Anima Mundi: Insomnia

Although I have been aware of the Cuban progressive rock band Anima Mundi, I have not heard any of their output until their latest album titled Insomnia arrived in the mail. They have been around for a number of years having formed in 1996 in La Habana, Cuba. Insomnia is their sixth release following their 2016 album I Me Myself.

This new platter is apparently quite a departure from the band’s symphonic sound. Please keep in mind this is the only album I have dug into by the band so I really cannot comment further on that. What I can tell you is Insomnia had me mesmerized right from the beginning and the album opening “Citadel�, an ambitious multipart effort. The effects exude a feeling of darkness before the full band gets into the groove. It’s very moody and a bit unsettling but that’s what makes this so compelling. I really wanted to know where the music would take me. Some of the chord progressions reminded me of Floyd’s The Wall. Synths and guitar take turns at being the focus forming a cohesive whole that develops into some trippy atmospheres and spacey textures. This certainly isn’t your conventional symphonic prog, more along the lines of spacey art rock. More darkly hued trippiness can be heard in “Nine Swans�, another somewhat unsettling piece where symphonic swells and deep guttural rumblings will definitely turn some heads. The addition of sax is a nice touch. “Electric Credo� features off kilter guitar rhythms, pulsating keyboards and voice samples in the style of NASA’s mission control. Again the Floyd vibe comes through, this time reminding me of Floyd’s “On The Run�. As you can imagine the sound is quite dark. On “The Hunter� the music is much more mellow, introspective and perhaps a bit jazzy with a tinge of psychedelic. The title track is another work of art, very mellow, spacey and jazzy, the trumpet lines helping in that regard with the music slowly flowing before things become more intense as a shroud of heavier symphonics are unleashed. The music becomes more dense and the atmosphere much more penetrating as the instruments build to a final conclusion. “Electric Dreams� is more avant in nature, another really trippy piece. The jazziest track has to be “The Wheel of Days�, a moody and ultimately delightful slice of avant psychedelic weirdness.

Insomnia is another album that would have rated high on my 2018 ‘best of list’ had I gotten to it sooner. A truly stunning album that needs to be listened to from beginning to end, demanding your undivided attention.

Released on Progressive Promotion Records.

Track Listing:
1. Citadel (11:14)
Act ��" Confidential
Act II ��" Scenery
Act III ��" Broken
2. Nine Swans (4:07)
3. Electric Credo (3:29)
4. The Hunter (4:49)
5. Insomnia (7:16)
6. Electric Dreams (3:51)
7. The Wheel of Days (5:28)
8. New Tribe’s Totem (10:55)
9. Her Song (7:05)

Added: April 1st 2019
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1187
Language: english

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