this one(and that is one great run) that this band is so inventive. Prog runs through their blood or something, but it's like after their debut they decided not to repeat themselves let alone repeat someone else's music. We get 14 tracks over 51 plus minutes and I wish I knew about this one in 1999 although non-english vocals weren't my thing back then sadly.

They open things with an instrumental that builds nicely to riffs but it's not that heavy. One of my favourites is the next one "Meteoro 2028" but it should be 2029 but we get some energy here like a meteor heading straight for planet earth at breakneck speed. Vocals later but the guitar is the focus early. The longest track is "Tufi Meme" at 6 minutes and a top three for me. A catchy and mid-paced sound but they change it up throughout. The next one the title track is a top three as well and it's that distorted guitar and the heaviness that follows that I like. I really like those distorted guitar melodies that return later.

Final top three is "Paradise" but I want to talk about that slide guitar from Crover on "Alohawaii" where after 2 minutes he lets it rip. He opens the song with some grace playing the slide but that grace goes out the window after 2 minutes. I also need to mention the opening drum solo that becomes what! to open "Polvareda". Check it out! Easily 4 stars along with the next two although I lean towards the final of the three "Toba-Trance" from 2003 where they extend the songs and add an ethnic vibe.

Some vocals usually sounding distant but effective from where I sit. Maybe mixed low. Some experimental stuff on here too but this one rocks pretty hard. My favourite is "Lei Motive" which is one of the more normal tracks(haha). The only guest on here is the brief piano on this song which doesn't add anything. Besides this song I really like these three "Patas DeElefante", "Hey Jimmy" and "Contemplando La Niebla". The song title "Americano" makes me think of the movies.

So while this isn't all fun and sunshine or consistent as I usually put it, this is well worth the 4 stars. For fans of heavy adventerous music.

The next album from 2001 "Corsario Negro" is much better with them expanding the tracks, less vocals, better songs. The followup to it is this record "Toba-Trance" from 2002 and you wouldn't even know it was the same band. No vocals except for some wordless vocals on that second song plus some spoken and yelled words in Spanish on the closer. And three long trippy tracks over 52 1/2 minutes.

I have absolutely fallen for this album but that last track keeps me from giving this 5 stars. Having said that the first two songs I just can't get enough of. Repeated themes, that beautiful sounding electric guitar with those inviting melodies that come and go. It took many spins but man my kind of music. The contrasts too on those first two tracks aren't between the trippy and heavy but trippy and intense sections. There is a difference with that final track having some heaviness generated by what sounds like down-tuned guitar rumbling along a one point but this is far from Stoner music.

The closer I feel is too artsy for it's own good. The guitarist adds flute plus we get some percussion giving this tune an ethnic and native vibe for sure. It's just so sparse at times but having said that I'm drawn to the thunderous atmosphere to open and close, some yelling and carrying on too suggesting this may have a concept to it that I wish I knew about. Seems like a special track but it's difficult to enjoy much of the time. The rest is simply beautiful psychedelic music.

I've never suggested Los Natas as a probable inclusion to the archives (I guess it was laziness), but I often wondered why this awesome band wasn't already here. Today when I realised someone had made the job for me, I thought to myself that the least I could do was writing a review for them, if only to make them well known on ProgArchives.

For those unfamiliar with the band, Los Natas are an argentinian trio with different reminescences, such as Pink Floyd or Black Sabbath (I like to think of them as a Black Sabbath on acid). They are very well known in the stoner rock scene (they shared stage with bands like Queens Of The Stone Age or Colour Haze, just to name a few), and to my opinion they are one of the most interesting bands my country has to offer, and their live shows are definitely a one of a kind experience.

I chose Corsario Negro for this review since it happens to be my favourite album from them. The music here is really hypnotizing, dark, moody, constantly changing, and filled with instrumental passages as in almost every other Natas offering. The highlights of the album are Patas De Elefante, El Cono Del Encono, the title track, which is a long jamming, and Hey Jimmy, which is a completely different song from the rest. A simple short guitar-based instrumental very relaxing and soothing. In fact, the whole album takes the listener to a sensorial trip with an openly wide variety of sounds and textures.

4 stars.