TRYO - PATRIMONIO - 1999

Chilean progressive band Tryo's third release Patrimonio is a case where a mixture of many different influences - not the least of which is King Crimson - can somehow result in a whole that is in itself distinct and refreshing. Patrimonio is a well produced, well written example of how good progressive music can sound forward-thinking, rather then a lot of the "retro" direction many of today's bands seem to favor. Wonderfully complex song writing along with some incredibly playing combine to create a CD that should be at the top of every prog fan's wish list. The three instrumentalists that make up Tyro: drummer and percussionist Felix Carbone, guitarist Ismael Cortez, and bassist/cellist Francisco Cortez prove themselves incredibly adept and shifting back and forth between the hard driving fusion rock of tracks like "Grieta" to the more spacey opener "Valparaiso Psicodelico". And just to prove they're versatile, the boys throw away their drums and basses in exchange for a marimba and cello to create the track "Juegos" - a very light and beautiful piece of music that would almost seem out of place if it wasn't so good.

The instrumental prowess on the album is top notch; the bass and guitar playing are very reminiscent of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson at some points, while invoking the spirits of Tony Levin and Robert Fripp at other times. Tryo shows a maturity and constraint in their compositions by being both complex AND natural at the same time, making sure not to force things like time signature changes and song lengths. As a matter of fact, only one track (the very powerful "Justicia") clocks in at over 6 minutes - proof that good progressive music need not take up 15 or 20 minutes at a time. These guys know what they want to say musically, and get right to the point in their songs avoiding the filler and fluff that tend to plague some of their progressive brethren.

In short, if you want to hear some seriously talented musicians play some seriously well-thought out progressive rock music, look no further than Tryo's Patrimonio. I guarantee that you'll be pleasantly surprised - if more bands like this come out of the South American nation of Chile, I may have to book myself a flight!
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