CD-Critic, Atabal-Yémal
A country has again enriched the catalogue of progressive music. Atabal -Yémal, the 1979 album from Tempano, one of the first symphonic rock bands from Venezuela, has been recently reissued for the first time in CD format by the French label Musea. Besides the original 6 titles, the new album offers 3 new pieces as bonus-tracks, which were added and couldn't be considered formerly due to capacity reasons and were recorded last year when the the original members of the group reformed the band.
"Cascada", an instrumental (with some far reminiscences of an Spanish song), shows clearly the new trend of the 4 Venezuelan musicians. Against all predictions , the artistic conception, that on first impression gives a hint of the first music Marillon used to play, is nevertheless more symphonic, more melodious, and with a background lightly melancholic ,and has undoubtedly some influences in the Latin jazz/rock vein. As it happens normally with most southern European bands, the melody as a whole flows very smooth, with no apparent effort from the band.
The keyboards are providing the gentle leadership of the melodies and the mild solo of the guitar stand up to, supported by an excellent skilled rhythm department.which make us think about mellifluous jazz/rock music, and offers an extraordinary artistic vocalisation.
Something reminds us of the late jazz-rock phase of Santana in the 70s, especially when the instruments flows into the jazz-rock area. Thorough a sweeping interpretation and the intensive team spirit, and in spite of the soft and terse keyboard melodies, the band strong impact overcomes successfully the symphonic rock bridge. KZ
