ARTERIA

Quite frankly, I don't really get what's the big fuss all about. While I can totally agree that "Cuatro visiones" is a dark and sinister chamber (well, to a degree) rock album with strong Univers Zero influence, this record is nowhere near its excellence. Instead of carefully designed and detailed chamber rock, this album seems much more loose, chaotic, frantic, and just straight-up ugly. I woudn't consider the writing impressive at all, the compositions are not masterfully crafted, the instruments don't interplay with each other almost at all, and the atmosphere - while undeniably dark and heavy - isn't mysterious at all (and that's one of the major factors that made albums like "1313" or "Heresie" masterpieces). Some tracks are not so bad, some moments are interesting, but the majority of the content, as for a RIO chamber ensemble, is pretty weak. Besides, there is quite a lot of awful-sounding MIDI instruments, including drums and cellos. I mean, they have the freaking cellist onboard already, why the hell would they even consider using MIDI cello?! It just sounds pitiful.

I'm particually confused, because this project was led by one of a kind Mexican bassoonist, Juan Carlos Ruiz, who played in Nazca before (and did much, much better job there). I hope the band will come up with a new, more focused and carefully crafted album (with no damn MIDIs!), but - as for now - I recommend avoiding this release, unless you're into chaotic and heavy mess. If you want to explore some top-notch Mexican RIO, go for bands like Nazca or Decibel instead.

I'm not sure how I missed this 2011 release but i'm certainly glad I eventually heard about it. ARTERIA are from Mexico and feature the extraordinary talents of Juan Carlos Ruiz who wrote all of the compositions and did all of the arrangements. He was the bassoon player in the band NAZCA and eventually went on to another band before arriving here with ARTERIA. I think they were smart bringing in a Jazz drummer by the name of Victor Baldovinos who plays with ICONOCLASTA. We also get a cello player, a guitarist and Tizok who adds electronic percussion along with programming. Man there is so much depth and power to this recording that it reminds me of UNIVERS ZERO at their darkest and most intense moments.

"La Sentencia" opens with cello that slices away as a full sound kicks in with bassoon. This is quite heavy and check out the drum work. Some insane cello that is very avant. A dark and eerie calm arrives 2 minutes in then it starts to build with these alarming sounds. Great track! "Fragmentos Cortados" has a soundscape that seems to pulsate, again it's quite dark and heavy. Piano 1 1/2 minutes but there's so much going on here. Check out the bassoon after 3 minutes to the end. "Lo Inexistente" opens with piano and a beat along with those dark mechanical sounds. Bassoon replaces the piano but they will alternate. Guitar to the fore after a minute. It's brighter after 2 minutes as the drums and piano pulsate with bassoon and guitar playing over top. Back to the dark atmosphere a minute later. The guitar is crying out late. "Cuatro Visiones" features plenty of tempo shifts throughout and check out the bassoon/cello section after 2 minutes. Nice bass lines and guitar follow. After 3 1/2 minutes the cello cries out as the beat becomes slow and emphatic. Some crazy cello work on this one.

"Partes En Una Botelia" opens with these sounds that cry out over and over again as we get this solemn beat. Again it's dark and we get a change before 2 minutes as it brightens and almost becomes waltz-like. It changes again before the 4 minute mark as drums, piano and bassoon take over. The guitar is ridiculous here, very avant sounding. "Marcha Funebre" has this haunting beat as scary sounds join in. This is like a soundtrack to a horror movie. The bassoon sounds amazing when it joins in, cello helps out as well. Love this section. The pace does pick up in this bizarre piece. "Lo Que Nos Esta Muerro" is another haunting soundscape, very eerie and dark as the piano pulsates as the bassoon joins in. The guitar is like nails on a chalk-board as it screeches and wails. A change halfway through as the drums standout and some light shines in. "Mi Pulso" is uptempo with some suspence thrown in. The guitar is insane. Love the beat with bassoon and cello after a couple of minutes. Intense. "El Hijo De Bernando" has an almost waltz-like rhythm that stops and starts for over a minute then it settles in somewhat. Some powerful guitar expressions follow. So freaking good. He is ripping it up here then it ends like it began. "Un'Lamento Y Dos Danzas" is an amazing closing track. A dark beauty with some killer cello in it. More of that avant guitar then back to the cello to end it.

