Apocalypse - Magic Spells (2005)

Seguimos con Apocalypse y las resubidas de Sandy. Quizás una de las bandas de rock progresivo más grande que ha dado Brasil, así de corta...

Artista: Apocalypse
Álbum: Magic Spells
Año: 2005
Género: Rock sinfónico
Duración: 79:32
Nacionalidad:Brasil

Lista de Temas:
01. Refuge
02. South America
03. Blue Earth
04. Cut
05. Magic
06. Mirage
07. Peace In The Loneliness
08. Time Traveller
09. Tears
10. Crying For Help

Alineación:
- Gustavo Demarchi / vocals and flute
- Eloy Fritsch / keyboards
- Ruy Fritsch / guitars
- Magoo Wise / bass
- Chico Fasoli / drums

Otro álbum de Apocalypse, quizás una de las bandas de rock progresivo más grande que ha dado Brasil, y este CD también es uno de los materiales que lanzaron para celebrar su 25 aniversario (junto con material que hace poco publiqué), reunieron todo en una lujosa caja para celebrar su historia y lo sacaron a la venta. También esa caja incluye un libro de 128 páginas en portugués e inglés, que detalla la historia de la banda, y también un DVD en vivo, y un poster plegable.
Lo que quedará pendiente para compartir es el poster, el libro y el DVD...
Con su estilo tan depurado y con su arquetípico sonido hard rock elaborado tan a lo Deep Purple, Uriah Heep o Rainbow mezclado con el sinfonismo de ELP, Yes o Genesis pero con el sonido mucho más actual que pueden recordar a trabajos de The Flower Kings con mezclas de Jethro Tull (por las intervenciones de la flauta), y si bien lo que hacen lo hacen muuuuy bien, impecablemente, no deja de parecerme que les falta un poquitín de originalidad para romper el molde y sobresalir completamente. Y (personalmente), también me gustarían mucho más si cantaran en su idioma natal. Peo lo que hacen, lo hacen muy muy muy bien, sin duda.
El grupo ha lanzado una serie de álbumes en los últimos años y viajó febrilmente, cimentando una reputación como uno de las mejores bandas progresivas de latinoamérica.

La reconocida banda Neo Sinfónica brasileña Apocalypse acaba de terminar su nuevo disco “Magic Spells” con el cual debutan oficialmente en Mylodon Records. La obra, grabado en vivo en Porto Alegre el año pasado, incluye versiones renovadas de varios de sus temas clásicos cantados esta vez en inglés por Gustavo Demarchi, su nuevo vocalista.

Mylodon Records

The box set will also include the live CD Magic Spells, bringing old APOCALYPSE classics played by the band's previous line-up and sung in english. The recordings were extracted from live performances during the "Magic Tour" in 2005.

Apocalypse

Este disco en vivo fue grabado en 2005 en su "Magic Tour", logrando un registro pleno de virtuosismo, potencia, melodía y emoción.
Y si bien sin la banda tiene un inconfundible estructura progresiva liderada por los revoloteos de sus teclados (Eloy Fritsch no es solamente un excelente tecladista sino que e el líder del grupo), pero incluye algunos elementos que lo unen con el sonido del mejor hard rock: Demarchi tiene una muy buena voz que está más cercana a Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Geoff Tate (Queensryche) o David Coverdale (Whitesnake y Deep Purple), y Ruy Fritsch (hermano de Eloy) mete unos riffs pesados y un tipo de punteo más cercanos a Uriah Heep o Whitesnake que a cualquier grupo de rock sinfónico puro. ¿Y cómo suena eso? a ver... suena exactamente a algo así:

Y no sé para qué escribo tanto, los que escucharon los anteriores discos de la banda que publiqué aquí seguramene se llevarán este álbum que no está para despreciar.
Entonces vamos con algunos comentarios y no perdamos más tiempo...

