Sonus Umbra
Snapshots From Limbo
© 2000 Lazarus Music (698179727523)
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Melodic prog rock of brooding intensity. Come sample the sound of shadow...
tracks
- 1 ghosts from the past
- 2 doppelganger
- 3 seven masks
- 4 demons
- 5 soul dusk
- 6 the eagle has landed
- 7 erich zann
- 8 a season in hell
- 9 homo homini lupus
- 10 the watcher
- 11 metamorphosis
- 12 imago
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Here is what the critics had to say:
The Progressive Pages:
"A handful of words come to mind when thinking of the music on this album: bright, dynamic, brilliant, vibrant, enthralling. The acoustic guitar passages, a mix of different styles but with a definite Spanish/flamenco influence, are easily the best I've ever heard on a prog rock album."
Matt (DTJesus1@aol.com)
January 30, 2001
"Progressive rock is usually not a part of my musical first aid kit. But when the pills taste as good as the ones from this band's candy store it's close to be sensational. The sound is brilliant and emphasizes the band's strong melodic character, the complexity of the compositions and the excellent performance. You can hear that these musicians play from the heart and that they have avoided most of the common prog rock traps. Very promising indeed!"
Beat The Blizzard
AJ. Blisten
July/August, 2001
ProgressiveWorld.net :
"The band's music is built on a moody, brooding intensity. Analog keys form the backbone, with a lot of acoustic and classical guitar adding the colour. At times I'm reminded of the more atmospheric German bands from the 70s, combined with some of the solemn textures of Timothy Pure (AKA early Pink Floyd). The melodies and song writing is absolutely superb, with a soft, yet melancholy Gothic tone throughout."
Richard Zywotkiewicz
November 26, 2000
Progfreaks.com :
Mexico. Not exactly the land of progressive metal, or even metal at all. With a country bent on following much of the USA's mindless musical trends and going to extremes of kitsch that not even Britney Spears fans would be able to tolerate, both the metal and progressive rock movements have been chronically condemned into the underground and have thus been forced to develop there. Or move out of the country, as is the case with the excellent outfit Sonus Umbra. Only the wanderlust was only physical, not mental.
I have rarely been able to witness such a perfect incorporation of national traditions into progressive metal as the one found on Snapshots From Limbo, with bassist/keyboardist Luis Nasser's imaginative lyrics imbuing the album with characteristically Mexican peculiarities such as fatalism, innocence, and a grim fascination with death. Worry not, however, as his tales are far from barbaric narrations of destruction and violence, being instead an intelligent and extremely interesting reflection of what makes Mexican culture so distinctive.
This, however, is not really National Geographic, so I better start commenting on the music instead of purporting to be a cultural expert. What you should be glad about right now is that the above paragraph was not a waste of time, but recognition of a band's lyrical excellence, which extends itself to musical style as well. As soon as the lullaby gentility of "Ghosts From the Past" begins to dance around dreamily, the listener is absorbed gradually into a gorgeous listening experience and introduced to a sparse effectiveness that precludes all flashy idiocy and concentrates on what's really important: the music.
What makes Snapshots From Limbo so engaging is a uniqueness that draws elements from multiple fields of heavy and progressive metal to present a somber and often epic musical picture, which is found, for instance, in the impossibly edgy solo that guitarist Ricardo Gómez provides for the heavy instrumental "Doppelganger." The honesty and raw emotion that the record evokes, however, doesn't stop there, as tracks such as "Soul Dusk" and the insanely brilliant story of "Insects" shine with a sincerity that would reach perfection if only it wasn't for a production that needs a bit more solidness and Andrés Aullet's at-times-too-plain vocals. These, however, are things that are soon forgotten when one considers the appealing originality of a band that has not only developed its own sound, but a brilliantly new lyrical approach. Put simply: this is music that is not to be toyed around with.
-by Marcelo Silveyra
reviews
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Excellent Mexican Neo-Prog With International Sound
author: Wolfram.E (Hardy)"The Sound Of Shadow" (Sonus Umbra) are mixing on their debut-cd a music style between "for example" PINK FLOYD, MARILLION and TIMOTHY PURE. The music gets their inspiration from the classic artrock of the seventies and lives from dark atmostheres, heavy guitar-riffs and different keyboardeffects. But there are also wonderful acoustic guitar parts with atmospheric soundscapes and a pleasant, deep voice. - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !
Very good disk - looking forward to the new one.
author: Dave in PANice production - good melodies - very nice guitar. Yes, a bit moody but I like that. Solid percussion and bass lines too. I'm looking forward to the new CD "Spiritual Vertigo" that I heard cuts from on prog4you.com during a live interview last month.
Fantastic Music! One of the best discs I've purchased this year!
author: Lou ColumbusI have bought over 30 progressive music discs this year and this is easily in the top 5! The music is similar to the best from Alan Parsons, or Pink Floyd. I only say that to give someone a frame of reference. The music really stands on its own and is in no way derivative. Also, the sound quality of this disc is exceptional. I will be waiting for the next release!
Like the phoenix that rose from the ashes, Sonus Umbra avails us with a CD of ma
author: George RoldanSnapshots From Limbo is the CD that was created from the band that was once Radio Silence. Like the phoenix that rose from the ashes, Sonus Umbra avails us with a CD of many sounds and textures. It can be dark at times, but overall we think it is an album of hope not despair. Almost friendly at times, with the great sounding acoustic guitars passages, the album is the baby of Luis Nasser.Like a child at birth, we think this is a very personal and heartfelt creation. One hopefully Luis can now put those times behind him. Pardon us for getting personal with the review, but we felt strongly about what we took from the CD. With that said, this is a well written album. It has lots of changes and twist, and it turns you to listen to the CD as a whole composition from beginning to end. It is similar to Pink Floyd, The Wall, and others. It is a story from start to finish. You will not be disappointed. We could tell the listener that this group sounds like this band or that band. Sonus Umbra is quite different, you really can't label this music and its not something you hear as everyday music. However it is progressive music never the less. The music is complex and they offer today's prog world a fresh new sound, this creates a mood of not knowing what to expect next. The quality of the recording and the production work are top notch. Sonus Umbra is a must have CD. This rates our top 10 best list. Based on its artistic merit and effort, the Prog4you gives this CD 10 out of 10 keyboards.
Broodier the Better!
author: Steve Aka KoolkatFrom the opening track, this cd gave me goose bumbs! Its brings me back to a time when music, was music. From the harder rocking songs, to the softer acoustic ones, there is not a bad track. Plain and simple, the best cd I've heard in a long, long time!