A must for fans of dark music like "Heresie" and other classics in the same vein. An amazing trip.

Amazing RIO from Mexico!

It is not a secret that I love supporting my countrymen projects, and mostly when they really have something wonderful to share, like this time happens with Arteria. This new project features a couple of Mexican progressive rock monsters such as Juan Carlos Ruiz and Víctor Baldovinos, who have been playing for years in different bands such as Nazca and Iconoclasta (among others), and is complemented by the talent of Adolfo Zaragoza and Mari Carmen Graue.

In 2011 Arteria released their debut album entitled "Cuatro Visiones", which features ten compositions that make a total time of 53 minutes full of first-class RIO.

It starts with "La sentencia" which since the beginning produces a tense atmosphere, which later will be complemented by guitars, drums and bassoon. After a couple of minutes the intensity slows down a little bit, however, the atmosphere is still somber and nervous, reflecting a kind of desolated world. "Fragmentos cortados" is a great track with very good arrangements. The avant-garde compositions and the inherent RIO tune is here from start to end. The bassoon produces different nuances, while the guitar, drums and piano complement this chaotic mood.

"Lo inexistente" has a slow-tempo rhythm in which the bassoon plays once again the main role, putting the textures in the atmosphere while a raw guitar add its tune; later the cello also joins and creates new nuances. I love the inner changes this song produces, because despite in moments seems to lose direction, it actually doesn't, I mean, the chaos created in the different passages are short pieces that complete the puzzle, so each moment of this track is necessary to its development.

"Cuatro Visiones" has a more intense rhythm, with a repetitive structure at first but at the same time, with an addictive sound. Seconds later it slows down, the guitar puts once again nervousness and then vanishes, when it happens, drums, cello and bassoon play at the same time, showing a good craftsmanship. After a couple of minutes guitar take the leadership again, and accompanied by some nice bass lines create a somber, yet powerful moment. Later new changes are built up here, letting us know the great compositional skills of the band. What I love, is how their music produces images, colours and stories, which kind?, that depends on you.

The longest composition comes next with "Partes de una botella" with eight minutes length. The guitar may take your attention, but it is worth mentioning that the drums are very important here, with a stronger sound that produces a different feeling. After a couple of minutes the style changes considerably, with a passage where the rhythm becomes friendlier, but it only lasts for a moment because then the music turns again to its avant- garde, tense and chaotic style where bassoon and cello greatly interplay The percussion in this track is wonderful, and that can be appreciated once again after four and a half minutes where it accompanies and shelters the guitar craziness. Excellent track!

"Marcha fúnebre" has actually that feeling of a funeral time, and a ritual at the same time. The drums are repetitive but addictive, the mood is somber once again, and the bassoon is accurate as usual. The surprising thing in this track is that just before the second minute it drastically changes and becomes weird, crazy with some soundscapes while a chaos is created by all the musicians. "Lo que no está muerto" starts with piano making a kind of terror ? like tune. Despite its short time, just like the previous track, the band manages to divide it in two halves. Here n the first one we will find a uncertain sound, like improvisations, while the second one has a more elaborated and complex structure. Worth mentioning the cello work here, which is quite good.

"Mi pulso" is the shortest track with only three minutes, however, it is an example that a few time can produce several emotions and share a variety of textures. "El hijo de Bernardo" takes the programming that was previously used as background in previous tracks. Later cello, bassoon, drums and guitar enter together and create a kind of gentle but tense atmosphere. After three minutes we have a very cool passage where the guitar shows off with a long riff.

The last track of the album is "Un lament y dos danzas", which makes me thing about our roots and about the situation we have in our country now, lamentable, actually. The music flows, creating different atmospheres and emotions but always with a dark and somber feeling. After five minutes it changes and implements repetitive electronic drums accompanied first by bass, and later by guitar and cello. It follows like this until the very end.

What an impressive album by Arteria, one more example that here in Mexico we do have first-class music made by trained and talented musicians. If you are into RIO and avant- garde, then you must get this record, I guarantee you will love it. Final grade, 4.5, rounded up to 5 stars!

Enjoy it!