CHEETO'S MAGAZINE

Amazingous ranked #38 in the PA Collaborators Album of the Year 2019, and 7th in the Crossover category. Get ready for a lot of cheerful and whimsy surprises as you go along listening to this album. It's clear that the band don't take themselves too seriously, I had the chance to see them live and it was a lot of fun and enjoyment.

We have two keyboardists so the keyboard and synth work is particularly outstanding, not self-indulging but very good, accompanied by an energetic guitar and a solid rhythm section. The music is very varied, even within each song, from Moon Safari-like happy ballad to prog metal guitar riffs, passing through poppy sections. Easy-listening and very accessible but at the same time with plenty of complexity when you listen carefully. The closest reference I can think of is Neal Morse-era Spock's Beard.

The production is also very good for a band with probably rather limited resources. I reckon the vocals (in English) may be a bit too silly but I'm not a native English speaker so they are no problem for me.

We have 7 "short" songs (between 4 and 7 minutes long) and the final 25-minute-long epic "Big Boy". The opener "Chili Guillermo" is my favourite among the short ones, you can find the videoclip on YouTube. The other 6 short songs are also very good, as I said very varied, we have even some Latin vibes in "Outflow", a hard-rocker in "Ready to Rumble" or a darker mood in "Scum".

The tour-de-force is the 25-minute epic "Big Boy". While being also very varied it still feels cohesive and it feels shorter than what it actually is.

Highly recommended.

Yes, that's saying a lot, but this whole album just radiates playfulness. They don't take themselves too seriously and it shows (in a great way). A lot of different sounds are sampled and the group is not afraid to experiment with untraditional sounds/vocals (such as muppet-type sounds in Chili Guillermo and Cheese Cheater).

This is one of those albums that EVERYBODY would like if they gave it a fair chance, even non-prog fans. It's so accessible yet incredibly complex.

The keyboardist on this album (Esteban Navarro) is spectacular. All of the sounds used, the transitions between them, and the virtuosity of the actual playing all shine through. If you are a fan of classic acts like Kansas, Yes, and ELP, you'll love the keyboard work on this album.

Every track fills its role perfectly.

Chili Guillermo - Catchy opener and starts the album off with a bang

Cheese Cheater - More technical and is probably the only song I have heard that draws so heavily on both metallic riffs and operatic vocals

Outflow - This is where the keyboards especially shine. Lots of different rhythms and sounds used, however, the best part is the trumpet interlude a few minutes in

Ready to Rumble - High energy, sounds like the intro to an anime

Close Your Eyes - A breath of fresh air, a ballad, but still keeps the attention

Scum - Killer instrumental. Probably the darkest/heaviest track on the album, though is not dark by any means

A.W.K.W.A.R.D. - Less than 4 minutes, but has so many different sounds and styles that I would (bear with me) consider it to be the shortest prog epic. This track segues into...

Big Boy - This big boy closes out the album with a 25-minute runtime, and happens to be the best track on the album. According to apple music, I've listened to this track 19 times in the last month and it's only gotten better. It's cohesive yet not repetitive, and really feels like it takes you on a journey. It's everything a prog epic should be. No filler anywhere

The best three tracks on this album (in my opinion) are Big Boy, Outflow, and Cheese Cheater, yet all eight of them are spectacular. This album, if given a fair chance, will change how you listen to music.

The origins of CHEETO'S MAGAZINE (and i have no idea where the name came from) dates back to the summer of 2005 when founders Esteban Navarro (lead vocals, keyboards) and Manel Orella (guitars) set out to do some comedy shows with some music added for good measure but the whole project got expanded with the inclusion of Dídac García (bass) and Joan Montané (drums) which turned into a band that steered the quartet into the realms of prog rock. Having a little performance history under their belt the band spent some time conjuring up some proggy music mojo and performed the first gig in 2007 and was a smashing hit as the band had already hit upon its own quirky delivery system mostly thanks to Esteban's eccentric silly demeanor that found the band adding all the humor and childish antics to their unique style of symphonic prog. Zappa and Canterbury stalwarts would approve! (clappy hand icon)

