THE TIDE TURNS

It had been a too many years period between Blezqi Zatsaz's first and second albums: keyboardsman-composer Fabio Ribeiro has taken his time before he finally gathered the repertoire of "The Tide Turns" and recorded it with partners on guitars, bass, drums and, occasionally, wind instruments. BZ's musical vein is the same symphonic trend that had been followed in "Rise and Fall of Passional Sanity", albeit, due to the most varied instrumentation (particularly, a major presence of guitar and the inclusion of sax and flute), the pompous tendency is more controlled, that is, ordained with a more discrete dose of grandiosity. But, of course, Ribeiro's keyboards assume the leading role all throughout the album, specially when it comes to laying the basic harmonics or displaying the orchestrations in the most epic passages of the repertoire. Wakeman is the most featured influence in Ribeiro both as a writer and a performer, and it certainly leaves an unmistakable mark on the band's overall sound, whose symphonic leanings may also remind the listener of their compatriots Tempus Fugit and Quaterna Requiem - getting into more detail, it's fair to say that BZ's sound is generally more consistent than the former's and less majestic than the latter's. The first 4 tracks epitomize what Blezqi Zatsaz is all about, with 'L'Etre et 1e Neant' and 'Parallel Paradise' bringing the most effective melodies and the most energetic performances. Immediately after, 'Thy Fake' takes a calmer mood, very much oriented toward the lines of neo-prog with a slight touch of jazz-pop: the soprano sax helps to create a somewhat romantic, gentle mood. But then comes the pretty much Baroque-inspired track 6 in order to spice things up again: 'The Well-Tempered Drawbar' may remind us of Trace to a large degree. 'Ways of Control' shows BZ at their most bombastic: this time, Ribeiro's keyboard work sounds less like Wakeman and a bit more like Emerson for the first half of this number, while the second half sounds more like Bardens-era Camel with a Yessian twist. The longest composition is 'Azzivullas' Suite', but not the most complex: in fact, this piece sounds more like a showcase for melodic symphonic prog adorned with some sort of new age thing. The extended room for the expansion of attractive melodies and the overtly stylish performing labor help to create a soft mood: more than epic, this suite is an emotionally rich excursion, designed to smoothly captivate the listener who enjoys the main motifs. The lyrical mood is perpetuated in the next track and in the first part of 'Soul Mirror', while 'The Gates of Itxlan' fuses the bombastic and the lyrical fluidly. Finally, 'Once and Again' closes down the album as a sort of epilogue: a repeated motif is effectively delivered with successive slight variations in a pompous manner. This is a very good album, indeed, which shows a clear improvement from the previous BZ album: "The Tide Turns" would make an excellent addition in any symphonic prog lover's collection.