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erik neuteboom 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005
Location: Netherlands
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Points: 7659
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 Posted: February 05 2007 at 11:20 |
I was also pleasantly surprised by Matraz, I am not really into prog metal but Matraz succeeded to keep my attention because of their eclectic approach, as Cesar emphasized.
Here is my review from their debut CD:
MATRAZ — Tiempo
(Review by Erik Neuteboom)
 This is the debut CD from the Chilean five piece band Matraz, released in 2001. The title and cover picture refers to the four tracks that represent parts of the day between night and day. 1. Amanecer (10:41) : After a spacey keyboard-intro, the music continues with beautiful, often sparkling piano play and strong Spanish vocals. Then a slow rhythm and howling guitar developes into a bombastic progmetal climate featuring powerful metal- riffs, propulsive drums and blistering electric guitar soli. This progmetal inspired sound is blended with exciting piano and synthesizer runs, very exciting music!
2. Mañana (11:43) : The first part is build upon compelling interplay between marimba and piano, then a mid-tempo, heavy guitar and sparkling piano. The climates alternate from mellow with marimba and Spanish vocals to bombastic delivering exciting spectacular soli on synthesizer and guitar and splendid interplay between classical inspired piano and propulsive metal- riffs, GREAT!
3. Atardecer (4:33) : This is a dreamy piece with melancholical vocals, guitar and strings, a very pleasant atmosphere to relax after all that bombastic stuff.
4. Noche (13:11) : The final track is very alternating, from spacey with soaring keyboards and mellow with tender piano and acoustic guitar to heavy and bombastic featuring powerful and dynamic drums and again great interplay between guitar and piano.
THIS IS A VERY STRONG AND PROMISING DEBUT CD WITH LOTS OF FINE MUSICAL IDEAS!
Edited by erik neuteboom - February 05 2007 at 11:26
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Cesar Inca
Special Collaborator
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Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 4888
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Posted: February 05 2007 at 10:11 |
 Flyingsod wrote:
theres one from a band called Matraz on the progarchives homepage streams at the moment. From Chile. I didnt notice anyone else mentioning them. I must say after hearing this I am getting on the South American Bandwagon. Wild good stuff that's called Prog metal by prog archives but its better than that, its what prog metal wants to be :) of course I've only heard the one song.... |
Actually, the guys of Matraz play an ineventive mixture of prog metal, vintage symphonic prog and prog fusion. Entarnce, also from Chile, play a very powerful prog metal-meets-symph prog, with a slightly higher dose of prog metal. In comparison, Matraz are more eclectic, so if they had been labelled as merely symphonic prog, that would have been an incompllete label, as well.
Kind regards.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 7659
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Posted: February 05 2007 at 04:44 |
Hello Cesar, I have found this concerning the name of a Venezuolan musician who played in Spanish band Amarok  :
Erik Neuteboom: Parthenon is a band from Venezuela that was founded in 1979 by the two schoolfriends drummer Juan Carlos Ballesta and keyboard player Robert Santamaría. After some years the keyboardplayer Victor Fiol left the band in order to join known Venezuolan progrock band Tempano and soon Parthenon disbanded. Robert moved to Spain had success with progrock band Amarok. Early the Nineties the two schoolfriends Robert and Juan Carlos re-founded Parthenon. Along with a female singer, a bass player and guest musicians they made new versions of the early songs and re-recorded it as this new CD, added with two sessions songs from 1980-1981 and a live track from 1981.
The eight compositions sound impressive as the band does, especially the keyboard work is excellent evoking the great Hammond and Moog days of Keith Emerson (and at some moments UK) in the early Seventies along swinging piano and some majestic violin-Mellotron. We also can enjoy flowing and sensitive work on the electric guitar, often in great interplay with the keyboards. The music has obvious hints from ELP but the female Spanish vocals and parts with the Theremin (outstanding duel with synthesizers in Conversaciones) and hobo give Parthenon their progrock an extra dimension and special flavor. And the compositions deliver captivating musical breaks and musicial surprises. The two studio songs from 1980-1981 sound a bit dated and the live track is on the level of a bootleg but contains pleasant psychedelic inspired music (including a compelling organ solo).
To me this CD sounds as a great progrock album from the often overlooked Latin-American progrock scene!
Thanks for your posts and recommendations, fellow progheads, I am glad that so many share my enthousiasm about the new South-American prog!
My latest South-American recommendation: Chilean band Seti with their album Life Signs (2005), wonderful symphonic prog with moving electric guitar and beuatiful keyboard work 
Above: Tarkus Under: Diapasao
Edited by erik neuteboom - February 05 2007 at 05:38
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verslibre
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 17068
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Posted: February 05 2007 at 00:30 |
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Get their CD called Gritare...it's fantastic! They're taking forever with the follow-up and the website hasn't been updated for a long time.
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Flyingsod
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 19 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 564
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 19:13 |
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theres one from a band called Matraz on the progarchives homepage streams at the moment. From Chile. I didnt notice anyone else mentioning them. I must say after hearing this I am getting on the South American Bandwagon. Wild good stuff that's called Prog metal by prog archives but its better than that, its what prog metal wants to be :) of course I've only heard the one song....
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Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 27 2006
Location: The Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 13467
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 19:01 |
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I really like FRAKTAL from Argentina and EXSIMIO from Chile.Eric has already mentioned NEXUS and BAUER a couple of other bands i really like.