By 2009 the band had recorded some of the best songs and released their first EP titled "All The Chickens In The Bowl" which would be performed for a few more years and ultimately led to this debut full-length release BOILING FOWLS in 2014. Somewhere along the line drummer Montané was replaced by Rafa Weber and Matias Lizana joined the cast as primary keyboardist. While the band debuted as a quintet, BOILING FOWLS also features a few guest vocalists as well as a couple sax performances by Sergi Felipe (on "Nova America" and "Naughty Boy.") The final product presents a shiny exuberant production job based in a modern version of symphonic prog that takes a few cues from bands like Spock's Beard and other Neil Morse led band's like Transatlantic as well as the dreamy lengthy prog workouts found in other bands like Echolyn or the Flower Kings. BOILING FOWLS delivers a lengthy series of prog workouts and clocks in at over 64 minutes which is usually a red flag for, yeah you guessed it - FILLER! But not the case with these Spaniards. This is an amazing display of twists and turns that keep me enthralled for the entirety.

The opening track "Nova America" alone takes up almost 26 minutes of sonic real estate but showcases the band's ability to weave tight knit melodies with schizoid freak outs, choppy time signature rich instrumental gymnastics and best of all delivered with a quirky sense of humor. Belying their geographical origins, CHEETO'S MAGAZINE gives no indication that they emerge from one of the Latinate language speaking regions of Europe and rather sound like they originate from some Anglo-dominant sector of the world. Within the album's nine tracks you can hear not only the modern sounds of symphonic prog but also find some Beatles inspired melodies and harmonies, Gentle Giant prog quirkiness, Kansas symphonic prowess as well as the Zappa fueled silliness not to mention interesting segments of Eno inspired electronica as well as heavy guitar riffing that borders on the neo-prog sounds of bands like IQ or Arena. The album comes off as quite ambitious and obviously a labor of love and not one forced upon the team at hand because all is displayed in a graceful manner with the passion shining through every cadence.

CHEETO'S MAGAZINE scores on their debut BOILING FOWLS which finds inspiration in the entire history of the melodic side of prog and pulls it off with a stylistic flair all their own. Perhaps the only weak track is the closing "Driver French" which sounds eschews the prog scene altogether and opts for a danceable electro-pop style which is found in small doses throughout the album but integrated quite fashionably whereas the ending track goes nowhere else. While not quite the perfect masterpiece of prog, CHEETO'S MAGAZINE found a unique way to forge their visionary style into the prog world without the all too often derivative confinements that don't allow the experimental touches to shine. Many newer symphonic prog bands suffer from this phenomena but BOILING FOWLS just comes off as taking an unexpected journey down a road of prog that i didn't know existed and once on it, i can't help but get lost as the non-linear stroll pleasantly twists and turns into unexpected and unforeseen scenery that wasn't in the tourist's brochures.

I found its choral and songwriting sound in general closer to Queen´s, if Queen played alongside a kind of Rick Wakeman clone and had an average good voice frontman and came from the USA or really liked Quiet Riot or any of those 80´s bands and were Infected with the "Hard/Metal Rock Corny Ballads Syndrome" (as Queen was or any of those groups were and the "Cape-Man" himself is) and yes had some loving for Zappa´s vocal canons and humor.

Well what can I say? This release has some enjoyable sections, if not truly original or really humorous beyond the usual vocal quirks cliches, they play well with their influences. Problem is I am not a die hard Queen, Quiet Riot (or Def Lepard or any of those 80´s groups) or Rick Wakeman fan and less a corny ballads (irreverent or not) admirer, therefore this work really does not tick my bomb.

As far as comedy goes I do prefer Richard Pryor he really makes me laugh.

***3 PA stars

Inspired by pretty contrasting words on this website I decided to search for this album on the Internet, and soon found the entire CD, then I was ready for a listening session. My first impression is that this music sounds overwhelming: it has a very adventurous approach, it is very varied, it is performed by outstanding musicians, and last but not least, the music and the lyrics contain a rare element in prog, HUMOR!

