At the end of 2021, the new Brazilian band 'Undertime' has just released its first studio recording 'The Sound of Hopes' and, the least we can say is that, even if it is not making the buzz on the internet for the moment, it is likely to make some noise in the progressive field in general because, this first opus contains everything one would like to find in this style with, as a bonus, a total duration of 81 minutes that slowly reveals itself and takes all its dimension, listening after listening, that is generally the proof of a great quality.
And contrary to my usual practice of describing an album in track order, I'll start with the album's last eponymous composition, over 18 minutes long, which alone is worth the purchase of this first baby from the Brazilians and sums up this work as a whole: an introduction with a slow tempo that slowly builds up and whose theme mixes oriental and occidental sounds and whose original rhythmic section envelops the music magnificently, then, a captivating melody (reminding me of the ambiences of a certain 'The Astonishing' of 'Dream Theater' (there are worse references! ) accompanies us for a few moments to introduce a first sung part in which 'Marcelo Saracino' shows all his vocal talent with a powerful and expressive song. This is followed by a melodious semi-acoustic instrumental section that gradually gains momentum and whose guitar solo is a real treat, then, a second sung part takes over, more measured than the first one, which puts forward a much more measured register of 'Marcelo Saracino' to accompany a melody that immediately grafts itself in the head. And finally, we are taken through a masterful and quite technical keyboard solo, then the sung finale closes this admirable composition in an energetic and melodic atmosphere. The rest is of course up to the standard of 'The Sound of Hopes' with long developments, because out of the 7 other tracks, only the beautiful ballad 'Under Life' shared between acoustic and electric is under 7 minutes and we navigate in different successive soundscapes, the whole being more oriented towards progressive metal but each one also brings its calmer moments like in 'A World Full of Nothing' with a magnificent 'Floydian' section in the second part or in the catchy and melodic 'Different Moment' closer to progressive rock or in the heavy 'Damn Disease' with its superb alternations of rhythm and intensity between strong and weak moments, without forgetting the oriental effluences of 'Mirages' which offers us a very beautiful and exotic journey with a grandiose instrumental finale.
To sum up, if you are a fan of a progressive metal that is researched and imaginative and that reveals itself little by little, there is a strong chance that you will adhere to this first album by the Brazilians of 'Undertime' because 'The Sound of Hopes' already shows an impressive maturity that should put them in a good place in this style led by the unavoidable 'Dream Theater', 'Sons of Apollo', 'Opeth', 'Haken' oor even 'Ayreon'... | |
