Alejandro Matos - Freak (2009)

#Músicaparaelencierro.Vamos otra vez a todo lo bueno y desconocido que surge de las tierras latinoamericanas y recordamos el disco del señor Matos, anterior el disco anterior a "La Potestad". Otro disco con muy buenas referencias a nivel de críticas de todas partes del mundo. Si bien no llega al nivel de su última producción un muy buen disco que tiene muy buena lírica y un clima muy bien logrado. Angustiante, melódico, críptico, simbólico, oscuro, asfixiante, sólido, desgarrador, todas esas son características que se pueden decir al hablar de este disco, con algo de Pink Floyd, con algo de Genesis, con algo del mejor progresivo moderno y algunos toques duros que dan más contundencia a un álbum ya de por sí muy bien logrado. Se los recomiendo... el resto ya va en ustedes.

Artista: Alejandro Matos

Álbum: Freak
Año: 2009
Género: Rock progresivo ecléctico / Progresivo crossover
Duración: 70:53
Nacionalidad: Argentina

En 2006 el señor Matos editó "Persona", su primer disco que presentaré entre hoy y mañana, y cuenta la historia de una lucha por la conquista de la máscara verdadera. La música suena por momentos sinforockera, por momentos psicodélica, por momentos alternativa y ahí aparecen las experimentaciones de Matos. Tres años después de "Persona", Alejandro Matos lanza otro álbum: "Freak". Básicamente, este disco muestra un estilo similar a la "Persona", el rock progresivo oscuro con influencias argentinas en las melodías, pero el enfoque en "Freak" es mucho más sinfónico. "Freak", muestra una mayor diversidad en el uso de instrumentos: hay más teclados e instrumentos acústicos. La interpretación vocal ha mejorado con respecto a su anterior trabajo aunque sigue siendo, desde mi punto de vista, su lado más flaco. Verónica Marjbein en el violín aparece como músico invitado, todos los otros instrumentos son interpretados por el propio Alejandro.

Freak, se moviliza en las expresiones del rock progresivo suramericano actual sobre tres aspectos: La música, la lírica y la gráfica; o también explicadas como el juego, lo normal/anormal y la suerte.
El juego se refiere a la música. A lo largo de toda la obra se puede notar, que algunos temas contienen ideas, melodías, arreglos, armonías que remiten a otros temas del disco. Con esto se intenta crear una pertenencia de las canciones a la obra musical que las contiene. El leit motiv de toda la obra son las primeras 5 notas de la melodía del primer tema, que aparecen de una u otra forma a lo largo del disco.
El pilar de la moral, está referido a las letras. El concepto está basado en una reflexión sobre lo normal y lo anormal.
El último pilar es la suerte, y afecta a la gráfica. En la lámina interna se muestran cartas de un tarot tan extraño y caprichoso, como cualquier otro. En las cartas, hay un número, un dibujo simbólico y una sentencia, pero además alguien ha escrito interpretaciones.
Freak es una producción independiente, lanzado por intermedio la UMI (Unión de músicos independientes).Grabada en Casandra y mezclado en Estudio Orión por Alejandro Goldstein (Hilda Lizarazu, Hijos del Oeste, Richter, entre otros). La guitarra, voces, programación, bajo y teclados fueron llevadas a cabo por Alejandro Matos.

Mario Anzola

Aquí les dejo el cuarto disco del músico... ¿Qué mejor que traerles una buena reseña del disco para explicarlo? ¿Quién mejor que nuestro columnista involuntario de siempre?... vamos con el comentario de César Inca y luego seguimos con nuestras torpes palabras.

