[Review] Evraak – Requiem For Lost Tides

Japanese progressive rock band Evraak returns two years after reissuing their debut album, with a new studio album. Entitled “Requiem For Lost Tides,” it was released on December 18, 2024 via CD Arcàngelo and contains six full-length tracks and a revamped lineup. An intro with choral vocals opens “Eclipse” and the album, then develops into a prog sound with prominent horns and elaborate textures with interweaving keyboards and guitar. The rhythm section is elaborate and solid, with continuous tempo changes to imrpeziosire the sound, which has references to the sounds of the early 70s proposed with a modern and personal touch. An enthralling track, which incorporates references to the Canterbury Scene in the woodwind cues, while the female vocals interpret the Japanese lyrics with pathos. With alternating sung and intense instrumental parts, the track is used in its entirety to develop the theme with refined Prog cues that enhance the band’s technique. An energetic and incisive sound characterises “Fata Morgana,” with a good mixture of keyboard-guitar-sax and a solid, tight rhythm section. A powerful track that combines Jazz Rock and Progressive with continuous tempo changes and fine sax inserts, always at the heart of the project. The band develops intense instrumental textures to which the vocals are added, another trademark of the band and an added value to the sound, with powerful and incisive singing. “Sanctuary” continues to explore the energetic Jazz Prog sounds of the previous ones, offering another powerful track with technical passages. The band in this track develops more experimental sounds, exploring another facet of their sound, where complex vocal parts intertwine with instrumental parts that incorporate Jazz and Prog. In a continuous muasical crescendo with the final instrumental section and the lead guitar, the track ends. “Call of Hierophany” is over 8 minutes long and opens with a more experimental intro, culminating in a Prog theme with saxophone leading the melodies. The work of the keyboards is very interesting, giving a retro sl aound touch, which increases in intensity with the entry of the vocals and is enriched by continuous tempo changes. The references to the Canterbury Scene are evident, but proposed with a personal and original touch by the band. In the second part, an instrumental section offers an interweaving of saxophone and guitar with technical solo inserts and distinctly Jazz Rock traits. The vocal returns for the last verses and the track ends in a choral musical crescendo. We come to the epic tracxk “Requiem for Lost Tides,” that exceeds 16 minutes in length and opens with dreamy piano and vocal atmospheres. After a first part that explores more traditional Japanese sounds, in the second part the band evolves the piece, returning to their Jazz Prog style. An intense and elaborate weaving of elaborate vocal parts, both spoken and sung that interpret the lyrics with pathos and technique. A distinctive, original track that encapsulates the essence of the band through this long journey between Prog and Jazz. The album ends with “遠景 (Enkei),” a softer track in the first part with a more modern sound that enhances the vocal. In the second part the band experiments, evolving the theme of the track through complex textures that take us to the finale. A good album that continues the musical discourse undertaken in the debut, confirming the good things heard previously. A sound that mixes Jazz Rock in the style of the Canterbury Scene and Progressive Rock, with extensive use of sax and a solid rhythm section. The guitar and keyboards dialogue well with the horns, and the vocal experimentation is an added value to the sound. A recommended listen for lovers of the more Jazz sounds of Prog with long instrumental textures and a very interesting and original vocal.

Tracklist

01. Eclipse (11:47)
02. Fata Morgana (6:31)
03. Sanctuary (8:16)
04. Call of Hierophany (8:22)
05. Requiem for Lost Tides (16:54)
06. 遠景 (Enkei) (4:57)

Lineup

Marina Seo / Vocals
Hayawo Kanno
/ Guitar
Miki Hasegawa / Keyboards
Tengoku Imagawa
/ Saxophone
Koji Kawashima
/ Bass
Takeshi Yoshida
/ Drums

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Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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