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AL-BANDALUZ (2CD)
CAST
2003 , MEXICO
, EAN CODE 3426300045126 - EURO 21.50
Label: MUSEA
ALBUM REVIEW
After the momentum achieved in their brilliant ‘Beyond Reality’ album, Mexican symphonic prog ensemble Cast had been approaching a crossroad that seemed to dangerously lead them to ceaseless self-repetition. Even though their posterior albums were all quite good, the prog magic apparently was starting to wane. Alfonso Vidales & co. came up with an excellent solution to their artistic predicament when they conceived the idea for “Al-bandaluz”, a proposal of refurbishment based on the incorporation of Flamenco-and-Arabic-oriented flavors into their own vintage symphonic bombast. This double CD is a manifestation of constant musical magic; it may be tiring to listen to this ambitious opus too often, but, the way I see it, each occasion in which you take your time to relax and enjoy the whole stuff comes with an ultimate reward at the end of the day. The typical elegance and melodic pomposity of Cast remains solid as a rock in a storm, but it is clear that the addition of new forms has influenced in the reshaping of the band’s core essence. (C.Inca Mendoza Loyola)
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