From the first track Chili Guillermo to the final, epic composition Big Boy you will be flooded by cascades of shiftings moods, surprising breaks, excellent soli, and musical ideas. The 8 songs contain a lot of music that alternates between Heavy Prog, Prog Metal and AOR, featuring bombastic keyboards and lots of heavy guitar, from metallic riffs to biting wah wah. The one moment it sounds like Styx (Minimoog flights) or Kansas (Hammond runs), the other moment like a kind of Spock's Beard on steroids, very dynamic and exciting. But this Spanish band is not satisfied by making Old School Heavy Prog or Eighties AOR. Because lots of tracks contain surprising elements that can be considered as tongue-in-cheek musica ideas. Like the swinging rhythm with a Latin-American touch and Kiss-like lyrics (Get Up And Dancing All Night Long) in Outflow. The funny atmosphere in Cheese Cheater reminds me of Frank Zappa. And in Close Your Eyes the music is between AOR, salsa and symphonic rock, featuring Boy Georg-like vocals that emphasizes the tongue-in-cheek attitude. Also parodical sounds the short track A.W.K.W.A.R.D. with a funky bass, bombastic outbursts and poppy vocals, somewhere between Madonna and Michael Jackson, a fascinating contrast with the sumptuous prog outbursts!

The magnum opus on this CD is the final composition Big Boy. It starts with a funny voice in Spanish (the only moment I was aware of listening to a Spanish band), then multiple changes of climates, very impressive but also very quirky: from a catchy beat and bombastic outbursts to dreamy parts, embellished with sparkling piano, classical orchestrations, fat synthesizer flights and heavy guitar work. Bands like Kansas, Styx and Ayreon come to my mind, but at other moments it's pure pop, in a parodical way, again that tongue-in-cheek.

Although I enjoyed this fresh and adventurous tongue-in-cheek prog, for me one listening session is OK, a bit too quirky sound. But I am curious or this excellent and varied album will reach a wider audience, or only appeal to a selected prog audience that love quirky prog.

Chili Guillermo is an amazingly energetic piece with sweeping keyboard and synth lines that simply explode right from the get go, the song barely letting up as quirky vocal lines are belted out, backed up by a bouncy melody from the backing vocals. Of all the songs on the album, this one is definitely the one that I've had the strongest urge to just start singing whenever I listen to it, especially with the short, yet absolutely wonderful chorus, such a short melodic line beng so perfectly catchy. This song never fails to put a smile on my face, as it's just the perfect blend of melody, power, and an incredibly happy tone. Cheese Cheater is a slightly less bombastic song, but instead has a more quirky edge to edge, most clearly seen during the short break into a reggae style beat before kicking it back into high gear. The song becomes even better in the second half once the tone and melody completely shifts into more metallic, proggy territory, while still maintaining its sense of fun. I also must commend the vocalist of the band for being able to pull off so many different sounding voices, as I genuinely thought for the first few listens that the band had multiple vocalists. Outflow honestly took me quite a few listens to get into, since the song in general was quite a bit less insane than the previous two. That said, even upon first listening, I still found the little "Trompeto" skit to be extremely charming, and still find it to be so. Once the song quietens down even further, falling completely into ballad territory, the song reminds me firmly of something that would be a long lost Disney song, which works exceptionally here, despite the fact that by all accounts, I wouldn't expect it to.