Un freak progresivo desde Argentina
En esta ocasión es el turno del joven y talentoso guitarrista/multi-instrumentista argentino ALEJANDRO MATOS, quien con su disco solista del año 2009 “Freak” nos ha ofrecido un trabajo muy a tener en cuenta en el contexto del rock progresivo sudamericano actual. En este disco, así como en ofertas anteriores, MATOS se hace cargo de las guitarras, teclados, bajo y programación de ritmos, aunque también incorpora la colaboración de la violinista Verónica Marjbein en algún tema del repertorio. Las principales influencias que se hacen notar en el esquema sonoro orquestado por Matos provienen de PINK FLOYD, GENESIS, PORCUPINE TREE y los aspectos menos tortuosos del KING CRIMSON clásico. El concepto global de “Freak” porta una omnipresente naturaleza existencialista, y su repertorio se divide en tres grandes bloques: el primero se titula ‘Anormal’ (los 5 primeros temas), el tercero se titula ‘Normal’ (los últimos 5), y entre ellos se sitúa la suite ‘El infierno de los buenos’.
‘Falso primogénito’ inicia el disco y la sección ‘Anormal’ con un lirismo grisáceo eficazmente enmarcado en un clima de rock psicodélico semi-lento cuya arquitectura reclama un justo manejo de los riffs y las bases de teclado. ‘El más allá’ perpetúa el ambiente anterior y le añade ciertos matices tétricos, un marco apropiado para introducirnos en la aureola flotante de ‘Agujero de sueños’, pieza en la que MATOS aumenta la densidad sin hacerla aparatosa ni agresiva. Las minimalistas capas de teclado con las que concluye esta pieza elaboran una conveniente expectativa ante la reiniciación de ambientes sobriamente tétricos que tiene lugar en la etérea ‘Verde por dentro’, una canción que refleja elegante y convincentemente una inquietud parcialmente contenida y un miedo a los misterios de la propia mente. Los aportes del violín ayudan bastante a completar la idea temática de la canción. El concepto de ‘Anormal’ se termina con ‘Veneno ilustrado’, un estupendo ejercicio de psicodelia progresiva que recoge buena dosis de la ansiedad vertida en las piezas anteriores con un poco más de músculo y un aire cósmico más atenuado. A continuación sigue el extenso ‘El infierno de los buenos’, que dura casi 19 minutos. El aire existencialista se instala de manera firme y consistente a través de la ilación sucesiva de sus cinco secciones. Varias intervenciones de teclado portan una inocultable vibración sinfónica, aportando así una prestancia moderadamente dramática a la vitamínica fortaleza ya emitida desde los riffs y solos de guitarra: desde el punto de vista del más estricto estándar del progresivo sinfónico, se puede extrañar la presencia de variaciones de ambiente y ritmo más pronunciadas, pero por lo demás, la estructura compositiva de esta suite es refinada y bien acabada. Las cinco canciones del concepto de ‘Normal’ concluyen el disco. La secuencia de los temas de ‘La pasión según el caníbal’ tiene una soltura que viene muy bien después de la incesante tensión emocional retratada en la suite precedente, y además, porta uno de los desarrollos melódicos más sofisticados de todo el álbum. ‘Invernadero de preguntas’ es una secuencia de voces y efectos cuya carga cinematográfica sirve de descanso musical, un pasaje abstracto que prepara el arribo del blues progresivo ‘El resto’, un tema que bien se puede calificar como relajado aunque no se sumerge en un ambiente precisamente “dulce”. Dicha dulzura sí se hace presente en la conclusión acústica provista por ‘Sombras sin filo’, tema que porta un espíritu cálido y amable, aunque el canto peculiar de Matos hace que la tensión emocional se siga haciendo presente de alguna manera. En conclusión, tenemos aquí un testimonio del entusiasmo y talento de un músico al cual habría que prestar más atención dentro del círculo de amantes y coleccionistas del rock progresivo. ALEJANDRO MATOS nos ofrece a través de “Freak” una visión peculiar sobre cómo explotar el lenguaje del rock desde aspiraciones netamente artísticas.

César Inca

Vamos algunos comentarios en inglés y adéntrense en el disco, que vale mucho la pena:

This album is on the pretty much the same basis as the previous one. Which is not necessarily bad thing, as it worked very well last time. There's however one difference - I feel veil of enchanted land over these tracks, that something magical is here, like migty misty, glowing forest in the night. While it's of course still dark in mood. I wonder where this guy gets inspiration from.
Now I'm without doubts, there's no electronic drummer, this sounds perfectly like rock band. I wouldn't know that there is just him, if he hadn't told me.
There's progress in something. It's still high class music, but this time managing to capture more and more "moods", atmosphere changes. And I think that it's because of synths that are quite prominent here. And also compositions are more adventurous and dramatic than before. These things helps.
Example of these magical traits can be heard in first minute of Verde por Dentro, through the track and after all in other tracks as well. And again, word "enchanted" pops in my mind, because that's what this it. Now that I ran out of synonyms, let's move forth.
4(+)/5, and try to think about three wishes when you're listening this album. I hope some of you will be.
Little bit better than previous album, but not masterpiece. Yet.

