Tesis Arsis - Estado de Alerta Máximo (2005)

Artista: Tesis Arsis
Álbum: Estado de Alerta Máximo
Año: 2005
Género: Progresivo sinfónico
Duración: 71:55
Nacionalidad: Brasil

Lista de Temas:
1. Hiroshima 45
2. Ecos vibrantes
3. Fuga
4. Um azul celeste
5. Estado de alerta máximo

Alineación:
- Anderson Rodrigues / keyboards & electric guitars, basses & drums programming

"Progresivo para principiantes": un sinfónico instrumental agradable al oído (como les gusta a los brasileros) y melodías fáciles de digerir y escuchar (aunque sensiblemente más complejas que las de su primer álbum) Toda una orquesta llevada adelante por un sólo hombre: Anderson Rodrigues, quien además es el compositor de todos los temas, por supuesto. Pero no por ser de fácil escucha deja de ser de menos calidad, si te gusta el rock sinfónico llevate este disco sin dudar, yo sé lo que te digo, tiene muy buenos temas, una rica gama de sonidos y texturas, una ambientación adecuada, pomposidad, muy buenas melodías, siendo un disco muy entretenido y que no aburre.
Veamos a ver que nos dice y aclara Manticornio sobre este disco:

TÉSIS ÁRSIS / Estado de Alerta MáximoEn mayo de 2005 se lanza el segundo CD de TÉSIS ÁRSIS: "Estado de Alerta Máximo", producido entre 2003 y 2004 y utilizando la misma estructura en las composiciones que su primer CD, también con cinco suites pero ahora notablemente más maduro y efectivo.
El “progresivo agreste” que mostró RODIGUES en el álbum "Ilusões" se ve beneficiado por la ganancia en experiencia y un enfoque más dirigido hacia las estructuras de composición complejas. Además, el motivo para componer parece haberle dado a TÉSIS ÁRSIS una dirección cuyos sonidos reflejaran el sentir del tema: "Estado de Alerta Máximo" se hizo en solidaridad con los animales asesinados indiscriminadamente en nuestro planeta, temática que se descubre a través de muy variados sentimientos en esta nueva aventura en forma de música compuesta, arreglada y ejecutada por Anderson RODRIGUES (teclados, guitarras), quien recibe apoyo de sus amigos Cláudio y Maurício, músico e ingeniero de sonido respectivamente.
En general, "Estado de Alerta Máximo" es un álbum comprometido con hacer rock progresivo sinfónico de intención natural. RODRIGUES no se complica la existencia pretendiendo ocasionar despliegues grandilocuentes o magnificentes, aunque sí hay que reconocer que aquí el sonido suena un tanto siniestro, debido sobretodo al manejo del sonido de órgano. Algo que permanece desde su primera exposición, son los viajes en guitarra, ahora más equilibrados con las participaciones de los teclados. Se abusa un poco más de las programaciones y se vierte música de iniciación (temas largos, cambios en compases e intencón, atmósferas envolventes, composiciones intrincadas) para quienes caminen temerosos el sendero del subgénero más gustado entre los amantes del rock progresivo.

Alfredo Tapia Carreto

Como resumen, le puedo decir que todo aquel que guste del sinfónico clásico, este disco les caerá de muy buena manera, porque en la onda que apunta está muy pero muy bien. Y estamos en la búsqueda de su otro disco, llamado "Sinos da Eternidade" que data del 2011. Si alguien sabe de su paradero, que avise!

A continuación algunos reviews y unos videos para que escuchen lo bien que suena.

