Guapo — History of the Visitation
To call this album progressive rock/metal, as I've often seen it classified, seems to do it a disservice, as it could be not be more unlike the emotionally stunted, show-offy bands that have followed in the wake of Dream Theater. Guapo's style is much closer to the original definition of prog in the 70's, though they have tastefully added influences from jazz, soundtrack music, modern avant garde and post rock for a creation that is ancient, alien, massive and powerful. The listener feels as if they are the first explorer on a desolate extraterrestrial world, while remaining completely listenable with rich instrument tones, solid space jazz grooves and smooth, expressive solos.
"The Pilman Radiant", at 26:15, is the centerpiece of the album. A dissonant, tense cloud of ashy ambient sound begins the song/album, in which an ominous horn section repeatedly stabs the same note, a faint choir of ghoulish voices can be heard, and the rapid bowing of a violin has been shredding into tiny abrasive fragment which mass in the front of the soundspace like a swarm of bees. This is the first movement "Visitation". It dissipates into a jazzy rhodes keyboard line in 3/4 after 5:00, which signifies the beginning of "The Divine Vessel", and the band's instrumental narrative begins.
I was happy to discover that this is a band that does not clutter their songs needlessly with too many abrupt stylistic changes, something many modern bands are guilty of. They engage in flurries of technicality at the most climactic moments, but oftentimes will play a riff for minutes on end, expanding upon its psychedelic potentials or letting a solo really shred, and at these moments, they capture the same perfectly timed hypnotic momentum that Can had.
When they finally pull out all the stops and get heavy around 10:00, it's a King Crimson-esque syncopated sludge, the sort of riff that appeared on their 1974 "Red" album and forshadowed atonal math rock and doom metal at the same time. Guapo seems to pay respect to the sultry, haunting chord progressions of Opeth, as well, but ultimately creates a more sophisticated, natural, and deeply emotional piece of work than any of Akerfeldt's recent records.
The energy increases over the following 10 minutes into a furious storm of angular figures, allowing the keyboardist to mash pretty hard on some very nice distorted organ tones, making for some of the best soloing on the album. Raw, bluesy soul is a primary element in every solo found on this album, and the synth player utilizes no novelty sounds.
The truly beautiful and emotive chord progressions in the 5 minute finale of piece that show that no 40 second major chord is needed to end a 20 minute epic. The ending is an earth shattering moment comparable to the most expansive tracks by Godspeed You, Black Emperor.
For the first piece of side B, "Complex #7", the band returns to an ambient sound, dwelling on resonant saw waves that sketch a hazy vintage sci-fi environment. It's not unlike the beginning of side A, and it gives the album both continuity and diversity, as it is pleasantly innocuous by comparison to the band's fiery instrumental excursions.
"Tremors from the Future" is third and final song on the album, another epic at 11:15. As this is already a long review, I'll suffice to say its It's significantly more upbeat and fast paced, and expresses to me the joy of writing and playing music. I'm at a loss to describe the complexities of this transporting piece.
In conclusion, "History of the Visitation" is an incredible trip, one that I highly recommend. It's great to see bands like Guapo and Fontanelle taking the best of progressive rock, krautrock, post rock and space jazz and putting them in tasteful yet exploratory blends like this. I could jam out to this sound until the end of time.