Marty McFly

Freak is the fourth and, on the moment I write this review, most recent release by Argentinian multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Matos. The music on the album is mostly driven by guitar and more so than the preceding release, atmospheric synths, over which Alejandro often sings memorable vocal melodies. The melodies here often are more memorable than on Persona, and again are sung in his native language. Though Alejandro plays all the instruments himself, the album features a broad range of instruments, giving it an overall rich feel.
As mentioned before, Alejandro sings in his native language, which in combination with in particular the atmospheric synths and gives the album a mysterious and exotic feel. Perhaps a good example of this is the opening of "El As Alla", with its ethnic percussion and dark synths, that gradually get accompanied by other instruments and vocals. The musicianship on the album in general is excellent, though the drums aren't really special. I don't really mind this though, as it already stuns me how one man can master so many instruments. Also Alejandro's vocals sound very clean and passionate. My only really negative point is that the album seems to lack diversity, which causes it to lack a dynamic feel at times. This might be because I do not understand the lyircs, which I suppose leaves me less touched than if I would understand them, but also the synths tend to get a bit dull and repetative at times.
Nevertheless, Freak is a very good release that unfortunately tends to drag a bit. The album has a more atmospheric feel than the previous release and in general a softer approach. Three stars is a suitable rating for it in my opinion, as it's a good release but not an oustanding one.

Loek

Freak is the 4th solo album from Alejandro Matos, a one-man project from Arentina that shows an impressive range of skills but that also suffers from some typical one-man project syndromes.
Let's start with the strong points. Matos is a guitar player with good riffing skills, nice picking on atmospheric chords and a talent for splashing solos and fluid leads. The guitar is the main attraction on the album and enjoyable throughout. The synths are rather prominent and heavily influenced by Richard Wright? They provide a very lush texture and lend a great spacey feel to the music.
The disadvantage of the one-man approach is that some essential ingredients to make for consistent listening are neglected. The weaknesses appear in the drumming and the vocals. Matos' voice is pleasant, and his Spanish vocals give the album a recognizable identity, but the melodies strike me as rather unremarkable, or let me say they are not memorable enough. They also miss some intensity. The main problem sits with the drum programming though. I don't have anything against drum programming but it simply doesn't suit progressive rock, which needs a more creative and dynamic realization.
The songwriting is very strong, varied and original, but is not consistent enough to convince for the total running length of 70 minutes. A more concise 50 minute highlight selection of the material at hand would have made for a much better album. In the 70 minute form as it is currently presented I tend to dismiss al tracks following the 19 minute centrepiece El Infierno De Los Buenos. It's not that the remaining material is inferior, but it's simply uncalled for. I understand an artist's enthusiasm to share all his creativity with us but I prefer a bit more self-scrutiny in order to offer us only the best 45 minutes instead of all 70.
There are few artists that can pull off convincing solo albums. Even geniuses like Hammill and Gabriel were surrounded by a big pack of guests and collaborators on their masterpieces. I think the seeds to achieve excellence and wider recognition are here, but the songwriting and the ideas need to be fleshed out by a real band. Especially a dedicated drummer will be crucial to deliver on the promise of this album.

Karl Bonnek

Freak is Argentinian Alejandro Matos´s fourth and, at time of writing, most recent release. Although the songwriting here is quite similar to his previous one, Persona, I tend to like this one more, maybe because the songwriting has developed a bit, maybe is his vocal delivering is stronger (even though I still think that a more powerful and versatile singer would do wonders to his music). As usual, he plays all the basic instruments (guitars, keys, bass and programmed the drums), but unlike Persona, this time we have somes guests, most notably violinist Veronica Marjbein. Sometimes the atmosphere reminds me of some Arena´s darkest and slower songs.
As a instrumental unit Freak is impeccable: Matos is a superb guitar player and also does a great job on bass and keys. He is an outstanding songwriter. I liked the acoustic guitar parts on this album (something almost nonexistent on Persona). But have in mind that this is no background music in any way. Freak demands great atention and if you don´t you´ll probably miss some very interesting, subtle and intricated parts that make this 70 minute album something so unique. Quite dark, ok, but still very good, with some strong lyrics written and sung in spanish (an english translation on the boolket would be a good idea if this CD gets released in Europe, Japan or even the USA). Those words are much too good to be lost in translation. (or lack of it)
The production (again done by Matos himself) is quite good, with all the instruments very well balanced and clear. And again the only reason I don´t give this CD a four star rating (or even higher) is the rather underpowered vocals. For some reason I get the image that a strong female singer handling the vocal duties would make it a real masterpiece. Matos has an ok voice, and his interpretations are good, but they are also clearly no match for what he does instrumentaly and not nearly what his music (and lyrics) demand. At least in my opinion. Still is a dense and important work that should not go unnoticed. Let´s see what he will do in the near future. He is quite promising and I would not be surprise if he comes up with another fine work soon. For now, 3,5 stars.