Segundo trabalho do projeto solo de Anderson Rodrigues. Seu primeiro trabalho, aclamado com louvor em seu lançamento, tomou de assalto os fãs de progressivos cariocas que o conheceram aqui pela Rock Progressivo Brasil. Feliz com esta boa repercussão, Anderson novamente recolheu-se em seu estúdio M&C e nos brinda agora com algo que parecia impossível: o segundo trabalho supera o primeiro! A fórmula de Anderson é a mesma: guitarras choradas, riffs progressivos, teclados imponentes com solos perfeitos, mundaças de andamento, camas sinfônicas... Tudo isso junto prende a atenção do ouvinte do início ao fim. A bateria e o baixo (ambos eletrônicos) estão muito, muito perfeitos! Fico imaginando se este trabalho fosse tocado por uma banda completa. A segunda música tem uma das passagens (2:00 - 3:00) mais belas que o progressivo nacional já nos apresentou! Que duelo de teclado e guitarra, com riffs a la Rush período Grace Under Pressure. Para completar, o disco "foi realizado em solidariedade aos animais mortos de forma indiscriminada em nosso planeta". O título e a capa dá dizem tudo! A menor música tem 10 minutos e a suíte-título é de chorar de tão boa... Em suma: um trabalho MARAVILHOSO!

Rock progresivo Brasil

TESIS ARSIS is the brainchild of one Anderson Rodrigues who is from Brazil, a man who first studied guitar then later classical piano.This guy can flat out play ill tell you that. He takes care of those two instruments, although in the liner notes it says he composed, arranged and performed all the music. So did he play drums and bass or were they programmed ? I think the latter. No matter this is pretty incredible. In the liner notes it says "This work was done in solidarity to the animals killed, indiscriminantly, in our planet." We get five long instrumental compositions at just under 72 minutes.
"Hiroshima 45" is an intense number that opens with lightning cracks and thunder while organ and synths are played powerfully. It kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes then settles as the contrasts continue.The guitar noises and thunder sound amazing.The guitar is lighting it up 7 minutes in. Just an incredible opener. "Ecos Vibrantes" opens with synths before powerful organ comes in. Sounds like church organ actually. Keys and guitar before 1 1/2 minutes. Drums follow as the tempo picks up.This is powerful. Ripping guitar 4 1/2 minutes in. Piano and organ before 6 minutes then the guitar returns. Synths dominate after 7 minutes then it kicks back in with guitar leading the way.
"Fuga" sounds great to start with and then the guitar stops after a minute. Not for long though.The tempo picks up before 3 minutes as guitar grinds away.The guitar is lighting it up again. The tempo continues to shift. Fantastic tune. "Um Azul Celeste" opens with powerful pulsating organ as synths come in followed by drums and guitar before a minute.The guitar takes the lead 1 1/2 minutes in as the tempo picks up. Contrasts continue.
"Estado De Alerta Maximo" is the over 22 minute closer. Female vocal melodies (I think) open the song, they come and go. A powerful soundscape comes and goes as well as themes are repeated. I like the sound of wildlife 14 1/2 minutes in when it calms down. An emotional section considering that he dedicates this to the wild animals on our planet. You can hear the wildlife until 18 minutes in when we get a long moving guitar solo to the end of the song. As an animal lover I cant help but be moved a lot by this.
A couple of years ago I was in the habit of listening to an internet radio station while on my computer, and TESIS ARSIS was a band this particular station played a lot.Thats why I sought out this album and am very pleased with it. Anderson is a very talented and caring person.

