Tantra - Holocausto (1978)

Artista: Tantra

Álbum: Holocausto
Año: 1978
Género: Rock sinfónico
Duración: 43:47
Nacionalidad: Portugal

Lista de Temas:
1. Om (8:47)
2. Holocausto / Ultimo Raio Do Astro Dei (10:53)
3. Zephyrus (2:50)
4. Talisma (8:44)
5. Ara (4:54)
6. Pi (7:29)

Alineación:
- To-Zé Almeida / drums, clarinet, tubular bells, marimba, percussion
- Americo Luis / bass
- Manuel Cardoso / guitars, sitar, lead vocals
- Pedro Luis / synthesizer, keyboards, mellotron
Additional musicians:
Tony Moura / electric guitar, lead vocals
Pedro Mestre / keyboards (6), choir (2)

Pedro, nuestro cabezón portugués ya trajo varios discos a nuestro blog y éste se viene a sumar su colección de discos compartidos. Uno de sus discos fue justamente el primer disco de esta misma banda portuguesa, donde nos adentramos a su música pero también nos sirvió para hablar un poco sobre la situación social de discho país en ese momento y de la Revolución de los Claveles...

Este fue el segundo álbum de la banda Tantra. Ya a esa altura, la banda era ampliamente respetada como una banda superior en su país,
Una banda muy dramática, tanto por su música como en sus shows en vivo. Un fator que seguramente contribuyó a su suceso y popularidad fue que todo su material fue cantado en su propia lengua, aunque después adoptaran el inglês luego de su segundo disco. Siempre me pregunto qué es lo que lleva a crear tal error en tantas bandas, en fin, tema para otra discusión.

Un disco un poco atemporal (por suerte), aunque sin mucha "dirección". No me parece que agregue demasiado a lo que ya se había hecho en el prog-rock (sobre todo europeo). Es un buen disco, aunque me parece poco original.

mcmirande

"Holocausto" fue un éxito y es un verdadero clásico (aunque no tanto como su primer disco) de la banda, que luego lanzaría algunos trabajos para el olvido, sin personalidad y cantado en inglés.
"Holocausto" navega por las mismas aguan que su antecesor, cantiones generalmente cortas pero con algunos desarrollos épicos, y con mucho despliegue instrumental, tal como en "Mistérios e Maravilhas". Continúan las letras espirituales y metafísicas de Manuel Cardoso. Tantra permanece fiel a su estilo. Sin tener el brillo del primer álbum, éste es un lindo disco, recomendable para que escuchen en el fin de semana....

Y vamos también a los comentarios en inglés:

01. OM The top 'synthesized' already gives us a hint of what will come! A layer of copper keyboards all 'corners of the sound' (if that is the sound has corners). Ledo mistake! The introduction of the keyboard does not give us the real picture of what was, a high-technical prog (impressive battery of Tó Zé), then the voice of Manuel Cardoso melodicamente perfect enter into the proposal of the band. Excellent instrumental lines ... and if everything breaks again at the piano to take along all the 'sounds floating' possible, start this way, the staff was not kidding. Line bottom and back of sensational voice (which as I said in the release of Jose Cid who is also Portuguese, is wonderful to hear the voice in Portuguese native). The final section is full of broken and soils of keyboards and bass. This track is the guitar 'shy'. 02. Último Raio Do Astro Sol Apocalyptic! Those of creepy. Sparse guitars, drums beating and a lot of vocalization. Totally Yezda Urfa and the disconcerting that follows, I do not know where they took of all the madness. Then a voice pretty well, strange and bottom line of battery, and an almost classical piano in the background. The band has an impressive technical change in the question of time and melody of the songs, that is presented, and much! The keyboards have always timbre and Jasons. A little after the middle of the song guitar and keyboard solos divided almost in a duel, and once again the band radically changes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Extremely competent and complex the instruments of the guys.
03. Zephyrus Zither and madness, some strange sounds that I have not the slightest idea of where you left! The zither come loose in the middle of the 'noise', battery Gong, and sets up a melody soturna, low solando next to the keyboard, and some background Vocalizations cause everything is even more bleak. And once again highlight the excellent work of Tó Zé Almeida on drums.
04. Talismã The guitar has a nice arpegio with the keyboard, while the band makes a house without walls arpegios pros of both. Here's the track that gives a guinadae turns into a race against time and the wind for a short time, the piano brings back the calm voice Pros (which are sporadic, but excellent!) The arsenal of keyboards for that signal is well used makes an enormous difference. The vocal melody that follows is emotional, at that low among highlights soon after. Peter Luis is the king of keyboards and ... unknown. SPT, SPT, SPT ...
05. Ara Here the guitars and guitars are a bit, just to face the initial voice is very nice. Plus a little dark (but this time with the guitars taking key role), a symphonic session without equal and around the original theme. Suíngue enter into a field, almost dancing with a nice timbre of keyboard and battery solando extremely broken, low? Of course it follows, and well, the battery. And he sung on top of it
06. PI This is the classic guy! Piano, guitar plates and a bow-and if I am not mistaken and suingado low but in a time very different from all the rest (Americo Luis miseries with Precision makes it), the falsetto voice in eternal are very good! Solo guitar and keyboard together! The band has a nice way to compose with two instruments solando in various parts. Here is the total quebradeira and jazz-fusion.
Tantra (and this disc) I drew much attention, because the disc is excellent and quality business. This disk has a face the same mixing several influences. The guys are good.