Tarcisio Moura

This is Alejandro Matos` fourth solo album, which was recorded in 2008 and it was released in 2009. This album also is an independent release (not connected with major record labels), so I think that it gives Matos the freedom to create the kind of albums he likes. This is also a conceptual album which (I think, because it is not very clear in the lyrics) tells the story of the old fight of humans between good and bad in relation to religious beliefs and social norms. So, if one person chooses to follow that morality, he or she is considered as a "nomal" person, but if he or she has questions or criticizes that morality, he or she is considered as an alienated person, a "freak" who is considered by the others as an "anormal" person. In the end, the message of this conceptual album is that it doesn`t matter if the persons don`t agree very much with that morality (which sometimes is false and hypocritical), and that the world could be a better place to live if that so-called morality could be less heavy and more real. The music is also dark and dense, but not very dark, having more musical variety and even having some Classical and World music influences in some parts. I think that in this album everything sounds better than in his previous album ("Persona"). It sounds like Matos has improved and matured as musician, composer and singer. His vocals are better, but the musical chords changes are more complicated and his voice sometimes sounds a bit forced. Again, I think that a stronger lead singer could have done a bettere work. The programmed drums are programmed better, and they really sound like being played by a "real drummer", and the rhythms are more complicated sometimes. Matos also plays more distorted guitars, but he also plays some acoustic guitars which give more varitety to the album. The keyboards are also played better, with the use of piano, organ and other keyboards, which are mixed more at the front and having a more notable participation in the sound of the album and even a main role in some tracks. The keyboards create very interesting sound atmospheres, and that is a very good improvement in his musical arrangements. The recording and mixing are also better. In comparison to "Persona", the music has more variety, with more use of contrasts between "heavy" and "quiet" parts, and in the end it leaves a more optimistic view to the listener. Still, and that is inevitable, there are some musical influences from bands like the early Marillion, Pink Floyd and The Cure. But I like this album more than his previous album called "Persona", even if the repetition of some musical themes leaves the listener a bit tired. I suggest you to visit www.alejandromatos.com.ar to listen to this album and to buy it, if you like it. And if you want to read (in Spanish) about how the album was created and more details about the concept of the lyrics, visit his blog : ruidosagrado.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html.

Guillermo Vázquez Malagamba

Freak is the most recent studio album of Alejandro Matos, a talented Argentinean songwriter. I didn't know him or his production so I was skeptical about what it was about. I'm pleased to say that his music is a great effort in a moody dark progressive rock, strange to find in Latin America. I think there's a lot to say about this music and the artist. The album is divided on three "chapters". The first five songs under the name of "Anormal" and it talks about different struggles on a "regular" life. The second, a single epic song called in Spanish "The Hell of the good ones (The absurd)" and the third part, "Normal", with the last 5 tracks of the album. So, let's see...
He is a great guitar player and the compositions focus on this particular instrument, mixed with prominent layered keyboards that set the mood and the dark vibe of the whole piece. The music is soft paced, with some ambience oriented music and heavy guitars. The compositions are strong and well oriented, I feel that the music never became self indulgent or flashy in any way. The songs are strong and the flow travels very well through the album. A special mention is the drum work, which is programmed but at the end it feels very "real", strong and matches great with the music. The sounds, the musical choices and the structures are quite great and it's easy to dive into the atmosphere, dark and very dark.
On the other hand, the vocals are maybe the most evident weakness of the album. As a personal single man project, is understandable that the musician and songwriter takes the duty of vocals but it's too evident the limitation of the range and technique he has. That been said, I have to point out that after the first listening the vocals are starting to grow on me. At the end, the style fits very well with the soft paced dark music and that's good, but I wonder how different it could be if Matos would invited a couple of guess singers into the album, that would help to make some songs shine better but I can live with what I get in this album.
Maybe another problem is that, even though the music flows great, it would need a couple of tracks a little different to make the journey less alike. It's a long piece of music and sometimes is good to have some breaks and escapes. Again, this do not take down the album, is just something that could be used for best results. The lyrics are interesting, the concept is very good and solid and there's always a twist here and there, and leaves you wondering what the real meaning of some sentences is. This strange piece of music is really great, professional, well produced and strong enough to be appreciated by any prog fan. I do recommend anyone to check this album. Not flawless but still great. 4 strong stars. Great addition to any prog collection.

