Espíritu is an Argentine progressive rock band founded in 1972. The group has had a very fragmented history, due to a variety of reasons. Nonetheless they were an important act during the heyday of prog-rock in Argentina in the mid 1970s, and one of the few bands from that period that are active today.
The band spent its first two years in the tour circuit, their live performances achieving some nororiety by word-of-mouth. In 1975 they would release their first LP by the name of Crisálida. It was both critically and commercially acclaimed as one of the finest Argentine symphonic rock records of the year. It was a prog-rock album with echoes from Genesis and Yes. The band was at their pinnacle: good response from both fans and the press and spectacular live shows. ... Read more »
1. Crossroads (4:49)
2. Nightingale (5:53)
3. Uptight (5:53)
4. Fly (8:50)
5. Stop, Look And Listen (9:55)
6. Autumn 71 (bonus) (4:28)
7. Are You Ready (bonus) (4:25)
8. We Love You Alice (bonus) (3:38)
9. Paradise For Sale (bonus) (3:16)
from A Guide to German Progressive & Electronic Rock :
Dzyan recorded a unique kind of electric ethnic jazz-rock. The band look their name from the Indian book of creation. They formed in January 1972 as a quintet. After just two months the self-titled debut album was recorded, and then released on the minor Aronda label in April 1972. This first line-up of the band was just a studio project and promptly disintegrated. Lothar Scharf played drums in a revamped Dzyan's first live gigs, before he joined Virgo. In November 1972 Dzyan were reduced to a trio. In Studio Dierks, Stommeln, they recorded Time Machine, produced by Peter Hauke and released on Bacillus in November 1973. This was an excellent jazz-rock album consisting of four tracks. "Kabisrain" was an Eastern-oriented, ethnic number featuring saz, quite similar to Embryo. The other three tracks were electro acoustic, inspired by King Crimson and perhaps jazz records released on the ECM label. The strongest cut on the album was the 18 minute long title track. Dzyan's second album for Bacillus (also recorded by the Hauke & Dierks team) was recorded in October 1974. It had a similar style to their first, but was a bit more acoustic and Indian-flavoured. Late in 1974 Reinhard Karwatky, the last remaining original member, decided to leave the group. This concluded the story of Dzyan. Along with Embryo, Between and Agitation Free they were pioneers of the world music. Giger and Marron eventual recruited Gunter Lenz In 1976 and recorded one further album as Giger, Lenz & Marron (Niagara MIX 1011-N).
From Cleveland, Ohio their ultra rarities are well worth seeking out for connoisseurs of psychedelia. The first album, which was only issued as a promotional acetate, is an effective blend of keyboards and guitar. Fire Climbs is the outstanding track but there are lots of other highs on this album which is well worth searching for.
Their next effort similarly didn't get beyond the acetate stage. Even more keyboard-orientated than the first one with lots of synthesiser it perhaps inevitably leans more towards the progressive genre. A different version of Fire Climbs and the final track, Freedom Son are among the highlights and there's still some fine psychedelic guitar work in places.
Their third venture was made under the name Fun. The opening cut, Music is superb, whilst on the whole this acetate is more experimental than their earlier recordings. I Shall Stay, for example, is quite chaotic. They went on to evolve into Moonlight Drive releasing some 45s and a mini-LP with quite a lot of Doors' covers.
Devil Doll are an Italian band who sound nothing like the archetypal Italian progressive music at all. No fusion or lush symphonics here! What they offer is a very unique blend of gothic imagery and Victorian "Jekyll and Hyde" ambience, spun over a collage of piano, tortured vocals, sinister accordion folk music interludes, choirs, violin and waltz themes. The dynamics of the music is outstanding and never clumsy ... it moves between diverse elements with skill and power. The vocals may not be to the liking of some as there is a lot of them and they are more whispered/screamed than sung, in general. They fit the music perfectly though. The Girl Who Was ... Death is a conceptual work based on the cult UK series "The Prisoner" and takes it's name from one of the episodes. It demonstrates the maturity to come and has a little more (but not much) in the way of powerful rock sections. Mr Doctor also deigns to sing normally occasionally! Lots of accordion, violin and harp. A rock opera? Both Eliogabalus and Sacreligium are excellent works of extended progressive gothic "opera," for want of a better term. Highly metaphorical story-telling is important to the band's approach ... for example, Sacreligium tells the story of a man in his grave looking back over his life, complete with the closing of the funeral as a bonus after the music has finished! Devil Doll excel at creating atmosphere with very sparse instrumentation ... Mr Doctor, the enigmatic and unidentified band leader, employs his idiosyncratic vocal style to add to this. It may sound peculiar but I can hear a Marillion influence. I know that sounds strange given the description above but Marillion hinted at this sort of style on their early albums but never pulled it off explicitly or in such a grandiose and effective manner. Don't get the wrong idea though ... Devil Doll are not what you'd call a neo-prog band at all. I'd wholeheartedly endorse the view that Devil Doll are amongst the world's finest progressive acts of the '90s.
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