progshine

The follow-up to Tantra's excellent Mistérios album is a bit disappointing in that its' softer, sentimental sides are more pronounced. The good progressive stuff is still there, but not as often. Still, quite good.

Tovan

Holocausto deserves credit, celebration and remembrance for it is simply an masterpiece album.

Dunes23

This was the second album by Portuguese prog rock band Tantra, and came out in 1979. By this time Tantra were widely regarded as the top prog band in the country, and had toured considerably. A very dramatic band, both in the music and in their live shows, they had also aided their popularity by performing all of their material in their own language, although they did switch to English after 'Holocausto'
It is very much an album of it's time, although given the state of the music scene at the end of the Seventies this would already have sounded very dated by then. They had taken influences from British bands such as King Crimson and Genesis, and brought in even more eclectic styles from Magma and PFM that means that now the music can at times sound self-indulgent and grandiose. But, when it works well this is quite an album. Yes the production and some of the keyboard sounds are very much of their time, and the interplay and solos can last for a fair while, but they weren't afraid to experiment and there is effective use of clarinet and even a sitar.
Even among progheads this is an album that will only be listened to sparingly, but to those who enjoy experimental trad prog then this is one from the vaults.

Kev Rowland

This band almost turned out to be the support act for Peter Gabriel in the early Eighties but sadly for them it became The Simple Minds. What a pity because I have seen Peter Gabriel with The Simple Minds and I'm sure that Tantra would have been embraced by the crowd with their stunning live-act that was a tribute to the early Genesis including masks and pyrotecnics! But their music was also interesting.
1. Om (8:47) : First a soaring keyboard intro, then a fluent rhythm with a lush keyboard sound (synthesizers, strings, piano). The Portuguese vocals sound strong and emotional. Halfway the climate truns into more jazzrock featuring Moog runs and Fender Rhodes electric piano.
2. Holocausto / Ultimo Raio Do Astro Dei (10:53) : This long and alternating piece delivers lots of exciting moments: fiery, jazzrock-like parts, wonderful piano and vocals, flowing electric guitar, an electric guitar/clavinet duel and great soli on the synthesizer and clavinet (Mid-Eastern-inspired).
3. Zephyrus (2:50) : The climate is dreamy with first a sitar and weird sound during the intro.
4. Talisma (8:44) : This was has strong echoes from the symphonic jazzrock from Collosseum II featuring fluent rhythms, howling electric guitar, powerful Fender bass, lush keyboards and a grand finale with fiery electric guitar and great choir-Mellotron waves, EXCELLENT!
5. Ara (4:54) : A very alternating piece, from mellow with emotional vocals to moving with howling electric guitar and up-tempo with a swinging Minimoog solo.
6. Pi (7:29) : The intro features acoustic guitar and piano, then lots of shifting moods with often a jazzrock climate and great keyboard work.
A VERY GOOD ALBUM FROM PORTUGAL!

Erik Neuteboom

It's quite an enjoyable record, but the jamming is often quite uneven, and does not hold your attention long enough. The musicians are godd, especially the drummer. The music reminds me at times of VDGG, but with guitar, of Amon Dull II.

ivankra

Aquí tienen, ahora el mejor rock portugués brilla en el blog cabezón. Disfrutenlo mientras buscamos qué otra cosa podemos traerles para que disfruten en el finde...