'Time's Forgotten' is a Costa Rican band of progressive rock/metal which has already existed for twenty years and which I discovered with their latest album 'Shelter'. They only released 3 albums with 'A Relative Moment Of Peace' 2006 and 'Dandelion' in 2009, then 'The Book Of Lost Words' in 2012. With the arrival of singer 'Priscilla Ruiz' who knew Remarkably adapting to the style of the group which presents many variations of intensity in each composition, 'Shelter' is typical of a varied and inventive progressive metal that must be appropriated, little by little, over the plays.
After the short instrumental introduction 'New Dawn (prologue)' which deploys a dark and heavy atmosphere, 'City' already shows this progressive climate made of ruptures between calm parts and other powerful parts in which Priscilla shows all her talent, moving from a sensual voice to a powerful song, and 'Ari Lotringer' delivers us an admirable first guitar solo, then, 'Cycle #248' continues in this imaginative progressive with a composition which alternates slow rhythms in the quiet parts and which picks up the tempo in heavier sections, the atmospheric central instrumental part providing a remarkable opposition to the rougher sung parts. We continue in the same style with 'Defiant' which presents catchy melodic lines, then, 'Accident of Evolution', entirely instrumental, is certainly one of the most energetic titles and highlights all the work of the rhythm section of the drummer 'Jorge Sobrado' and bassist 'Gonzalo Trojos', the guitar of 'Ari Lotringer' surfing remarkably on this intense progressive. The acoustic comma 'Waking Up (Interlude)' offers us a little moment of calm before starting the second part of the album, with, first of all, 'Ascension' which borders on 8 minutes and which moves away metal in the introduction with a 'Floydian' atmosphere, then which gradually accelerates with magnificent sampled choirs and which then presents a break on a slow tempo halfway through to re-accelerate with a very beautiful guitar solo and with a sung part with catchy melodic lines and which finally falls back to end as it had started. Follows 'Outsider' which again shows this contrast between muscular sections and other much quieter ones, which materializes in a magnificent atmospheric break in the second part of the title, an atmosphere that we find in 'Moments of Clarity' with this time, a peaceful and airy introduction, then, 'The Road Home' takes us on a beautiful melancholy and melodious journey, 'Priscilla Ruiz' enchanting us with her song filled with emotion, and delivers a magnificent crescendo at the end of the title starting on a beautiful guitar solo and continuing with a sung part, Priscilla becoming more aggressive again and the album ends as it had started with a short instrumental, 'Sleepless (Ending Credits)' which takes us out of this very beautiful progressive journey by a moment of serenity.
In summary, the Costa Ricans of 'Time Forgotten', with the arrival of 'Priscilla Ruiz' which brings a real plus to the group thanks to its versatility, offer us a magnificent album full of contrasts which nevertheless remains relatively accessible thanks to catchy melodic lines and 'Shelter' should undoubtedly seduce an audience loving an imaginative and modern progressive navigating between rock and metal... | |
