Vlad Tepes is a broad-minded Progressive Rock band, formed in 2005 with three full-lengths and one EP to their credit. The album we are about to review in this article “Valses Elementales” released on April 2, 2021 contains 9 medium to long duration tracks. The sound proposed by the band evolves from Progressive Rock touching different genres and influences, from Jazz to Space Rock, passing through Psychedelic Rock with elaborate instrumental moments rich in tempo changes. The album opens with “Hasta que salga el sol” which begins with intricate melodies and the song is engaging with a Spanish vocal that is well suited to tempo changes. The mixture between keyboards and guitar is well made and the theme is well developed both in the vocal parts and in the instrumental sections. “Parecen falsos” has a solid and load-bearing rhythm session, massive guitar riffs and a warm, melodic vocal. With tempo changes that embellish the piece and a pleasant instrumental section in the final with an excellent well-developed solo passage. “El bache” blends traditional Argentine music and Rock giving life to a song reminiscent of a Tango, modern and original. The effective and decisive vowel guides us in this particular but original and engaging piece, a perfect idea. “Alguna vez” begins with softer and more dreamy tones on which a melodic vowel is inserted, with the piece increasing in intensity as the minutes pass. The tempo changes are well structured, a true trademark of the band, while the melodies are dilated and enveloping. “Gilonio” has a more intricate and constantly changing structure, where the Jazzy influences are more marked. In the central instrumental section, in addition to the good drum solo, the interweaving between keyboards and guitar is well developed, touching more styles, a very inspired piece. “Uranus” is a short passage of just over 2 minutes, very intense and with the keyboards in evidence, entirely instrumental that reminds us of the 70s. A concentrate of very intense and pleasant Prog. “Ahora” is the longest track on the album, in the early part the atmospheres are dark mixing Prog and Space Rock, with tempo changes and interesting guitar riffs. The middle instrumental section moves more and more slowly into Psychedelia, with a prolonged guitar solo and a dark atmosphere. It continues between electric shocks and hypnotic bass lines, to conclude with atmospheric effects and vocals, I expected a more elaborate and less Psychedelic approach, but it is still a good song. An ever-changing elaborate structure, frenetic rhythms with intricate bass lines in “Tremenda situación,” 3 immersive minutes, with good vocals. Closes the album “Seguridad,” a track of over 7 minutes that starts slowly and then increases in intensity as the minutes pass. In the first part the tempo changes are not very incisive, while in the central instrumental section the guitar offers a more acidic solo. The second part begins and develops in a softer way with a keyboard background and a pleasant vocal, and then ends with a long instrumental and another solo in conclusion. A pleasant album that develops interesting ideas at times, while in others it is more dispersive, but overall still pleasant. Many instrumental and solo parts are among the strengths of this album, at times some passages, however, are too dilated and less incisive. A good listening for all lovers of Psychedelic sounds in Prog colors, with forays into Jazz and Space Rock, with some interesting ideas.
Tracklist
| 01. | Hasta que salga el sol | 04:25 |
| 02. | Parecen falsos | 04:38 |
| 03. | El bache | 04:58 |
| 04. | Alguna vez | 04:29 |
| 05. | Gilonio | 05:39 |
| 06. | Uranus | 02:35 |
| 07. | Ahora | 09:56 |
| 08. | Tremenda situación | 03:07 |
| 09. | Seguridad | 07:47 |
Lineup
| Maximiliano Oyarzabal | Bass, Vocals and Violin |
| Jonathan López Barrios | Guitars, Mellotron and Programming |
| Sebastián Moreiras | Electronic Drums and Percussion |
| Andrés Bonetto | Drums and Electronic Drums |
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