Juan Pablo Mijangos

Anormal, Normal, o Freak?
Alejandro Matos, as some of you know, is a very talented musician from Argentina whose first album was released in 2000. However, his musical skills have been improving ever since. With "Persona" we can find a very interesting album that shows Matos intelligence at the moment of composing the music and writing the lyrics. His style is particular and reflexive. Now, with the release of his latest album entitled "Freak" in 2009, we can find a more mature Alejandro Matos, with (in my opinion) a more interesting proposal and overall a better album. Once again, I thank Alejandro, for his music and his kindness.
"Freak" consists of eleven compositions divided in two (or three) parts. The first part has the name of "Normal" and features the first five songs. The sixth piece is an 18-minute epic entitled "El infierno de los Buenos", which is also divided in five passages. And the last part, from song seven to eleven takes the title of "Normal".
So the album opens with "Falso Primogénito" which starts with acoustic guitar and Alejandro's voice, later keyboards and guitars appear and produce a strong symphonic sound. The song makes some minor changes through the minutes; sometimes it slows down with some choral vocals keyboard effect. After minute four there is like an interlude where only the keyboard and soft drums sound, and later it opens the door to an excellent guitar solo.
The second song has some percussion which adds a different flavor to Matos' music; it is entitled "El más allá" and it is a soft composition that besides that percussion features some nice acoustic guitar, soft synth sound and vocals. After minute three it makes a little change and creates an interesting atmosphere.
"Agujero de Sueños" starts with some ambient synth which later will be accompanied by nice bass lines, drums, guitars and vocals. Later a heavier yet emotional sound appears due to those electric guitars. Here the atmosphere has tension on it, so the listener can feel trapped under the music and will take part of the song itself. This is a very interesting composition actually.
"Verde por Dentro" is a wonderful composition, the lyrics are pretty good, and the atmosphere is excellent, I really like the way he uses the synth and creates different nuances while the song is passing. He adds some figures and puts different elements on it, which makes it really interesting and of course, enjoyable. Another wonderful thing, is that he also added the sound of a violin in the last minutes, and the result is a heartrending but beautiful sound.
"Veneno Ilustrado" is a quite different track from the previous one, the keyboard sound actually reminds me a bit to the first song of the album due to the symphonic sound created. This song has a stronger flavor, actually it is one of those tracks that suggests movement, I mean the atmosphere and emotions created do something on me. It has also some mood and a rhythm change, the end is soft but intriguing. With this song, we have reached the end of the first part.
Now, "El Infierno de los Buenos" is one excellent track, an epic one which shows Alejandro Matos talent and skills as a composer, it is not easy for a one-man-band to create an eighteen-minute song. It starts with voice and piano, making a soft and tranquil sound until minute two where guitar appears and though the rhythm might be the same, we can clearly notice that little by little the song is progressing. There are some funeral drums which give another perspective to the music, however it lasts some seconds only and the "normal" drums appear. Before minute five there is a short stop, where bass and synth sound for some twenty seconds or so, later vocals reappear along with guitars and drums. The structure is actually really interesting. Later a guitar solo enters and makes its contribution to the piece, all the instruments play a leading role, the thing is that in moments is the bass what takes most of my attention, sometimes guitars, and sometimes keyboards, this is why the song is so strong.
At half the song, there is a moment of tension and nervousness, where one don't know what is going to happen next, I mean the music creates an ambient where the listener enters deep into its realm and becomes part of the music itself, and maybe of the story. The guitars play actually a very important role here because besides the keyboards, they help to create that dark and nervous sound. Later there is a wonderful passage where the music and lyrics really interplay and produce something on the listener. The last minutes are pretty interesting and entertaining, the music is still wonderful and the atmosphere created amazing. One excellent song, without a doubt.
Now we have reached the last part of the album, whose first two songs are named "La Pasión Según el Caníbal (parts 1 and 2). Nice bass lines and keyboards accompanying the vocals, the structure is pretty good, and the lyrics better. There is again a guitar solo after the half of the track, later some new guitar and keyboard figures appear. Soft piano and raw guitars for some seconds, in order to give pass to the last part of the song, which is fading out. Then, where new bass lines appear is the sign that the second part of La Pasión has started. And this part is great, the rhythm might be the same but this time the music flows naturally and creates a wonderful atmosphere. This time vocals do not appear, for the first time in the album, and it is a nice decision.
"Invernadero de Preguntas" is a short two-minute track, with odd noises that make me thing of a city of emptiness and desolation; I don't really know what the purpose of this short piece was.
"El resto" returns to that interesting and symphonic like feel due to the keyboards sound. There are some short passages where the music sounds soft and calm, but in moments it becomes heavier, faster and intriguing. There is a moment after minute two where the guitar solo is evident, but when it appears it is really enjoyable.
"Sombras sin Filo" is the last track. Another short piece that since the very first seconds sounds like a goodbye due to that acoustic guitar sound. Actually this song is only Alejandro with his guitar, showing their relationship and intimacy. The last words are "lo que te espera es mejor" a nice way to end this great álbum.
Freak is a most complete album, its sound shows how Alejandro has improved with the years, and also shows a more mature sound. If you know Persona and Freak, you will clearly notice the difference between them, however, all is a matter of subjectivity, you may like better Persona than Freak, or the other way around. This time my final grade is four stars

