Once in awhile you come across a group that just utterly floors you. I am talking about the kind of group that takes music into a whole different realm for the listener. The kind of band that makes you realize that there is something new and fresh out there. Someone who can make you gasp and forget about breathing as you surrender to the sounds they create. Such a band is Anima Mundi. Without a doubt, this is a band destined for greatness.
I am sure that the only reason you have not heard of these progressive geniuses is the fact they are from Cuba and kind of hid away there. I know their island is not the juggernaut for progressive music and it is also a sure bet that the fight to get their stuff released has been a hard one. They finally have a deal with a small French label and it is possible to get their music on a much easier level. Thank God they have been able to find a way to get the music out. These guys are poised and ready to knock the kings off their throne! Watch out Flower Kings, there is a new player and they have all the tools necessary to prove they are a band to reckon with.
The album grabs you right from the beginning with the almost eighteen minute "We Are The Light". To say that this work is on an epic scale is understating it. With a strong basis in the early prog pioneers such as Yes and Genesis, these guys create a soundscape that is so vast it unfolds like a panorama in front of you with their ever shifting style and rhythms swirling around inside you head. The musicianship of the band is so spectacular that it has taken me quite a few times through the CD player to even grasp a small portion of all that is going on. The vocals interplay so well it reminds me of early Yes the way the keyboards swoop in and out of the singing parts. Massive guitar work that goes from heavy to some very jazz oriented moments weaves itself into the complex tapestry of sound. It is impossible to hold your breath for eighteen minutes but there is times when you will feel like you have as you are completely enchanted by these guys! And to think that this is only the first song!!
The rest of the album consists of six songs with two that clock in at eleven and sixteen minutes. Mixed in are a few shorter numbers that the band devotes just as much attention to. Each piece is a finely crafted work of art that stimulates the senses in a way that few bands can. Simply put, using the old deserted island scenario, this is a must have disc. When I listen to the eleven minutes of the title track "Jagannath Orbit(In The Orbit Of Love") I am taken on a musical space trip that sounds like I have Yes, The Flower Kings, IQ, The Beatles, Neal Morse and a dash of Genesis traveling with me. The influences are there and it is a tasty treat to see what they do with them.
To me the album is centered on the sixteen minute instrumental piece called "Rhythm Of The Spheres". This is what it is all about! If you call yourself a fan of progressive music there is no doubt that this song will become a permanent addition to you musical rotation. Alluring at times, spellbinding for the entire length, this is some of the best music to come across my desk, well, ever! I only wish that I would have found them earlier as this disc is the epitome of what we all want in this genre of album.
Strong, powerful and with magical musical arrangements that will most certainly make you better off for listening, this album is a must have. If there is one disc that I would suggest you find and it may be a little harder than most to obtain, this is the one. You can thank me later!
Track listing:
1. We Are The Light
2. The Awaken Dreamer In The Soul Garden Dreams The Flower Planets
3. Toward The Adventure
4. There's A Place Not Faraway
5. Jagannath Orbit (In The Orbit Of Love)
6. Rhythm Of The Spheres
7. Sanctuary
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