Pájaro are a young Argentine band that offers Progressive Rock sounds contaminated by Psychedelia, Canterbury and Prog Metal. Their second and new album “El Manifiesto” was released on June 03, 2022 and contains 9 tracks, some long-running, showing all their musical facets and influences. The album opens with the longest running track “El Manifiesto” which also gives the album its title and exceeds 11 minutes. Distorted guitar riffs open the song, with the rhythm session moving slowly and the intensity increasing as the minutes pass, evolving and processing the sound. A guitar solo characterizes the first part, with good keyboard work in the background, supporting bass lines and a change that takes us towards the Symphonic Prog. The vocal is warm and expressive and as per tradition in Spanish and with a melodic imprint, alternating solo and choral parts. Alternating more melodic parts with Heavy openings with accelerate and an intricate keyboard solo in the central part. The more complex sounds emerge with the passage of the song, an opener that immediately plunges us into the Progressive atmospheres of the band, bringing the sounds of the ’70s into a modern context. “Origen” is an interlude with hypnotic effects and sounds that leads us in a crescendo towards the following “Mamá, el Perro Se Metió en el Lavarropas.” A vintage-inspired synth that is intertwined with the guitar and an elaborate rhythm with a killer bassline characterize the song. Softer and Jazzy passages alternate with Progressive openings with interweaving of guitar and synth, a track that enhances the band’s technique, touching at times the Fusion music. In the central part it becomes harder in the sonority, and then returns to work on the initial theme with more Jazzy and Canterbury features. A long intro with a more Ambient keyboard sound opens “Grito Sagrado” which at 2 minutes turns into a Heavy Prog track with a tight rhythm and aggressive vocals. Halfway between Rock and Metal, it shows a heavier facet of the band’s sound with excellent phrasing between organ and guitar with engaging riffs. In the instrumental parts, exhilarating synth solos enchant the listener with an epic touch, with a continuous musical crescendo that brings the sound to Prog Metal. Technique and power are the main ingredients of this long song, which has nothing to envy to the tracks of established and famous bands. “Progreso” is another interlude always characterized by effects and modulations. A warm and expressive vocal opens “Rumbo al Bolsón” a soft track that shows a facet closer to the ‘song’ with a more linear structure. A melancholic intertwining of guitar and keyboards characterizes the intro of “Hojas de Sombra” with the rhythm session that moves slowly and with synth inserts. With a change the sounds return to that elaborate Prog that characterizes the band, alternating slow and melancholic parts to other more intricate and Canterbury-style parts, especially in the second part. A long instrumental section accompanies us to the finale, slow and with refined interweaving between the instruments, not very incisive but of high quality, to close with an unexpected Heavy musical crescendo. Another interlude “Sacrifice” leads us to the final piece, always with the usual modulations and effects, this time more rhythmic and percussive, ending with the bells. Closes the album “Sus Duchas” which opens with a dreamy intertwining of keyboards and guitar, soft and enveloping. The vocals are warm and expressive and are reminiscent of the Argentine Prog ’70s bands, and then increase the intensity with heavy guitar riffs and continuous tempo changes. Dark traits and symphonic parts come together to create an original sound with markedly personal traits, with that typical melodic sound that envelops the listener. The intensity increases and the song in its long duration summarizes all the characteristic features of the band, passing from one genre to another with technique and quality. Between Heavy Prog and Jazzy sounds and thundering solos in the instrumental parts, this excellent listening ends perfectly. A young band but with very clear ideas and a high level sound, combining various styles of Prog thanks to their personal touch. An album where the long tracks allow you to develop intense instrumental sections that alternate with melodic vocals reminding us of the South American bands of the ’70s. I found this record really excellent both in composition and in execution, this band has its own distinctive original sound that manages to bring the atmosphere of the past into a modern context. A recommended listening for Prog lovers, combining melodic, Jazzy and Heavy traits with technique and quality, a band to follow and listen to in the future.
Tracklist
01. El Manifiesto (11:37)
02. Origen (01:32)
03. Mamá, el Perro Se Metió en el Lavarropas (04:32)
04. Grito Sagrado (10:03)
05. Progreso (01:55)
06. Rumbo al Bolsón (02:28)
07. Hojas de Sombra (07:17)
08. Sacrificio (01:25)
09. Sus Duchas (09:21)
Lineup
Manuel del Molino Torres / Bass and Vocals (Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 6, 7 and 9)
Marcos del Molino Torres / Keyboards and Vocals (Lead Vocals on Tracks 1 and 9)
Sean Chatburn / Guitar and Vocals (Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 4 y 9)
Agustín Ruiu / Guitar and Vocals (Lead Vocals on Track 1)
Osiris Lescano / Drums and Backing Vocals