John Davie

The photograph in the CD booklet depicts Anderson Rodrigues working with his colleagues (sound engineer and producer) in a solid looking studio, with a few massive mixing consoles and other gear. Nevertheless, the album has a sense of homemade recording, at least in places, while signs of what is known as the one-man project syndrome are obvious everywhere. Anderson is a masterful guitar and keyboard player, providing also good solos on synthy-bass, but the music never gets a true full-band sound, particularly because of the rubber-like sound of programmed drums. While bearing his influences from Eloy, Pink Floyd and Yes, Anderson successfully intermixes them with his own ideas to create a rather original sonic palette, almost free of derivative features. This remark, however, does not concern the opening track, Hiroshima, which is overtly overextended, in the worst meaning of the concept. The initial synthesizer-laden theme, flowing inseparably from the 'exploding atom bombs', is heavily repetitive in itself. Besides which, it was repeated several times in the course of the piece, with either no or very few variations. All in all, Hiroshima resembles a slightly modified/improved version of Tangerine Dream at the time they crossed the Rubicon between '70s and '80s. Like any of the other so far unnamed tracks, the fast and energetic Fuga leaves the impression of a pretty lively entity, revealing the solid performance capabilities of its maker, but it's rather poor on the compositional level, being for the most part just an alternation of the same three, at most four, thematic sections. Ecos Vibrantes, Um Azul Celeste and Estado de Alerta Maximo are in many ways kindred compositions, each beginning with church organ-like passages of synthesizer and featuring plenty of extended guitar and synthesizer solos, particularly those imitating the Hammond organ. The music also moves back and forth between Art- and Space Rock, but this time out it's often accentuated with heavy, meaty guitar riffs and, what's central, is notably diverse, with vivid differences between sections, although it could have not managed without some unnecessary repetitions on these, too. The riff in the middle of Um Azul Celeste quite directly calls up of the central theme of Machine Messiah from Yes's "Drama", though the matter didn't prevent me from appreciating the piece as a whole. Furthermore, Um Azul Celeste quickly became my favorite track, having removed the epic Estado de Alerta Maximo from that pedestal:-). The title track could have become a progressive culmination of the album had our solo pilot not lost a sense of proportion when working on the finale. The slow, primitive synthesizer chords running all through the last six or seven minutes forced me to forget all the diversity and the magnificence of the music on the first three fourths of the piece.

Progressor

Tesis Arsis is the brainchild of Brazilian Anderson Rodrigues, who plays all instruments here, primarily guitars and keyboards. Unlike most one-man productions, the use of programmed drums and bass doesn’t take away from the overall sound. The debut Ilusoes is a 5 song all instrumental album, with all tracks except one going over the ten minute mark. There seems to be a similar feel to each of the songs, which makes me think that instead “songs” each track is a “suite”.
Anderson’s guitar playing invokes a feeling that could be compared to a style done by Steve Hackett and even Andrew Latimer. As a keyboardist, Anderson comes off more like an atmospheric player rather than a soloist or virtuoso. This is fine by me since there’s so many that feel the need to be show-offs, which most of the time take away from the song composition. One thing I’m happy about whenever listening to Ilusoes is that it’s all instrumental. Not that I have anything against vocals but most of the time, vocals can take away from the overall feel for this type of album. Anderson’s instrumentation more than makes up for the lack of vocals.
After a few listens of this album, I can whole heartedly say this is by far one of the better one-man band production that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. It should please fans of symphonic, instrumental progressive rock.

