Itoiz - Alkolea
I’ll never get back those years of starting to dip into the wealth of European progressive rock, the experiences when exposed to the music of a new culture. Itoiz had one of the largest impacts, I believe they were the first Basque group I’d ever heard. Their musical influences clearly ranged from the folk at home to the music of Yes across the channel and I was initially bewitched. (I may have reviewed one of them at Expose, it may be over at Gnosis somewhere.) Over the years I notice more of the folk than the rock in Itoiz, although that memory is probably slightly altered after listening to their third album Alkolea. I’d originally heard it years after the first two, it’s an album that sounds like they’re transitioning to a style I didn’t want to know about, the songs are quite a bit shorter and the progrock moves are starting to be jettisoned (not to mention some of the folk ones). In fact, parts of this are saccharine enough to be uncomfortable to listen to, the best of the album only remind one of the best music they recorded on the debut or Ezekiel. My last, voluntary listen.
Agnus - Pinturas y Espresiones
This is another in the group of South American progressives who bear strongly a similarity to the Italian progressive rock of the 70s, even if occasionally the influence seems more serendipitous than part of a lineage. It’s difficult to tell with Agnus, they do indeed bear resemblance to some of the lighter, minor groups from Italy like Apoteosi, but this is in that treacherous area where soft rock and some of the more AOR-ish symphonic music meet, the similarities are more melodic, the variation being in the lack of punch. I’ve never really liked the Agnus album, but I attempted a few listens this time around and found it hard to give my ear on each and every time, which makes me think my lack of enthusiasm reflects my lack of concentration. In such a case I’m loathe to back up my lower grade, this seems like one that could trigger during the right moment.
Sustain s/t
Another mediocre album whose reputation seems to hail from the vinyl collectors, I’d be surprised if anyone can sit through this Dutch quasi-progressive without a smirk or two. When it’s not bland symphonic rock (or late 70s AOR, it’s hard to tell the difference), it actually gets really awkward, in fact I’m wondering if this is an experiment to bring in other styles that didn’t work all that well. Unfortunately the album just doesn’t pay off enough at any time to want to stick with it for it to improve which makes it a good example of a 6 or 7.