Guillermo H. Urdapilleta

Freak is the 4th full-length studio album by Argentinian artists Alejandro Matos. The album is an independently released affair.
The album is pretty long with its 70:53 minutes playing time distributed over 11 tracks, but Alejandro Matos manages to keep the listener entertained all the way through the album with his melancholic progressive rock. The songs are generally very vocal oriented and while I sadly miss the lyrical dimension of the album because the lyrics are in Spanish, Alejandro Matos provides emotional impact anyway. Just as the case was on Alejandro Matos last album Persona (2006), he plays all instruments and sings all vocals on the album. In addition to that he also produced the album. So this is another "true" one-man project. There´s some violin on the album which is courtesy of guest musician Veronica Marjbein though. The guitars and keyboards on the album are well played and that´s obviously where Alejandro Matos has his forces. That and the at times intriguing songwriting. The rythm section is a bit more questionable. There´s nothing wrong with the things that are played, but especially the programmed drums seem a bit stiff IMO. It´s exactly the same I felt when listening to Persona. A "real" drummer might have done the trick.
The production is good considering that Freak is a self-released affair.
Freak is another good album by Alejandro Matos and compared to Persona I think the positive development is obvious. Freak is a better written and more mature album and I think a 3.5 star rating is deserved.

UMUR

I want to congratulate Alejandro on this his most recent album called "Freak". I felt his previous record "Persona" had it's moments but it was too inconsistant. I was encouraged after reading Memowakemen's review because we have similar tastes, and thankfully my expectations have definitely been met. It's another concept album but as usual for me it's all about the music, especially when the lyrics are in Spanish (haha). I like how there is this similar sound and mood throughout.
"Falso Primogenito" opens with strummed guitar and vocals. It kicks in nicely before a minute as drums and organ standout. Great sound here. It settles back 2 minutes in with vocals. Love the relaxed guitar solo before 5 minutes. Vocals are back as that good heavy sound continues. "El Mas Alla" opens with percussion, light guitar then reserved vocals around a minute. Mellotron-like sounds 3 minutes in when the vocals stop, then it gets fuller. It's spacey after 4 minutes then it kicks in heavier than ever. Nice. It turns spacey again and blends into "Agujero De Suenos" where it continues to be spacey then the organ followed by vocals take over. It's spacey with a beat before 3 1/2 minutes then the vocals return. Spacey to end it.
"Verde Por Dentro" is spacey to start as reserved vocals join in. We get some brief heaviness before 2 1/2 minutes as the contrasts continue. Violin before 4 1/2 minutes with a spacey atmosphere. "Veneno Ilustrado" sounds great after a minute when it gets heavier. Piano then guitar before 3 minutes. Vocals late. "El Infierno De Los Buenos" is the almost 19 minute epic. Fragile vocals and piano to start. The guitar replaces the piano around 2 minutes. Drums join in.The synths before 5 minutes are brief.The electric guitar before 6 1/2 minutes sounds really good as the vocals stop.Vocals are back after 8 minutes when the guitar stops. Organ 8 1/2 minutes in then spacey synths roll in and dominate. It's kind of haunting as reserved vocals arrive. Drums and guitar after 11 1/2 minutes as it builds. It's heavier a minute later. A calm 14 minutes in with piano, light drums and bass. Electric guitar a minute later as it gets heavier again. It's spacey 18 minutes in. What a track !
"La Pasion Segin El Canbal" has relaxed sounds with vocals. It picks up after 2 1/2 minutes then it gets heavier. A calm after 5 minutes with synths. It blends into part two of this track. It picks up then synths come in followed by guitar. Organ before 4 minutes. "Invernadero De Preguntas" is such a cool track with all the atmosphere with voice samples. "El Resto" kicks in quickly then settles some when the vocals arrive as contrasts continue. Some nice relaxed guitar 2 1/2 minutes in then it turns heavier before 5 minutes. "Sombras Sin Filo" is the short concluding track with acoustic guitar and reserved vocals.
An enjoyable listen throughout and worthy of 4/5 stars.

