A review of the interesting and different in the overseas prog scene
by Richard Barnes
This is Tempano's third release since they emerged from 18 years away from prog at Baja 1999. I ran into Pedro Castillo briefly at Nearfest in June and am pleased to see they are still touring and writing. This is their second album of totally new material, having re-released their debut cd in 1998 with some new tracks. Their second cd, "Childhoods End" was a major move forward for the band away from the relative safety (in prog terms) of the format on "Atabal Yamal".
Well, they've done it again. If you thought the second cd would tell you what to expect from the third, forget it. Whilst there are certainly some similarities, this album takes two very distinct routes - one very melodic and classical in style and the other more avant-garde and adventurous. The result is, perhaps as the title suggests, a work of contrasts and varied flavours. Overall there is a much more fluid, but also more laid back, feel to the album and they may win as many new fans as they turn off old ones. However, the one thing you cannot accuse them of is standing still or playing it safe.
The opening track, "Twisted Mind" is a good example. It has a fairly typical symphonic intro but then segues in an interesting way into a polyrhythmic sequence. The short instrumental "bonfire" continues this strange use of different drum and bass patterns creating a juddering and atmospheric feel with subdued background Italian conversation. The track moves seamlessly into "Just in a second", a beautiful song full of longing and missed chances. Starting in a melancholic mood, the song develops nicely to an initial climax before one of the album's many sudden shifts to a Latin rhythm which contributes more positive thoughts into the lyric.
A short acoustic guitar piece preludes Pieta, another dreamy instrumental composition with interesting use of percussion and floating guitar over an orchestral backdrop. "Timeless Time" has a strong psychedelic feel with ethereal guitar and synths and a half-buried whimsical vocal contribution. A wave-like rolling effect to the rhythm in this one makes you think of free-falling or weightlessness.
I'm reminded of Italian Canterbury-style band Picchio dal Pozzo on the next track, "Attimo Infinito", with more of those conversational Italian sound-effects which first appeared on "Bonfire" and the tinkling ivories and string-effects. Three short instrumental pieces come next providing a classically styled bit of symphonic/chamber music (nice build in "Intermezzo"). The final one of these has a much darker mood than its predecessors.
Track 11, "Il Duomo" is the first of 3 songs over 7 minutes long in the back half of the album and follows the 'awakening' from the earlier rather spacey arrangements. A clever arrangement melding a languorous vocal line with much more rapid and unusual time patterns in the instrumentation.
Suggestions of 80s bands like the Smiths come to mind in the delivery. A fragile lament features in "Final Agony" whilst "All ages tears", includes a guest on flute in this mediaeval sounding arrangement which is neatly blended with an ethnic South American Indian feel.
"Imaginary Sky" takes us back to the dreamy soundscapes of earlier songs. Some of the Flower Kings work is brought to mind and the guitar work is particularly moving as it ebbs and flows between deep drum/bass flourishes, crystalline piano and warm melodic vocals. As with other pieces, the song also has its more edgy decomposed phase near the end. Possibly my favourite song on the album.
The final composition "Conspiracion" clocks in at 10 minutes. Probably the most experimental track, it opens with a rumbling mixture of exotic synth sounds from which a bass figure develops overlaid by a bluesy guitar. Gradually the instruments combine into a melody with flourishes of guitar, keyboard and synth effects. A short bass solo separates the melody from a longer and more aggressive guitar and keyboard instrumental section after which the track winds down into an expectant interlude of sound effects and bass. The earlier repeated bass figure is used again to resurrect the rhythm, this time more aggressively with a free-form chaotic piano and rock guitar to the fore. At the end a dissonant echo-enhanced guitar and keyboards once more deconstruct the rhythm into its constituent instruments. No vocals on this although the sleeve notes contain a poignant poem for Giuglio's father, Leonardo Arturo Della Noce, to whom the song is dedicated.
A challenging and progressive follow up to their highly acclaimed Childhood's end, this album should appeal to both avant and psychedelic tastes as well as the more adventurous neo-progressive fan.
