Selective Memory, the ninth (!) album by Témpano is the first Venezuelan symphonic rock album I've ever listened to. The sound on this album is very retro symphonic prog, due to the fact that most songs on this album were composed in the late seventies! So, it feels like you're back in time while listening to this CD. The production of the album is rather bad and the guitars and the drums aren't very well recorded. Apart from that, the album is way too long, the compositions are chaotic and most of the time disorganized. Listen to tracks like Despair, Shout or A Farewell To Seasons and you'll understand what I'm saying. Does this mean that there's nothing to enjoy on this album? No, it doesn't, sometimes you can enjoy excellent guitar solos and you could also say that Témpano has a unique sound of its own. For me, the best songs are the instrumental tracks Victoria Pirrica and Path, which are kind of jazzy with lots of piano and Mellotron passages. For fans of early Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator this album might do the trick, I am more fond of other symphonic rock bands. ** Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
