Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Residuos Mentales — A Temporary State of Bliss
(Bandcamp OOB Records, 2023, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-04-30

A Temporary State of Bliss Cover art

Listening to the debut album by Residuos Mentales, I noted that the eleven relatively brief tracks fit together like an unlabeled suite. With A Temporary State of Bliss, the Greek duo has made this much more concrete, presenting only four tracks, two of which top ten minutes. Once again, the core of Stratos Morianos (keyboards) and Alexandros Mantos (guitar, bass, flute) is augmented by guest musicians on drums, woodwinds, brass, and additional guitar. “The Stuff of Dreams” starts things off. It’s the longest track at just over 17 minutes, and it is a multi-part epic in the true progressive rock tradition. It starts gently with keyboards and acoustic guitar, and I’m again reminded of Vangelis in the melodic scope and lush keyboard arrangement, but about four minutes in, an influence from classic Italian progressive rock creeps in with drums and flute. After some lovely sections of counterpoint, tension, and release, the piece climaxes with a fiercely energetic section before relaxing into a wistful fadeout. You might wonder why they would choose a fadeout ending after going to the effort of composing 17 minutes of music, but I think the choice gives the track a feeling of gently emerging into wakefulness after an elaborate dream that may continue off in its own world. Honestly, I think this track is good enough to justify the whole album, but there’s more. “The Missing Part” is a short (5:35) dramatic piece built on piano and guitar with prominent trumpet; “A Series of Self-Correcting Errors” is twelve minutes of progressive goodness, with significant acoustic passages punctuated by hard-hitting full-band sections and some really tasty unusual acoustic guitar passages; and the album finishes off with “Impending Catastrophe,” a mid-length gem of similar construction, with contrasting acoustic and electric sections. Some overall references aside from Vangelis would be Locanda delle Fate, Quella Vecchio Locanda, and Asia Minor. A Temporary State of Bliss sees Residuos Mentales venturing into the crowded ranks of modern progressive rock bands, but they bring the fire and originality to stand out from the multitudes with a sound that should appeal especially to fans of the classic Italian style.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Residuos Mentales

More info
http://residuosmentales.bandcamp.com/album/a-temporary-state-of-bliss

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.