Review Summary: One of the best Portuguese prog bands. This second effort confirms that.
“Holocausto” is the second album of Tantra that was released in 1979. The line up on the album is Manuel Cardoso, Pedro Luis, Américo Luis and Tó Zé Almeida. The album had also the participation of Tony Moura and Pedro Mestre.
Tantra is a prog rock band from Portugal. Together, two Lisbon musicians, the guitarist Cardoso and the keyboardist Armando Gama, established what would be the basic foundations of Tantra. According with their official site, the name of the group was chosen by Cardoso after his Raja Yoga meditation experiences and contact with the Indian culture. They were joined by two other musicians, the bassist Luis and the drummer Almeida. Soon the band was established as the main rock prog band, in Portugal. With this line up, Tantra released their debut album “Mistérios E Maravilhas”, in 1977. Gama left the band and was replaced by Pedro Luis. In 1979, Tantra released their second album “Holocausto”.
“Holocausto” was a successful album for critics and fans and received the best record of the year award. With this album, Tantra is often compared with Ange, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso or Premiata Forneria Marconi. The great quality of the album confirms this assessment. Tantra used the classic ingredients, high vocal notes, sometimes reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, extensive instrumental excursions with many keyboard and complicated sounds, nice bass lines and driving drums. In addition, they added the sound of the Portuguese language with inspired lyrics, far Eastern influences and some jazz. The music is complex, fluent, magical and dreamy. It sounds often reminiscent of Yes and Genesis.
Unfortunately, Tantra was born in Portugal, a small coutry with a non prog heritage. If “Holocausto” would made more waves in the European prog and if it had been released in some other European country with a professional production of a big record label, perhaps the things would have been different. Some say that “Holocausto” is one of the best 70’s Italian symphonic progressive rock albums never recorded in Italy. We can feel on it the typical carachteristic of the Mediterranean music. But, nothing more wrong. The band actually hails from Portugal. So, despite those Mediterranean carachteristics, it has also a typical Portuguse feeling. Only José Cid comes to the mind of few prog experts, with his “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte”. The music doesn’t ape Gabriel Genesis’ era, even if Cardoso’s exquisite guitar playing deftly evokes Steve Hackett’s at times. Americo Luis’ bass guitar possesses the same nice chunky tone Fabio Pignatelli conjures on Goblin’s roller. Tó Zé Almeida's drumming could be described as Barriemore Barlow meets Alan White. Finally, the gleam in this jewel is the keyboardist Pedro Luis, with no relation to Américo Luis, who replaces Armando Gama. Pedro brings “the right stuff” to the table with his Polymoog, Minimoog, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, Hohner Clavinet D6, and ARP 2600, not credited in the liner notes. Oh, he plays acoustic piano, too, we can’t forget that.
“Om” opens with tasty spacey synth textures. Juicy filter sweeps and somber piano carry the track for a bit before the other instruments gradually reenter the mix. Pedro fires off a volley of notes from his keyboards. This is a characteristic on the entire album. “Holocausto” has more than 10 minutes of length. A cacophonic swell, punchy Moog bass, and Mellotron choir, courtesy of the guest Mestre of Petrus Castrus, kick off “Holocausto/Ultimo Raio Do Astro Rei”. Mestre uses his Clavinet’s distinctive attack to great effect for rhythm and soloing. “Zephirus” is determined by a grooving bass and keyboard wall, over which the syllables Ze-Phy-Rus are repeatedly whispered. It’s a great wonderful piece with its wicked sounding, wordless whispered vocals. Cardoso plays sitar here. “Talismã” has a nice keyboard Moog work. The middle sounds a tad of fusion, but the band charges feet-first back into the symphonic mold on the extended outro. “Ara” is a nice beautiful with mellow and emotional vocals. The electric guitar work and the up-tempo with a swinging Minimoog solo are great too. “Ji” was dedicated to their mentor, a certain Guru, Maharaj Ji Kijai, as the track name. It’s a great track with a jazz rock feeling with nice acoustic guitar and great keyboards. It ends the album nicely.
Conclusion: “Holocausto” is another great release of Tantra and represents another excellent showcase for this great Portuguese progressive rock band. Friends of the classic prog can’t go wrong with this album, which is more on the margins of the mainstream both temporally and locally. Musically, it’s an absolute hit and the comparison with the great classics of Yes and Genesis doesn’t spoil the album. Tantra with “Holocausto”, as happened with their debut, don’t fear with those comparisons, because their music, despite those influences, has a very own Portuguese feeling. One of the best qualities of “Holocausto” isn’t just its cool and fairly murky 70’s production, but the fact that the individual players don’t get in each other’s way. Alright, sometimes the keyboards overpower the guitars, but in general all the players have their role all over the album. It’s also the closest that Tantra gets to he fusion prog. Just listen to it for yourself.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