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"The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
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Cesar Inca
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 4888
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 18:43 |
eugene wrote:
I'd like to add to above three other wonderful bands from S. America:
Quaker - new formation from Argentina (in Crimsonian, 4/3 De Trio vein)
Tanger - Argentina (more fusionesque/KC vein)
Octohpera - Brazil (Gentle Giant footsteps)
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Her comes another excellent instrumental prog band from Argentina: ZONDA PROJECKT. Main influences are as diverse as: 80s, King Crimson, classic Camel, Mike Oldfield and the Projekcts, with added textures of Argentinean folk in some moments. It seems that their second album will bear a higher degree of jazzy elements while retaining their usual influences.
Kind regards.
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Cesar Inca
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Joined: May 19 2004
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 18:40 |
erik neuteboom wrote:
I am not familiar with RIO/Avant-Garde and Prog-Metal so most bands I mentioned are in the genres Symphonic Prog, Neo-Prog and Art-Rock. But this thread is about PROG so feel free to post with your bands from all possible genres, I am very curious on which different fronts the South-American prog is active
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Avant Prog: AKINETÓN RETARD, YONHOSAGO, EXSIMIO, CABEZAS DE CERA, JOSÉ LUIS FERNÁNDEZ LEDESMA, LASOREJAS Y LA LENGUA.
Prog metal: AUTÓMATA, OCTOPUS.
By the way, the Spanish bands AMAROK & OMPHALOS do not only comprise Sout American musicians. It is them who lead the band as main writers and performers. For both bands, the leading writer is a Venezuelan guy. Go figure!!
Edited by Cesar Inca - February 04 2007 at 18:44
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 7659
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 16:26 |
I am waiting on an inclusion of Argentine band Redd and Brasilian band Vlad V, any proghead familiar with these bands?
Pocos & Nuvens are great Atkingani, wonderful and dynamic blend of several styles.
Never heard Mindflow, WaywardSon.
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Atkingani
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Joined: October 21 2005
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 16:12 |
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Poços & Nuvens are a great Brazilian band too; they're relatively new but with some mileage in the road. Their latest release, back in 2001, is fine - neo-symphonic with clear folk touches.
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Guigo
~~~~~~
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DarioIndjic
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Universe
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Points: 600
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 16:04 |
Ive heard Mindflow but didnt like it .
There is no other South-American new bands ive heard but i would like to.
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Ars longa , vita brevis
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WaywardSon
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
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Points: 2537
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 15:37 |
As far as Prog metal goes, Mindflow seem to be the next big Prog Metal band to come out of South America.
Their album from 2006 is the second highest PM album on the ProgArchives list for 2006, just behind Dream Theater´s "Score"
Another PM band to keep your eyes on is Akashic.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 7659
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 15:26 |
I am not familiar with RIO/Avant-Garde and Prog-Metal so most bands I mentioned are in the genres Symphonic Prog, Neo-Prog and Art-Rock. But this thread is about PROG so feel free to post with your bands from all possible genres, I am very curious on which different fronts the South-American prog is active
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Lofcaudio
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 04 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 444
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 15:17 |
lightbulb_son wrote:
In my eyes the new leader of prog is Scandinavia. Prog-metal giants like Opeth, PoS, Meshuggah, and Green Carnation. Not to mention Angalard, The Flower Kings, Anekdoten, and Sigur Ros. |
Wobbler should be included here as well. I thought their Hinterland album was very good.
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laplace
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 06 2005
Location: popupControl();
Status: Offline
Points: 7606
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 14:07 |
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A lot of these names are unfamiliar - am I right in assuming that most of them are neo-symphonic or folk type bands? it'd be nice if this topic could become a little more in-depth.
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lightbulb_son
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 20 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 965
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 14:01 |
In my eyes the new leader of prog is Scandinavia. Prog-metal giants like Opeth, PoS, Meshuggah, and Green Carnation. Not to mention Angalard, The Flower Kings, Anekdoten, and Sigur Ros (I'm including Iceland as part of Scandinavia).
South America is becoming more and more active, but Scandinavia is leading the charge IMO. Whatever happened to the good ol' US?
Edited by lightbulb_son - February 04 2007 at 14:01
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When the world is sick
Can't no one be well
But I dreamt we were all
beautiful and strong
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el böthy
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 27 2005
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 6336
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 13:55 |
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"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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memowakeman
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Joined: May 19 2005
Location: Mexico City
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Points: 13032
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 13:19 |
Actually i have been listening to South America`s music deeper than a few years ago, i have discovered great old bands, but that`s because i`ve noticed several "new" bands trying to be heard around the world, and believe me that they have to because of their huge musical quality.
I like so many bands previously listed, Diapasao is the last Brazilian gem i found a real promising band.
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Follow me on twitter @memowakeman
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 7659
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 12:35 |
Thanks for your posts
For me Argentine band Nexus has released the best 2006 album (entitled Perpetuum Karma), other Argentine band William Gray is the most promising new prog band and I am delighted about new prog bands Tarkus and Diapasao (both from Brazil) and Astralis from Chili (best new neo-prog I have heard in years) and one of the best DVD releases is the eponymous by Quaterna Requiem from Brazil.
If I compare the recent floods of quality releases with Italy, UK and Sweden from Europe, Japan from Asia and the USA, I have the idea that South America is the new Progheaven, what an incredible high level and how prolific 
Edited by erik neuteboom - February 04 2007 at 12:36
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eugene
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 30 2005
Location: Ukraine
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Points: 2703
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 12:14 |
I'd like to add to above three other wonderful bands from S. America:
Quaker - new formation from Argentina (in Crimsonian, 4/3 De Trio vein)
Tanger - Argentina (more fusionesque/KC vein)
Octohpera - Brazil (Gentle Giant footsteps)
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carefulwiththataxe
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Is Latin-America becoming the new prog leader?
