COSES NOSTRES

Iceberg is one of the best prog acts ever in Spain's rock history. Heavily influences by the fusion trend of Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iceberg manages to recycle their influences via the incorporation many folk textures in their music - in many places, among the solidly crafted solos and complex counterpoints, you can notice the presence of Catalonian folk and Flamenco touches in some specific melodic lines or harmonies. To a lesser degree, but also there to be easily noticed, there are some symphonic nuances a-la Camel cooking in some keyboard orchestrations and some guitar-keyboard double leads, but as it is, the jazz factor is the most prominent one. "Coses Nostres" is their second album, their first as an exclusively instrumental act - this work marks their maturity as a band, creating a milestone for Spain's fusion scene. These guys are monster musicians who can deliver their skillful wizardry in an intense manner: Suñer and Kitflus' interventions on guitar and keyboards, respectively, are both explosive and extremely polished, while the well-oiled functioning of Sancho and Colomer's rhythm section provides an infinite confidence to the band as a whole during its travels through the massive complexities comprised in their compositions and arrangements. The opener 'Preludi I Record' is a beautiful 2 minute tour-de-force that should captivate the listener right from the beginning with its catchy main motif and fluid counterpoints. Track 2 is a showcase for the band's superb ability to create excellent musical ideas and, ultimately, perform them flawlessly and elaborate on them inventively. Track 3 starts with a psychedelic ambience built on echoing shades of guitar and electric piano, soaring cymbal hits and soft random bass guitar picking; then comes the acoustic-based main theme, in which the acoustic guitar and the grand piano alternate the spotlight with an impressive sense of subtlety, in this way conveying a pleasant introspective mood. The following two numbers are more properly focused on the jazz rock trend with added folk-oriented melodic nuances: each individual member's skill gets quite evident, always in benefit of the band's overall sound: for these ones the melodic lines are more clearly outlined, making them, together with track 2, the most stunning pieces in the album (IMHO). 'A Valencia' brings back some of the introspectiveness we had previously found in track 3, although it feels less melancholy, incorporating a slightly uplifting spirit through the use of some occasional funky basis for the rhythm pattern: this one pretty much reminds me of Weather Report with a slight symphonic twist. The closure '11/8' is built on the tempo explicitly mentioned in its title: the opening drum solo announces the track's exulting nature. The display of technical pyrotechnics (always with good taste) serves as an effective epilogue for a genius album. "Coses Nostres" is, indeed, an outstanding Iceberg masterpiece, and what's more, an amazing prog masterpiece.