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Ángel Ontalva — Persian Courtyard
(octoberXart Records No #, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-11-09

Persian Courtyard Cover art

Ángel Ontalva is making some of the most stunning recordings that defy any easy descriptions, but at the same time are uniformly rich and satisfying to listen to. So what is this Persian Courtyard, anyway? Astrakhan is a city in southern Russia near the Caspian Sea, and where Ontalva was staying in the final months of 2023 while finishing up the latest Seaorm album (with Ark and Ivan Fedotov of Vespero). He was staying in an historical building originally built by a Persian merchant way back in the nineteenth century, so named for its style of architecture, and it’s where all the material for this album was originally composed. This time out, Ontalva made do with a leaner lineup than on most of his records, with only three musicians appearing on all ten cuts: violist Anna Anshakova and drummer / percussionist Avelino Saavedra, with Ontalva handling all manner of guitars, bass, and sampled Mellotron, the latter (along with the viola) giving these pieces a very majestic sound, very much in the chamber rock vein. In addition, regular October Equus keyboardist Victor Rodriguez joins them on cello, on the opening cut “The Dragon Is Asleep.” Ontalva makes masterful use of his keyboard, seemingly coaxing all of the sounds available from it that fit the situation at any given time, and it never sounds like 60s or 70s throwback. He’s also to be commended for his nimble bass work especially on “Fable of the Fox and the Sheep,” and of course the guitar is both restrained and powerful when needed, with many beautiful solos throughout. “Una Para el Camino” marches along its path for its mere two-and-a-half minute duration, exploding with grandeur in its final moments. With all the twisted rock power that Ontalva can muster, “Beyond the Fiery River” breaks out of the chamber mold, though the female voice patch on the ‘tron gets a serious workout here. Taking on a slightly jazzy mood, “Between Two Worlds” wanders through a similar forest of Mellotron voices. Those who may appreciate a unique take on the chamber rock sound should definitely check out Persian Courtyard.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Ángel Ontalva

More info
http://octoberxart.bandcamp.com/album/persian-courtyard-official-cd

 

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