John Davie

Alejandro Matos' recording style has become much more polished since the release of his previous album, "Persona". The songs are all slick and well composed. Even his singing voice, which was somewhat warbling in the previous album, is now much more steady, and easier to listen to.
His music varies from symphonic prog, to heavy, almost metal sounding prog, to strong arena rock with prog leanings. He plays all of the instruments here, except for a guest violinist, and excels on just about every one. I especially enjoy his bass lines, and low-register synth work. I would, however, suggest that he add some variation to his drum progamming. The plain beats he often sets up sometimes are too drab for the music he creates. Otherwise, this is a fine album.

Scott Evolver

Argentinian composer and multi-instrumentalist Alejandro MATOS has been active as a musician and band member since the early 90's, in particular from 1993 and onwards when he moved to Buenos Aires to study music. As the years went by he also started gathering material that needed additional outlets, and in 2000 he started a solo career with the album "Lo Que Qeda". Three more solo productions have followed, and "Freak" from 2009 is the most recent of those.
Those who enjoy late 70's Pink Floyd and have a soft spot for the Italian art rock scene seem to be just as much a core audience for "Freak" as for Matos' 2006 creation "Persona". The songs appear to be subtly more sophisticated this time around, the performance marginally better and the technical work arguably improved to a slightly better level too. A solid effort on all levels, well worth getting more familiar with by those who suspect they might have an interest in art rock of this particular nature.

Olav Martin Bjørnsen

Why is this guy so dark and pessimistic? He is a skilled musician with a lot of good ideas and probably some influences from King Crimson and connections with Post/Math bands. If he only could smile sometimes....
Well this is probably due to the fact that I'm listening to this album after one year since the last time and the day is too sunny for this music. Thinking better, the epic song I'm listening to while I'm writing, "El Infierno de Los Buenos"" (the hell of good people) is too good. Even if I'm not in the right mood I can't avoid appreciating the guitar solo in the middle of the song.
In general, respect to "Persona" the arrangements and the production are better and the presence of an about 20 minutes song is a symptom of musical maturity for a singer- songwriter-one-man-band. This song is enough to give the album a high rating.
I haven't give a particular care to the lyrics. I'm not spanish and even if I understand a bit of that language I need to concentrate on them and this time I was more concentrated on music, but I can guess that they are very interesting. The music is dramatic and the track titles give me the impression of very intense lyrics and poetry. "La Pasion Segun El Canibal" means "The Passion According to the Cannibal". I'd like to know what it's about. The two songs with this title are mainly the same song in two parts, and one of the moments closest to KC of this album.
Other songs, like "Verde For Dentro" have a mood similar (in music, not in lyrics or vocals) to bands like "From Monument to Masses" and the opener has a musical structure and sequences of chords that remind me a band like "All Over Everywhere".
To give it the next listen I will wait for the next rainy day. In the meantime I'll search for the lyrics but for now I don't feel that rating it with 4 stars is hazardous. Even in a sunny day this dark music is so good and interesting that I'm arrived at the end of the album and I'm restarting from "Falso Primogenito". I didn't spot the organ before....

