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: : The
Yearning : :
In life, there’s always a first time for everything. The first kiss, the
first disappointment…the first Chilean prog band?
Well, at least for me, this is “first contact”. And a fairly good one, I
must say. You don’t know what to expect from something you’re completely
ignorant about, right? Hell, I know what to expect from Italian bands,
from American bands, from Swedish bands…
So now I know about the Chilean bands… and they’re all welcome if they
sound like this “Yearning” by Aisles. Before you’ve heard a single note,
the artwork catches your attention, with its evocative cloudy dark blue
imagery.
The album opens with “The Wharf That Holds His Vessel”, an 11 minute
medium-sized epic which effectively showcases everything Aisles has to
offer: precise instrumentation, elegance on the arrangements, and a good
balance between driving instrumental passages and mellow, lyrical vocal
passages.
The overall sound of the album could be located between the neo-prog by
bands like IQ or Jadis, with a pinch of “Wind & Wuthering”-era Genesis
and a hint of Italian prog. Well, let me tell you, maybe their music
doesn’t sound groundbreaking, but in these times of prog—metal
saturation, it comes as a fresh and healthy breeze.
This also very much applies to “Clouds In Motion” and “The Scarce Light
Birth”, two of the longer songs on the album, although “The Scarce…”
falls on the mellower end of the spectrum.
Then there’s the
shorter songs, which are a bit less memorable. “The Rise Of The White
Sun” sounds to me a lot like Kansas’ “Look At The Time”, a song I don’t
remember being particularly memorable.
Maybe the most disappointing case is “The Shrill Voice”, a number full
of good ideas ruined by a total lack of direction or cohesion. But, then
again, remember this is a debut album, and everybody on their first
offering tries to display ALL of their ideas. Together. It’s quite
remarkable Aisles managed to let it show prominently in just one song.
Album closer “Grey” (divided in three sections, “The Yearning”, “Unlit
Land” and “Path of Gleams”) is a first and fairly accomplished attempt
to create a big epic. Though it maintains the interest throughout its 16
minutes, I feel a certain lack of dynamics, and the balance between
rocky sections and evocative lyrical passages is a bit uneven.
A nice effort if you ask me, competently produced and performed (Sebastián
Vergara’s vocals are surprisingly good; the drum samples sound like real
drums), maybe not incredibly innovative, but made with lots of love and
dedication, for sure.
Rating: 7 (out of 10)
Reviewer: Héctor Gómez Umbert
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
The Yearning (2005) |
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