Nagual
Tat Tvam Asi

THE REVIEW

On February 17, 2017, the debut album of the Piacenza-based band Nagual, titled "TAT TVAM ASI", was released; the album consists of thirteen tracks, all rich in contaminations and clear rock influences from the '70s/'90s; a record where the leitmotif passionately encourages one to always be oneself. The album was self-produced by Nagual along with Alberto Callegari for the label OrzoRock Music and mixed and mastered at Elfo Studio in Tavernago.

The album, besides being of high musical profile, is also original and complex in its essence, starting with the title. In fact, the phrase Tat Tvam Asi is a mantra declined in Sanskrit which translates to "You are exactly as you are." The band provided a comprehensive explanation of the meaning: "The Self in its pure original and primordial state is entirely or partially identifiable with the 'Ultimate Reality' which is the ground and origin of all phenomena."

This album for the band is not the end of a journey but an important evolution, a sum of unfolding experiences that include the creation of original and unreleased tracks alternated with unique covers of songs by rock greats such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Pearl Jam, '70s Rock/Blues, and '90s Grunge. A truly idiosyncratic and personal album that reflects the talent and commitment of this group, hailing from the province of Piacenza and active since 2006, four veterans of the Piacenza and Pavia rock scene.

The standout tracks for me are "Words for the Wind", a strong track with a dominant sound that captures unequivocally, then the sweet "Defenseless," "Dark Lunacy", and "Dreaming Soul Mate"; without detracting from the other nine, these are the ones that struck me like a boomerang. Also worth mentioning is "My Own Two Demons", a track with a predominant and reverberation-rich drum that delivers palpable emotions; in its entirety, in any case, the entire work is truly valid and recommended, a debut with all the trimmings, a true journey back in time to music without electronic frills, or to put it in the words of the album title itself, "Tat Tvam Asi", just as it is... four souls and true music.