Alpha III - New Voyage to Ixtlan (2000)

Artista: Alpha III
Álbum: New Voyage to Ixtlan
Año: 2000
Género: Rock sinfónico / Progresivo atmosférico, ambiental
Duración: 60:14
Nacionalidad: Brasil

Lista de Temas:
1. Overture
2. The cave of gods
- part one
- part two
- the nagual
3. Inner fire
4. Voyage to ixtlan
5. The wizard
6. Between the two worlds
7. The other side
8. Stone warriors

Alineación:
- Amir Cantusio Jr. / keyboards
- Romano Ferrari / drums
- Lucio Archangelo / bass
- Paulo Archangelo / guitars
Invitados:
Mauricio Lambiasi / drums (5)
Eduard Furlan / bass (5)

Más rock sinfónico brasilero (los brasileros son proclives al sinfónico y a cantar en inglés, ya se los dije) es lo que nos trae Sandy con este otro disco de Alpha III... ¿quieren escuchar cómo suena esto?, mien, digo... escuchen:

Este disco también lo tenemos gracias a mi amigo Zaur, directo de los Montes Urales a este blog, y trayendo progresivo sinfónico brasilero.
Últimamente estoy muuuuuy con el sinfónico. Pero el Conejo está preparando toda una batería de álbums más variados que cuando empiece a publicarlos, no van a poder creer. Esto es solo para que se vayan ambientando.

Habíamos dicho anteriormente (afanado de Manticornio):

ALPHA III es el seudónimo de Amyr CANTUSIO Jr., un compositor multi-instrumentista, letrista y diseñador de los logos y portadas de sus propios álbumes.Amyr es un inquieto músico nacido en 1957, hijo de un inmigrante italiano y que inició estudios de piano y de violín a los 5 años de edad. Tiene Formación erudita con varios cursos extensivos en música experimental (UNICAMP) del Conservatorio de Sao Paulo y entre los logros más sobresalientes que ha obtenido por su trayectoria musical, destacan la medalla Carlos Gomes por representar a las Campiñas a través de sus trabajos en CDs/LPs en más de 15 países del mundo entero, así como que fue ganador de varios premios, incluido el del mayor festival del Estado de Sao Paulo en 1974, el Proyecto Guaraní, obteniendo el 1er lugar por el mejor arreglo y composición. Además de lo anterior, es psicoanalista ambiental y musicoterapeuta, es creador del primer sello de rock progresivo y música electrónica experimental de Brasil en 1984: FAUNUS/SP, y ha sido considerado el mejor teclista del mundo en diferentes ocasiones en España, Canadá, Italia, Latvia, Escandinavia y Holanda, por sus presentaciones en vivo.

Este es otro disco conceptual como lo fue el anteriormente presentado "El Aleph" (obvio, de Jorge Luis Borges), pero en este caso se centra en el universo de Carlos Castaneda, sus amigos los chamanes y sus yuyitos del amor. Esta es la continuación de "Voyage to Ixtlan"

Y algunas reseñas más:

Again, a conceptual work by Amir Cantúsio, Jr. and one of the few works that had a whole band with him. This work was based on the book Voyage to Ixtlan by Carlos Castañeda and was dedicated to him and his master Nagual Juan and all lost American Toltec Indian civilizations. In fact, this work was the whole album Voyage to Ixtlan released by Cantùsio in 1993 by the Italian progressive rock label Mellow records, but this includes some new tracks from the '80s: "The Wizard" was recorded in 1985, as were "Between Two Words," "The Other Side," and "Stone Warriors."