The songs after this point become somewhat less progressive for a bit, while still maintaining enough complexity to remain highly interesting. Ready To Rumble is just an incredibly fun glam rock-esque track, and another one that's a ton of fun to sing along to, especially repeatedly screaming out "shut up!". It has some twists and turns, but it's really this opening part that strikes true for me, simply for being so wonderfully fun and catchy. Close Your Eyes starts out very softly and pleasantly before slightly picking up, evoking a very strong image of a beautiful sunny day, especially with the bouncy bass and trumpets. The song never hits the same heights as anything else on the album, but instead relies on a larger aspect of beauty, especially with the layers upon layers of vocals. Scum is an instrumental focused track, and the closest thing to a darker sounding track on this album, with some very sparse moments led by a quiet, mysterious sounding bass, playing a tune reminiscient of old detective movies, before breaking out into some pure prog metal territory with a surprisingly heavy, djenty riff, which is then nicely contrasted with some bright sounding keyboards. A.W.K.W.A.R.D is another contender for my favourite song on this album, being by far the most complex song here, shifitng between so many different sections in an almost manic fashion, each part being more amazing than the last, until it all climaxes in a part equal parts awesome and goofy. I personally recommend that you watch the official music video for this song as well, as it's a drug trip and a half, and I personally find that it elevates the song to even greater heights by sheer fact of how insane it is. Speaking of insane, even after all this varied, well composed music, Cheetos Magazine then decides to further one up itself by ending the album with a 25 minute song, one which I'm very glad to say, is absolutely great. While I won't go too far into detail, due to the incredible length and scope of it, this is where the band goes into full prog mode, with a range of influences ranging from symphonic, to techno, to a lot in between, one of my favourite moments being where the music briefly cuts out in the intro before quickly fading back in and becoming so much more intense. Unlike a lot of other songs that approach this length, there isn't any time within the song that feels wasted, with regular changes that stick within the identity of the song, yet define themselves enough to add some amazing variety to it, changing at breakneck pace to uphold the diversity present here, making 25 minutes feel like mere moments.

This album was a big surprise to me, I went in expecting an amusing novelty band, but ended up finding an absolute gem. Few albums manage to evoke such a strong, childlike joy within me, one that causes me to want to just break out into song and madly pump my fists up in the air, it's honestly amazing. This is so far my choice for album of the year, and this is taking albums like the new Devin Townsend release into consideration, but even so, none match how refreshing I find this album in what tends to be a stagnant sea of modern prog metal.

Best songs: Chili Guillermo, A.W.K.W.A.R.D, Big Boy

Weakest songs: none

Verdict: This is one of the most enjoyable albums I've heard in quite a while, and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for something bright and cheery, if you're fine with some synths that can be kinda cheesy at points. I didn't expect to like this album as much as I did.

Also, although they are listed as "Crossover" prog--the 25-minute epic [i]Big Boy[/i] speaks against the idea of this band being mainly a gimmick band. This song is just good, listenable prog, approachable without feeling too much like prog-lite or even too much like simply retracing the highlights of the 70s and 90s.

[i]Ready to Rumble[/i], on the other hand is mostly good "straight-up" rock-n-roll, with a synth providing the key anthemic riffs.

Overall, if I had to no narrow it down, they are most like a combination of PFM or 10-cc at their most absurd with Morse-era Spock's Beard providing most of the structure motifs. Perhaps I would throw a little Saga in there as well. But for the variety of styles and mixes they sound most like Spock's Beard.

The lowlight of the album, to me is [i]Cheese Cheater[/i], although it does get more interesting toward the end.

Early in 2019, they released their 3rd full studio album called "Amazingous". It was released on vinyl as 2 LP's, one red and one blue; on CD; and also through streaming or download on Bandcamp. Crossover Prog covers a wide variety of styles which this music does, but overall the style sounds to me like a combination of symphonic prog and eclectic prog. It sounds like if "Styx" and "Queen" got together and had a baby, this is the kind of music they would play at the birthday party.

Starting off with "Chili Guillermo", we instantly get the bright tones of keyboards and guitars and a latin rock vibe. The music is definitely progressive and quite cheerful. You get swept up instantly in the sound, making one think they are in Willy Wonka's Progressive Rock Factory. The music is as colorful as the album cover. When the vocals come in, they are a humorous operatic style, a bit over the top, but this changes to more normal vocals as it goes, and the vocals are very good, matching the mood of the rousing and exciting music. It is both fun and seriously progressive in a perfect mix.

