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Rating: Sean Malone is a genius and surrounds himself exclusively with geniuses. The year 2000 marks the birth of the new group of the fantastic bassist of the "Cynic," who, accompanied by the talented Danishta Rivero on vocals, Santiago Dobles on lead guitar, Charlie Ekendahl on rhythm guitar, and Sean Reinert on drums and percussion, offers us a true masterpiece of hyper-technical progressive metal.
What is offered to us in this fantastic album is something as diverse as has ever been played by those many consider the greats of modern prog: equipped with extraordinary technique, Aghora offers us in this wonderful debut album "Aghora" 55 minutes of instrumental evolutions experienced so far only in bands such as: Rush, Cynic, and Spiral Architect. The genre played, although referable to hyper-technical prog, is full of inserts from American trash and death and also jazz. The track-list consists of 9 medium-long duration songs that will, however, never tire you.
The album opens with "Immortal Bliss," a song with strong trash overtones, showcasing all the talent of the group, foregrounding the bass and the splendid voice of mezzo-soprano Danishta; the song turns out to be very fast and complex, with tight and fast rhythms and endless solos following each other in a blend of 4 minutes and 38 seconds. "Satya," the second track on the album, presents itself as a very fast prog-song entirely based on bass solos designed by a magnificent Malone who accompanies the voice, composing a song with vaguely oriental flavors. The guitars are present and powerful, the hyper-fast and complex drums. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is splendid and will make you realize how little technical prowess the two most acclaimed prog groups, Dream Theater and Symphony X, actually have.
We thus move on to the third song on the album: "Transfiguration": transfiguration of perfection into musical notes, what was said for the previous two songs applies in this case too: what is offered to us cannot but be considered an absolute masterpiece. We come to the fourth track: "Frames," the most beautiful song on the album that can ideally be divided into two parts, the first of which is more trash and the second absolutely jazz: it is precisely in this context that the band's skill is seen, offering us a torrent of solos played with fearsome class. The other songs move more or less along the coordinates of the previous four, with the exception of the seventh track, which presents itself as an instrumental piece as particular as it is beautiful, although decidedly long.
In conclusion, this "Aghora" should be counted among the ultimate masterpieces of the most extreme prog along with the albums of Cynic, Rush, Spiral Architect, and Gordian Knot.
Oh, a final advice, read the lyrics... they are absolutely fantastic and profound.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Immortal Bliss (04:34)
In my eyes I see my life go by
Teaching me the answers to live
Kneeling down I pray
and pour myself to Him
Endlessly I pray
Questioning, questioning my place
in this state
Conscious bliss is near
In my silence I leave my mind behind
Flying through skies
of new worlds deep inside
Breaking through chains
or karmic ties I've made
Feeling His grace
I am blessed by His flame.
Now I've learned
I've realized the truth about myself
It isn't who you are
It is what you do
It isn't what you do
It is who you are
In my silence
I leave my mind behind
Feeling His grace
I am blessed by His flame.
05 Mind's Reality (04:16)
In my mind thoughts create
Cosmic fields bring new dreams
In this light I am born.
In your treason
illusion will cause you to fall
Losing freedom
the seed you have reaped
will be sowed.
With your faith life will grow
Bringing answers, blessings will flow
Sacrifice, gesture of God.
In your treason
illusion will cause you to fall
Losing freedom,
the seed you have reaped
will be sowed.
In his eyes
reflected creation unfolds
Moving spheres ethereal beings are born
Folding flesh
the melting of life takes its toll
Testing souls
delusional games have begun.
What is real is only dream
Realization brings us peace
God's gift frees your mind.
06 Kali Yuga (05:34)
Born within a darkened age
microcosmic game of life
Endless cycles endless dreams
dormant beings we've become
Moving away from light
through karmic conditioning
Consciousness self repressed
unaware sustains the stress
Feeding us with ignorance
trapped by time we stay confined
Moving away from light
by carnal conditioning
"Is this real?" you ask.
The reality is locked inside.
Close your eyes.
Take a step into the abyss.
It is far greater
than the world you know.
Like the lotus in the mud,
out of darkness comes light.
Facing life
freeing minds
no more lies
fear must die
In the abyss is life
through the darkness comes light
breaking the frames of time
eternally man must rise
Rise.
07 Jivatma (11:17)
[Music by Santiago Dobles & Sean Reinert]
[Percussion Programming by Santiago Dobles]
[Special Guests:]
[Jason Gobel - Guitar Textures]
[Mark Mantini - Dijeridu]
[This song is dedicated to the members of Shakti & The Mahavishnu Orchestra]
[for their example of capturing the individual soul of music by playing in the moment.]
What need have I for this
What need have I for that
I am dancing at the feet of my Lord
All is Bliss - All is Bliss
[John Maclaughlin]
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By TheSilentMan
This is undeniably an album that is musically supreme, even though I can understand that taste-wise it might be more or less appealing.
You better run and grab [Cynic's] only existing CD (Focus) to understand what it means to know how to write and play a certain type of music (Fusion).