Allmusic

In 1992 the Italian label Mellow released an album which had been recorded as a jam session in Sao Paulo in 1990. Based around the all-instrumental concept of keyboard player Amir Cantusio Jr., the album Voyage To Ixtlan (MMP-130) contained music that was more psychedelic than pure "prog." Now, several years later, it seems the initial Mellow release has long been out of print, hence the fact that the Brazilian Rock Symphony label recently put out New Voyage To Ixtlan adding no fewer than three new songs to the original album, with an extra playing time of over 22 minutes.
The actual album is based on the book by Carlos Castaneda and dedicated to, amongst others, the lost American Toltec [hi Jon Anderson!] Indians Civilization. Furthermore, Amir Cantusio Jr. is all for nature, peace and love, hence the more psychedelic approach to his music, getting close to the Woodstock LSD feel. Just listen to the lengthy "The Cave Of Gods" and that superb "freaky" acid drenched guitar from Paulo Archangelo to get the feel of Alpha III's music. Both bass and drums follow a hypnotizing loop whilst guitar and keyboards alternate. "Inner Fire" sounds more symphonic with lots of synthesizer riffs and strong bass playing. The title track "Voyage To Ixtlan" is based on an Eastern repetitive rhythm interspersed by distorted synths and guitar before the song changes towards an early Floyd feel. On the "original" CD release an extra track was added in the form of "The Wizard." Recorded in 1985 with a different drummer and bass player this is an uptempo song based around organ and synth but badly recorded.
The first of the (new) extra songs is "Between The Two Worlds" which gets close to ELP where Amir's classical organsound is concerned. Sadly the rhythm is a bit cheap and transparent. "The Other Side" is much too long and holds few surprises, being an ongoing thing without any soul, leaning more towards meaningless cosmic material. The final song "Stone Warriors" again is better, as it highlights the organ once again. At times it gets close to Triumvirat, however the rhythm approaches the piece in an Asia kind of way thus adding a commercial feel to it. Clearly these three final songs are more like demos, yet they were recorded in 1995 and illustrate the current interest of Amir, which is certainly focussed on organ. If Alpha III wants to continue I would advise them to create interesting music around the organ, leave the psychedelic references behind and make a big effort where the rhythm is concerned. Especially in the very progressive sounding "Stone Warriors," the drum parts sound as if they were recorded for a Flock of Seagulls album!
Voyage To Ixtlan is Amir Cantusio's eighth work, after having written Mar De Cristal, Sombras, Ruinas Circulares, Agartha, Temple Of Delphos, The Aleph and The Seven Spheres moving from progressive rock to electronic music.

John "Bobo" Bollenberg

ALPHA III is a highly productive Campinas, São Paulo based Progressive Rock concept of keyboard player Amyr Cantusio Jr., widely regarded as Brazil's most prolific progressive musician. The first product to bear the ALPHA III brand would be 1974's 'Spectro' album. It would be a full nine years before the follow up, 'Mar De Cristal', arrived. Faunus Records released the 1985 'Sombras' set, this seeing studio guests vocalist Michael Liszt Cantusio, bassist Eduardo Furlan and drummer Francisco Beltrane. ALPHA III released two albums in 1986, 'Agartha' and the concept 'Ruínas Circulares'. Romano A. Ferrari supplied drums for 1987's 'Temple Of Delphos', this outing, a concept on Greek mythology, recorded in just fifteen hours. 'The Aleph' arrived in 1989 and 'The Seven Spheres' during 1991.
ALPHA III issued 'Voyage To Ixtlan', based upon the works of Carlos Castaneda, in 1993 through Italy's Mellow Records. Amyr Cantusio Jr's studio musicians for these songs comprised guitarist Paulo Archangelo, bassists Eduard Falun and Lucio Archangelo plus drummers Romano Ferrari and Mauricio Lambiasi. The Brazilian Rock Symphony label put out 'New Voyage To Ixtlan', the same tracks as the 1993 effort plus 22 minutes of extra material, in 2000.
ALPHA III's industry went into high gear as a stream of albums emerged. These included 'The Edge' in 1995, 'Acron' in 1998, 'Temple Of Dragon' in 1998, 'Cosmic Meditation I' in 1998, 'Pangea' in 1998, 'Oasis' in 1998, 'Grimorium Verum' in 1999, 'Gates Of Thelema' in 1999, 'Tenebrarium' in 2000, 'Infernus' in 2000), 'Protheus' in 2001.
2002's 'Shades Of Windows was a concert recording, taped at the Campinas Municipal Theater. The 2002 album 'Lord Of The Abyss' featured guest musicians bass guitarist Fellipo Caverotti and drummer Andrea Vargassian. ALPHA III's 2003 opus 'Fracture: The Book of Sacred Magik' was based upon Aleister Crowley's 'Book of Abremelin, The Wizard'.

Musicdetector

Again, a conceptual work by Amir Cantúsio, Jr. and one of the few works that had a whole band with him. This work was based on the book Voyage to Ixtlan by Carlos Castañeda and was dedicated to him and his master Nagual Juan and all lost American Toltec Indian civilizations. In fact, this work was the whole album Voyage to Ixtlan released by Cantùsio in 1993 by the Italian progressive rock label Mellow records, but this includes some new tracks from the '80s: "The Wizard" was recorded in 1985, as were "Between Two Words," "The Other Side," and "Stone Warriors."

Allmusic

Antes de que se lo bajen y me puteen, les dejo unos videos para que vean si les gusta el estilo. No está mal para los amantes acérrimos el progresivo sinfónico con sonido setentero.

www.myspace.com/alphaiii