Luca

Was not aware of Alejandro Matos until another of our members suggested I check him out. This was the first of his works I listened too and found it quite interesting. Mr. Matos is clearly a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer. I found the song writing and composition very interesting-dark, moody, a bit brooding, but not depressing. He is listed as crossover prog, but I found a lot of early King Crimson influence in this work-a good thing.
My biggest issue with Freak is the vocal performance. The vocals don't display much versatility or range and as a result the melodies don't deliver much emotion or power. It's unfortunate because the music is enjoyable. I must admit that this is my first taste of prog not sung in English and I had reservation about being able to enjoy it without being able to understand the lyrics. Didn't mind the language issue, but did mind that the vocals took away from the overall quality of the work. Four/five stars for the music and composition, 2/5 starts for the vocals, so a solid 3/5 stars overall.

yanch

My first album by Argentinian singer/songwriter Alejandro Matos. This record is very, very dark and at times the music has a almost unsettling feel to it. That does not make this a bad record, but it is not recommended if you need something to get you happy.
The first thing that struck me was Matos's guitar playing. it is my favorite thing about this album really, and he really has a penchant for good post rock like atmosphere and sharp, enticing guitar solos. The addition of an organ is also a realy nice touch to the whole dark atmosphere this record shrouds itself in.
Some personnal favs are the beginning song, and the epic El Infierno de Los Buenos, which has one of the really good aforementioned guitar solos. Also a special shout out going to the interlude like song, Invernadero de preguntas. All I have to say about that song is, whatever you do, do not listen to that song in the dark. It is up there, in terms of extreme creepiness, with Tool's Faip De Oiad.
A solid album deserving of four/five stars.

Alex Newman

Three years after "Persona", Alejandro Matos released another album: "Freak". Basically, this album shows a similar style as "Persona", dark progressive rock with Argentinian influences in the melodies, but the approach on "Freak" is far more symphonic. "Freak" shows a greater diversity in the usage of instruments: there are more keyboards and acoustic instruments. The vocal performance has obviously improved. Veronica Marjbein on violin appears as a guest musician, all the other instruments are played by Alejandro himself.
Just like "Persona", the album consists of two parts: "Anormal" and "Normal", of different length, and one epic track inbetween.
"Falso Primogénito" is a strong opener, starting with acoustic guitar and vocals. When the organ enters in and the sound becomes heavier after one minute, it reminds me of Van der Graaf Generator. The next track, "El Mas Allá", grew on me after a few listens. I like the guitar here in the first three minutes; it makes me think a bit of Steve Hackett-era Genesis. "Verde por Dentro" is a dominated by keyboards and closes with a beautiful violin solo, about 1.5 minutes in length.
"El Infierno de los Buenos", the 18:51 minute track between the "Anormal" and "Normal" sections, can be added to the list of excellent prog epics. This well- composed piece starts with piano, but the guitar takes over soon. The vocal parts are alternated by symphonic instrumental parts in which different instruments play the starring role. It is my favourite track on this album.
"La Pasión según el Canibal" starts with organ and bass in a slow 5/4. After it has become heavier, the track finishes with an IQ-ish guitar solo and some ambient keyboard chords. Then "La Pasion según el Canibal II", an instrumental, takes over and improvises on the theme of the second half of the first part. A great track.
"Invernadero de Preguntas" is a collection of noises: spacey synth sounds with a cycle of some squealing sound and voices. I think I hear some German in it. After one more track, "El Resto", the album ends quietly with "Sombras sin Filo", in which the vocals are accompanied by an acoustic guitar only.
My overall impression is that Alejandro Matos has made alot of progress in his development as a composer and a musician, as this album proves. "Freak" is a crown achievement for an artist who plays almost all the music on his own. I can surely recommend this album to anyone who is interested in dark eclectic prog. This album deserves 4/5 stars and a recommendation; no rounding up is needed.

Robert

Repito, no dejen de escuchar éste disco y conocer a éste músico, que tengo en la mira desde hace mucho tiempo y por alguna de esas extrañas razones nunca había traído al blog y no lo había presentado en sociedad. Otro paseo por los vericuetos del mejor under argentino, en el blog cabezón.


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Lista de Temas:
1. Falso primogénito
2. El más allá
3. Agujero de sueños
4. Verde por dentro
5. Veneno ilustrado
6. El Infierno de Los Buenos
7. La pasión según el caníbal
8. La pasión según el caníbal II
9. Invernadero de preguntas
10. El resto
11. Sombras sin filo

Alineación:
- Alejandro Matos / guitars, voices, programming, bass and keyboards
Support musicians:
Veronica Marjbein / violin