LAR DE MARAVILHAS

After their eponymous debut album, here's Brasilian five piece band Casa Das Maquinas their second effort. The sound is warm, alternating and in general rooted in the Seventies progressive rock tradition but with some surprising sidesteps. We can enjoy symphonic prog in the tracks Astralizacao (wonderful keyboards and Hackett-like gutiar work), Vale Verde (fluent rhythm and again beautiful keyboard play) and O Sol (moving Grand piano intro and a great grand finale with howling guitar and powerful organ). It's rock and roll time in Libertade Espacial (raw guitar and fat synthesizer sound) and Epidemia De Rock (strong organ solo and fiery guitar), mellow acoustic guitar play in Raios De Lua and lots of shifting moods and nice musical ideas (like flamenco guitar) in the titletrack, the absolute highlight of this pleasant and melodic CD.