Guranfoe were born in 2012 under the name of Gumbo Variation, which they maintain until 2016. The first thing that strikes entering their Bandcamp profile is the publication of over 80 digital albums with live and improvised songs recorded during these 8 years. On December 13, 2019 their first studio album “Sum Of Erda” comes out containing five tracks produced for Apollon Records Prog. The “Eventide” opener is a song that mixes Neo Prog sound with the inspiration of the ‘70s and Jazzy veins. The guitar guides the sound with a well-elaborated rhythmic session full of tempo changes, between pleasant melodies of keyboards. “Night first light” has more Jazz Prog features, with constant tempo changes, the guitars that interchange, going from acoustic to electric and excellent layers of keyboards. The guitar is always the protagonist in solos and it increases the intensity of the track with harder inserts. “Karu Vatsarin” begins on Jazz Prog tones, a terrain that skilfully follows the whole track, between intricate rhythms and melodies. With fast accelerations and calmer moments and a sound where all the instruments express themselves freely but creating a good ensemble. “Etsinta vision” is characterized by a dreamy intro of the arpeggiated guitar, this short song guides us towards the final “Etsinta harvest in the thar sands” which begins with a rhythm with jazz and folk flavours and positive melodies. The intensity increases by scrolling the track, taking on majestic and Progressive characters, which after a crescendo closes with a gloomy guitar outro. An album and a group with a sparkling and well-structured sound, which mixes 70’s Jazz and Prog influences with modern sounds. Their excellent skills can be seen here as in the huge collection of previous recordings, refined and original. A recommended album and a technically well-prepared band, also interesting to browse their large catalogue of previous works.
Tracklist
1. Eventide (7:51)
2. Night’s First Light (9:04)
3. Karu Vatsarin (7:04)
4. Etsinta Visions (2:58)
5. Etsinta Harvest In The Thar Sands (9:38)
Lineup
James Burns / Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars
Ollie Snell / Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Lap Steel Guitar
Robin Breeze / Bass Guitar, Piano, Hammond T-100 Organ, Gem Sprinter 49 B Synthesizer
Joe Burns / Drums, Percussion, Gem Sprinter 49 B Synthesizer
With
Rob Milne / Flute, Clarinet
David Boyce / Recorder
Calum McKemmie / Violin
Dan Ball / Vibraphone
Guranfoe |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Spotify|YouTube Channel|
Apollon Records Prog |Official Website|Facebook Page|Twitter|Soundcloud|Spotify|
