As steady as a click, CAST carries on making albums, so regularly that you have the feeling the Mexican band has always been a part of the Progressive rock scene. It even could have been so, if only a lack of funds had not forced them to wait twenty years until they could release their works. At least, since the band's birth in the Seventies, it had time to polish up its music ! ""A Live Experience"" showed the arrival of these musicians from Mexicali to Musea, and this allows the delighted listener to listen to their best titles recorded between 1995 and 1998. Eighth studio opus by CAST (...Since 1994 !), ""Imaginary Window"" (1999) develops lyrical compositions perfectly structured. ""Legacy"" is from 2000 and is as good as the ones before, whereas the double-CD ""Laguna De Volcanes"" makes for the first time, covers of former tracks in Spanish ! ""Castalia"" is the witness of a concert given in Italy on that same year. Now with a dozen disks (Studio and live) in their pocket and as happy promoters of the BajaProg festival in Mexicali, Alfonso VIDALES and the guys could easily have some deserved rest. No way ! 2003's double-CD ""Al-Bandaluz"" shows that CAST is still far from reaching the end of its musical evolution. The staff is renewed, still based around its charismatic leader and the singer Francisco HERNANDEZ. From their early works influenced by Seventies Progressive rock (CAMEL, GENESIS, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI...) and neo Progressive (MARILLION, IQ...), you can obviously find highly symphonic instrumental parts. The Latin side is still there, though it's not ostentatious. Actually the evolution is more generally based on a constantly rising ambition regarding songwriting. Here diversity rules. Watch out, this is an essential release for 2003 ! The concept-album ""Nimbus"" (2004) continues this will to embrace different musical styles, still pushing CAST closer to perfection... It seems so difficult to Alfonso VIDALES and his fellowmen to restrain their creativity today that they have started to collect double-studio albums ! The new opus ""Mosaïque"" (2006) doesn't change that rule as it presents sixteen new or older tracks, all of which were previously unreleased. This symphonic and adventurous music has gone beyond the mere neo Progressive rock for a long time now, as it integrated new instruments such as saxophone, cello or flute. The warmth of Spanish language contributes in giving, if necessary, a unique touch to this enchanting music. An essential album ! Like the legendary phoenix, CAST arises from its ashes, again and again. With the precision of a Mexican watch, Alfonso VIDALES and his crew awake with the spring coming. Believe it or not, that's also when the new edition of the BajaProg festival takes place. This time, the new album is called ""Com.Union"" (2007): it's simply excellent, imaginative and aventurous, and one may wonder when all this will come to an end... Later, later on, for sure ! And what's next ? The answer is... ""Originallis"" (2008) ! In a way similar to THE FLOWER KINGS, CAST loves multiplying the releases and alternating single and double-albums. This time, the twin-edition has been favoured. And the motto ""Excellent symphonic Progressive rock album"" has been kept. A quality trademark still shining south of the Rio Grande...
K**I
Para coleccionista
Me parece de primer nivel
J**I
A decent concert album
Unfortunately, they don't have a great concert album. So you have this and "a Live experience", which I would recommend more.
S**Y
Excellent Live Album
We skip ahead a few years to this live album that was recorded in Italy on the bands 2000 tour. By this time Cast has finally signed by Musea and not putting out everything independently. This album proves that Cast can pull off their complex arrangements in a live setting. In fact I like some of these tracks better than the studio versions. The sound for the most part is good with the vocals delivered in both English and Spanish. As with the studio albums keys man Alfonso Vidales and guitarist Francisco Hernandez really stand out. Drummer Antonio Bringas also is much more up front in the mix than usual and really shines on several numbers. The vocals are all about equivalent with the studio versions. The album contains songs from throughout the CAST catalogue up to this time including ""Hidden Poems", "Revealing Signs Of Love", "Moving Universe" and a 17 minute plus medley from the "Angels And Demons" album. This is a very good live disc and would serve as a great introduction to anyone looking to explore this band.
D**L
Low quality...
This is exactly the type of album that gives progressive rock a bad name; it's trite, over-bearing and dull. There's no doubt that these are skilled musicians, but the songwriting is painfully dreary and uninspired. On top of it all, the production is just awful, turning the band's already insipid music into a somber mass of sound that simply fails to move.It's a shame that bands like Cast or Iconoclasta have become Mexico's main exports in progressive rock, and I'd discourage anyone but a true fan of rare and relatively unknown prog from buying anything by this less than stellar band.