Ron Fuchs

I’ve gone on record more than once complaining about too-long albums. So I’m going to begin by paying a high compliment to Tésis Ársis, whose second album, Estado de Alerta Máximo, though it’s almost an hour and a quarter long, is not, to my taste at least, at all too long. More amazingly, though it’s an instrumental album, it easily sustains the listener’s interest for that entire stretch. This is fine, inventive instrumental progressive rock that pleases the first time through and also rewards repeated listenings.
I knew nothing about the group before receiving this CD and its pleasantly brief and descriptive (rather than, as is the case with too many albums, lengthy and persuasive) promotional materials. From the latter, I see that the album is essentially the project of Anderson Rodriguez, who also seems, according to the CD booklet, to have performed all the music on the CD -- although (confusingly) the “group” is said in the promo materials to feature Rodriguez’s brother Gelson on drums and friends Cláudio and Mauricio Fonseca on keyboards and bass. I’m going to trust the liner notes rather than the promotional materials, then, and refer to this as the work of Rodriguez alone, with apologies to the others if I’m wrong to do so.
Well – whoever played on the album, it’s good stuff. The CD is said to consist of five “suites” and that word isn’t Rodriguez’s attempt at unsupported grandiosity. The long compositions really do contain several movements each, all unified by sound and theme. If I had to try to describe what the suites sound like, I’d invoke a comparison with some of those venerable Seventies bands we all love – Yes, Genesis (especially in the delightfully retro keyboards and the electric-guitar sound), Rush, and Camel – that last largely for the overall “feel” of many of the compositions but also in the use of long, slow, emotive guitar lines. Remember, though, that there’s no singing, so everything has to be done with the instruments, and it’s done well.
I like all five pieces, but I’ll single out a couple for special attention. Fuga seems to me especially effective in its movements, juxtaposing slower sections with faster, lighter with heavier. This, too, is the piece in which Tésis Ársis’s similarities to Genesis and Rush can most clearly be heard – those cool old keyboards, mostly used to provide a chorded counterpoint to the searching, melodic guitar soloing, and the interesting changes in tempo (as in the best progressive rock, though, not merely for its own sake but because each change suits the composition). Pleasingly, too, because it’s the longest and the final piece on the album, Estado de Alerta Máximo (“State of Maximum Alert,” right?) is the most interesting, the most varied, and the best of the five suites. It also, I think, and if I’m understanding the titles properly, best suits its name. It begins with heavy organ and power chords, segues into an urgent-sounding guitar workout, slows down for a more peaceful organ interlude, moves again into a fast (in fact, double-time) keyboard and guitar section – the composition is full of changes, as you can tell, all of them working beautifully together – and ends with a long, gorgeous fadeout guitar solo in which, as doesn’t happen often on this remarkably restrained album, Rodriguez is not just suiting his playing to the song but also showing off his considerable chops a bit. This twenty-two-minute track alone would make a respectable, worthwhile progressive-rock EP; as the final track of five, it’s an impressive summation and conclusion.
The CD isn’t without weaknesses – well, few CDs are. But its weaknesses are slight compared to its virtues. One minor failing is in the sound and production. I don’t want to give the impression that this isn’t a professional piece of work in every sense, because it certainly is. It might be a bit strong on the high end and a bit weak on the low end for me, though; and the percussion is slightly thunky and tinny on some of the tracks. The other small fault is one perhaps almost inevitable in such a long album that’s the work of one musician: although I’m in no way recanting my claim that Rodriguez sustains interest from beginning to end, there are occasional movements in some of the suites that are noticeably similar to occasional movements in others – a certain sameness that strikes one on repeated listenings. But the originality and excellent musicianship throughout more than compensates for this decidedly minor fault.
I’m a big fan of singing – I like the voice as an instrument, and I also like it when a band or artist has something to say with his or her lyrics. So an instrumental album has to be really good for me to enjoy it repeatedly and to find something new and interesting each time. This is such an album. No fan of melodic, well-composed and well-played instrumental progressive rock should be disappointed with Estado de Alerta Máximo.

Gerald Wandio

El único punto en contra es que todos los temas están armados bajo la misma estructura, en muchos sentidos esán calzados sobre la misma base, y eso es parte del problema de Tesis Arsis: una buena idea no es tan buena cuando se repite demasiado. Pero extrañamente, y a pesar de lo que acabo de mencionar, a lo que me imaginaría, el disco no me aburre nunca. Otro punto negativo quizás sea el excesivo protagonismo de las guitarras y los sintetizadores y teclados, dejando de lado a la base de batería y bajo, aunque tenemos que tener en cuenta que el señor Rodríguez parece interesarse por estos dos intrumentos solamente para poder completar el proceso que llevan adelante la guitarra y el teclado, que es aquí lo que importa.
En definitiva, un disco muy recomendado sobretodo para los que gustan del rock sinfónico clásico, pero que no defraudará a nadie, muy buena instrumentación, teclados maravillosos, grandes intervenciones de guitarra, en definitiva, un disco que chorrea buen gusto por donde se lo mire. Yo les recomendaría que no se lo pierdan, esta es una buena propuesta de soft-prog sudamericano.

www.myspace.com/tesisarsis