"Cheese Cheater" continues that bright and cheery progressive vibe with keyboards establishing a happy melody. Vocals switch back and forth like a conversation with the normal and goofy vocals. This music just makes you feel good as it is very upbeat. The moods and styles change, as you would expect of this type of music, but the themes recur often so it is very cohesive. Don't worry, you also get a rocking guitar solo in here too, it's all there.

"Outflow" begins with a huge variety of synth and keyboard music changing from one sound to another quickly, including piano that anchors it all. After a happy "Styx"-like beginning, an acoustic guitar comes in retaining the beat through strumming. Again, both styles of vocals occur. Humorous vocals come in later with a latin mariachi style sound as brass instruments come in for a short time. The rhythm is definitely complex as it goes on, but you still feel like dancing to it anyway because it just makes you happy. Things finally mellow towards the middle of the track with a slower vocal passage, almost becoming a ballad of sorts. A lovely piano passage comes in and soon the band builds off of this letting the synths speed up the piano theme until things return to as before. It all ends with an excellent climax of synths.

The first three tracks hang around the 7 minute mark while the next three are around 5 minutes more or less. "Ready to Rumble" is one of those glam rock songs that wants to be a stadium rocker. It succeeds. I could see a lot of people jumping up and down and pumping fists to this one. It still retains enough progressiveness to keep it interesting, but is more interested in getting the crowd involved. It's still a lot of fun and another flat out rocking guitar solo will keep you going. "Close Your Eyes" starts as a lovely ballad, but interesting enough to not be called standard, it later moves to a fast beat with the latin flair showing up in the instrumentation. Later it moves to a stately tone as it moves back to a more serious sound, wrapping itself up in the same feel as it started, but in a more climactic way. The track is more commercial, but it is still pretty good. "Scum" is mostly instrumental, and it has a darker vibe to it as it begins, but the synths can't help but make it all sunny sounding as they come in. The guitar kicks in more heavily along with an organ later. After awhile, you are left with vocal field recordings and a sneaky bass line. Suddenly things get very heavy with a throbbing guitar riff, but again synths come in to save the day. "A.W.K.W.A.R.D." is a tricky little track at about 4 minutes. It sounds like power pop, but a bit more complex. Again, there is that Styx attitude, but Styx at its best. Remember how much you liked "The Grand Illusion"? Well, if Styx had stayed with that style, this is how they would have sounded. Except the lyrics are goofy.

For many bands, this would have been enough as you already have a 5 star album. But, Cheeto's Magazine had to go one big step further. "Big Boy" is the last track, and it has a run time of over 25 minutes. It starts with a lot of keyboard flourishes and guitar heaviness. It suddenly gets cut off, has a few glitches and then builds up quickly again to a stately section before returning to the beginning section and then vocals come in. At 5 minutes, things go minimal with a tinkling piano and a soft synth, then a new theme comes in with the vocals. "Starcastle" style guitar and synth come in and things brighten up again. Vocal riffs make this section infectious, and positive lyrics and instrumentals also make it somewhat uplifting. At ten minutes, the track takes a dark left turn and that is reflected in both lyrics and music. At thirteen minutes, there is an excellent progressive instrumental section which hangs on the heavy side a bit and meters and moods fight against each other. This is amazing-ous! Suddenly, it all stops except for a beautiful piano and vocal section. At the end of this section, there is a spoken vocal recording as things start to build again a step at a time and sung vocals become more and more intense along with the music. Then there are some really cool vocal and instrumental effects as it builds with a solid guitar riff and keyboard solo. Complexity returns with a new theme in both vocals and instrumental sections.

I am completely blown away with this album. It looked interesting from the start with the tracklist and the album cover alone, but it is everything I expected plus much more. I stand by my claim that this is how Styx should have sounded if they continued being more progressive after "The Grand Illusion". But then add in more quirkiness, both funny and serious vocals, a degree of playfulness and lots of complex music and you've got it.

Folks, what we have here is another contender for best album, and so far, it is definitely the best for February 2019. Very highly recommended, and the last epic track is worth it alone, but most of the rest of the album is just as good. This is a must hear album!