Apocalypse is perhaps the biggest progressive rock band to ever come out of Brazil, and to celebrate their 25th anniverary, the group has put together this lavish box set celebrating their history. Not only does the set include a 128 page book (in both Portuguese & English) detailing the history of the band, but also a live DVD, live CD, brand new studio CD, and a fold out poster, all housed in a lovely box. For fans of the band, this will be an absolute treat, and for those new to Apocalypse, a great introduction to the group.
Count me in as a first time listener to the wonderful music of Apocalypse. I'd heard about this Brazilian prog act for many years, as they were one of the most talked about acts at the ProgDay 1999 festival, as well as a staple of the Musea label for many years. With a sound that can be best described as 'Fish-era Marillion' meets Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Yes, Genesis, and The Flower Kings, Apocalypse have released a slew of albums over the years and toured feverishly, cementing a reputation as one of the hardest working prog bands around.
The live disc included here, titled Magic Spells, was recorded in 2005 on their 'Magic Tour' of that year, and it contains plenty of energetic performances. From the dark "Cut", with its references to Script For a Jester's Tear era Marillion, the Deep Purple influenced "Crying From Help", the synth dominated "South America", all the way to the gorgeously symphonic "Blue Earth", this live CD is just sparkling with virtuosity, melody, and emotion. The line-up here for this tour was Gustavo Demarchi (vocal and flute), Ruy Fritsch (guitar), Eloy Fritsch (keyboards), Chico Fasoli (drums), and Magoo Wise (bass). Eloy Fritsch, long known as one of the best keyboard players in all of prog, is all over these recordings with his wide array of synths and vintage keyboards, and his brother Ruy is a stellar player in his own right, contributing plenty of meaty riffs and sizzling lead guitar solos. What's most interesting are the lead vocals of Demarchi, an extraordinary singer who doesn't really have the style you normally hear in a progressive rock band. At times you can hear bits of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, Queensryche's Geoff Tate, Whitesnake & Deep Purple legend David Coverdale, as well as iconic prog star Fish. He has one of the best combinations of metal & prog styles that you'll hear in a band of this nature. Just listen to his soaring pipes over the blistering synth/guitar/bass exchanges on the raging prog cut "Time Traveller"-very impressive indeed. With 11 tracks, you get a nice sampling of some of the classic cuts from the Apocalypse discography on this very fine live album.
For the new album 2012 Light Years From Home, Fasoli is now out of the band, and replaced by Fabio Schneider, and the bass guitar work was completed by Eloy Fritsch. Once again, hard hitting symphonic rock is the name of the game here, with a huge emphasis on powerful vocals, heavy guitars, and a wide variety of keyboard sounds. "New Sunrise" kicks things off in grand fashion, a wild combo of ELP, Deep Purple, and The Flower Kings style wise, featuring a great vocal from Demarchi and plenty of scorching guitar & keyboard solos. "Set Me Free" is a heavy rock gem straight out of the Deep Purple/Uriah Heep playbook, and Demarchi's flute comes out on the proggy ballad "Take My Heart". That flute is present again on the soaring & majestic "The Angels And Seven Trumpets", and the band get into some hard rockin', almost Whitesnake-meets-Uriah Heep blues/boogie on the energetic "On The Way To The Stars". The lush acoustic tones on "Till Another Side" are just gorgeous, and complement the more rocking sections, and the bluesy elements of "A Cry In Infinity" will take you back to Burn era Deep Purple. Let's not forget though that Apocalypse are a prog band at their core, so of course why not end this wonderful CD with the acrobatic, ELP influenced 14 minute title track. Here, Eloy Fritsch more than shows his capable skills on various keyboards, and Demarchi's passionate vocals are icing on the cake.
As if all this wasn't enough, you get a bonus DVD with the 25th Anniversary concert from 2009 , showing the band in all their glory onstage (unlike most prog acts, Apocalypse tours regularly), as well a few added clips from other shows. The band is in fine form, and the concert is expertly shot. Just check out Demarchi on the awesome "Cut", showing the influence of Peter Gabriel, Fish, Ian Anderson, and Crimson Glory's Midnight, as he dons a mask and delivers a passionate, theatrical performance.
The 25th Anniversary Box Set is both a stunning & fascinating package commemorating 25 years in the business for Apocalypse. Two CDs, a DVD, book, & poster, what more could any fan want? If you've failed to check out this fantastic symphonic prog/hard rock band before, you owe it to yourself to do so now.

Pete Pardo

Começando pelo CD ao vivo, intitulado Magic Spells e gravado em 2005, durante a turnê promocional do EP Magic (2004). À época, o grupo havia recém se transformado em quinteto, com a saída do vocalista/baixista Chico Casara, substituído pelo cantor Gustavi Demarchi e o baixista Magoo Wise, sendo os demais membros os fundadores Eloy Fritsch (teclados), seu irmão Ruy Fritsch (guitarras) e o baterista Chico Fasoli. Esta mudança de formação trouxe também uma nova forma do grupo encarar suas músicas, transpondo as letras para o inglês e rearranjando antigos sucessos.
Assim, nestes primeiros shows com os novos integrantes, o público do Apocalypse era apresentado à músicas conhecidas que soavam como novidades, como é o caso de "Corta" (agora intitulada "Cut") - minha favorita da discografia do grupo, com um clima bem parecido com o das músicas do Marillion (sendo que em alguns momentos a voz de Gustavo lembra bastante a de Fish), e uma das composições onde o guitarrista Ruy Fritsch brilha tanto quanto seu irmão - "América do Sul" ("South America"), "Refúgio" ("Refuge"), a bela balada "Lágrimas" ("Tears", com destaque para Ruy Fritsch), "Mágica" ("Magic") e a excepcional "A Paz da Solidão" ("Peace In The Loneliness"). Embora o repertório seja bastante parecido com o do DVD Live In Rio, de 2006 (os dois discos foram gravados na mesma época), aqui o grupo se mostra um pouco mais contido, talvez por tratar-se ainda do início da nova trajetória. Mesmo assim, não tem como não se impressionar com a sonoridade progressiva e com o talento dos músicos, especialmente Eloy Fritsch, que por vezes soa como se fossem dois tecladistas ao mesmo tempo em cima do palco. Magic Spells ainda conta com duas composições de estúdio como bônus, a progressiva "Escape" e a balada "Not Like You", originalmente presentes (em registros ao vivo) no disco The Bridge Of Light (2008). No encarte (em inglês) do CD consta a frase "Ouça alto e com as luzes apagadas. Deixa a magia começar". Belo e adequado conselho!

Micael Machado

Bueno, aquí les dejo para su disfrute, el registro de una gran banda que tiene excelentes presentaciones en vivo, este álbum no me deja mentir...

www.apocalypseband.com
www.reverbnation.com/apocalypse

Ah! no encontré videos de este disco en Youtube, les dejo alguna canción (e interpretación) que me gustó mucho, a pesar de su mal sonido: