Krautrock styled; Space rock
Latest album: De Ludo Globi (2023)
Carta Marina w/Angel Ontava (2018)
Carta Marina is the instrumental collaboration album of Angel Ontalva from Spain and the Russian group Vespero. An interesting pairing, but given that both represent some of the best progressive rock music of the last 15 years, I think this is going to be great album. At least on paper.
And it came to pass that yes - it is. Angel Ontalva is the guitar player, chief composer, and defacto leader of October Equus. Their early albums were something of a psychedelic avant prog combination, a unique juxtaposition of sound. And that psychedelic effect was primarily achieved via Ontalva's heavy fuzz tone, and somewhat unhinged playing, which was the dichotomy against the rest of the band's more structured approach. Enter Vespero, arguably the best space rock band operating in the world today. What separates our friends from Astrakhan from the rest of the pack, is that Vespero is not one just to jam out, and hopefully find a groove or two to explore. But rather the group enjoys composition with their improvisation, plus they add indigenous elements for a truly exotic blend. They are at once a space rock band, yet also progressive rock, and while still paying an occasional homage to Krautrock.
So there's your ingredient label, but how does it taste? Excellent in fact. There's a bit of that "two strong leaders vying for the top position" within these songs, and it's clear the impact of each artist's unique sound. At an hour long, there's an investment of time here, especially considering the first listen doesn't reveal nearly enough. It takes a few hours worth of hearing to let it soak through. There are no obvious highlights here, yet there's nothing worthy of skip button status either. While this isn't the peak album of either camp, the results together are still undeniably great. If either band are on your radar today, then you can't go wrong here.
---2/16/19
Fitful Slumber until 5 A.M. (2015)
Fitful Slumber until 5 A.M. is the 7th studio album (if we include the split one with Zone Six) from Astrakhan's Vespero. They continue their drive into more progressive oriented compositions, with plenty of fiery jams, and exactly the type of ethnic sounds one would expect from a band residing near the Caspian Sea. Flute, mandolin, and local wind instruments only add to the exotic vibe. Vespero have encapsulated the best of a 40+ year old branch of psychedelic progressive space rock: 1972 era Agitation Free meets 1992 Ole Lukkoye meets 2012 Quantum Fantay. Blend it up, and you have one seriously irresistible dish. A can't miss recipe, no matter how much extra spice they add to it. Hungry yet?
---1/29/16
Droga (2013)
Droga is the 6th studio album from Astrakhan's Vespero. Here the band seemingly understands what they do best, and exploits the heck out of it. This may be the perfect place to start your exploration of what is possibly the best space rock group of the last 10 years - and that's saying something given the competition. What you'll get here is Vespero's core competencies: The exotic sounds of Western Asia, crystalline female voices, ripping guitar solos, complex rhythm patterns, and various instrumentation to keep you guessing throughout. Every track is labyrinthine in its execution. It's the Korai Orom meets Hidria Spacefolk recipe that they've long since perfected with their own spices. And this time, they have a surprise up their sleeve: How about a big dollop of aggressive space rock similar to the first Nebelnest album? Oh my heart be still. This is Red Bull mixed with espresso.
---2/12/17
The Split Thing w/Zone Six (2012)
The next studio offering from Vespero is a split album with the German band Zone Six that is titled, appropriately enough, The Split Thing. Vespero contributes 3 new songs, totaling approximately 25 minutes. The sound is a continuation of By the Waters of Tomorrow and can be seen as a further move towards the 70s Krautrock scene. In particular, Can and Amon Duul II seem to have influenced the Russian band to a great extent. The steady rhythms hold everything in place, while the synthesizers float above and the shimmering psychedelic guitar provides the melody lines. There are distinct breaks in the music, giving it more of a progressive rock edge than its predecessor. Perhaps best of all is the addition of flute on the first two tracks, adding just the right spice to the overall dish. I found this a nice return to form for Vespero and is worthy of a 4.5 stars on its own. Personally I don't think Zone Six is a good fit as a complement to Vespero. They are of the modern variety of space rock - bordering stoner metal - where fuzz overload and static rhythms are the order of the day. At 24 minutes, their sole contribution begins to get long in the tooth after about 10 minutes. It's a fine track for the style, but perhaps misplaced with the much more kinetic, and exciting (IMO) Vespero.
---9/6/14
By the Waters of Tomorrow (2010)
Vespero continues on with their third album, titled By the Waters of Tomorrow. The band has shed most of their Southern Russian influences for a more straightforward Western European styled instrumental psychedelic rock sound (with 'Gao Zult' being the sole exception). Post rock and Krautrock seem to be the dominating genres here, with echo fuzz guitar, synthesizers, and a driving drum beat. The music on By the Waters of Tomorrow can be described as being relentless. This is a similar direction that Finnish bands Hidria Spacefolk and Taipuva Luotisuora took later in their career as well. Personally, I miss the localized exotic sound, but for what Vespero is trying to achieve here - they've done a more than admirable job.
---9/1/14
Surpassing All Kings (2009)
Vespero's sophomore effort, entitled Surpassing All Kings, sees Vespero tighten the ship a bit, and add more structure to their compositions. The exotic sounds of the debut are intact, but the energy level is higher and more kinetic. So overall it sounds like Korai Orom playing the music of Taipuva Luotisuora or Quantum Fantay, which is a highly unique combination. There are some killer ear-catching breaks here, such as the mid section of 'Salma Simiere (Cross and Crown)' which recalls Relayer era Yes, of all albums. Other highlights include the powerful psychedelic space rock numbers 'The Tower (XVI)' and 'Serata (i.n.s.i.e.m.e.)', each featuring multiple meter shifts, psychotic guitars, swirling keyboards, ethereal vocals, and complex sequences - almost Canterbury like in their execution. The latter track even has slight elements of Zeuhl, though it remains unclear if that's intentional or not. Melodies are actually thought out, and there's more to latch on here than the usual music-school charts. This is a splendid album, clearly positioning Vespero as one of the best space rock bands on the worldwide stage today.
---8/28/14
Rito (2007)
Vespero are a space rock band from Astrakhan, a city on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea in Southern Russia, near the border of Kazakhstan. So, in effect, miles from anything familiar. And yet there are few bands today - or perhaps none - that have captured the European spirit of space rock, Krautrock, and progressive rock like Vespero has. Their music is at once exotic, and yet familiar. Somewhere between Korai Orom, Ole Lukkoye, Hidria Spacefolk, 60's Pink Floyd, Can, Ash Ra Tempel, and a yet-to-be-identified group from Kazakhstan. And with that, Vespero begin their studio recording career with the splendid Rito. Psychedelic guitar, spacey synthesizers, pulsating bass, echoed vocals, and pounding tribal drums are what you can expect here. And Rito features their finest track ever (as I write this in 2017) with 'Inna's Burst in Tears', a stunning piece of Agitation Free influenced Middle Eastern space rock with Lisa Gerrard styled wordless female vocals. This song alone leaves one breathless, and is reason enough to explore the entire band's canon. And they do not disappoint. Ever.
---8/24/14
Other albums heard: Subkraut: U-Boats Willkommen Hier (2012); Lique Mekwas (2016)
8/10/17 (new entry)
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