NEXUS - PERPETUUM KARMA - 2006

I had very high expectations towards this new Nexus album, due their mindblowing previous studio album entitled Metanoia and their excellent contribution to the 3-CD The Odyssey The Greatest Tale, also featuring bands like Glass Hammer, Tempano, CAP, Simon Says and Minimum Vital. Yesterday evening my wife phoned me on my work that I had finally received their new album, this is the best news I have heard from her since many years!

1. Mirar Hacia El Centro (17:28) : After a dreamy intro with soaring synthesizers, birds sounds and acoustic guitar, suddenly Nexus treats us on a heavy sound featuring sumptuous Hammonnd organ and biting wah-wah guitar, a very exciting opening! Then lots of shifting moods, we can enjoy great Hammond work (Keith Emerson 'rules'!) along a delicate piece with Fender piano and melancholical vocals and aninterlude with fragile guitar and mellow organ.

2. Perpetuum Karma (14:56) : The titletrack is a huge tribute to Keith Emerson with sensational work on Hammond and Moog. Halfway the guitarplayer delivers fiery and howling runs and I also enjoyed the combination of melancholical vocals and the strings sound, very pleasant.

3. Del Abismo Al Sol (9:50) : This is a dreamy song that contains a tasteful keyboard colouring (warm strings, fat Moog flights, Fender piano runs and swinging Hammond), warm vocals and 'freak-out' guitarwork. At some moment the music reminds me of the song Ice by Camel, also very compelling with moving guitarplay!

4. Travesía (9:12) : This alternating and captivating instrumental composition features lots of interesting music, from a swinging rhtyhm with Hammond and a dreamy part with spacey synthesizers to lush Hammond and Moog with propulsive guitar work. The interplay is strong and the build-up great to a beautiful climax featuring a sensitive guitar solo with exciting use of the wah-wah pedal, impressive!

5. Cruces Y Sombras (14:00) : Again a long, alternating an captivating song, from the short intro with an Inca flute sound and a propulsive rhythm with powerful Hammond runs to compelling bombastic prog that carries me to Progheaven, what a wonderful lush keyboards and sensitive guitar.

6. En Ese Viento (6:44) : While most of this album has ELP hints, this track has echoes from mid-Genesis featuring twanging guitars and frequent use of the volume pedal on his guitar. It starts dreamy, than more and more lush featuring a bombastic climax, first with propulsive guitar riffs and biting wah-wah and eventually with wonderful keyboards, again I am in Progheaven!

To me this new Nexus album sounds as splendid Classic Seventies Symphonic Prog inspired music with obvious hints from ELP and Genesis, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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