FEATURED CD: Mantra - Mantra

**Poisoned Youth** · 10-23-2013

Here is an obscurity archive not released until 2012. This is a great album if you're into the whole Spanish prog scene like Cai, Mezquita, etc. Hits that sweet spot more than once.

Review from Unencumbered Music Reviews (Tom Hayes):

Mantra - s/t. 2012 Arabiand Rock. Archival release of a 1979 demo album.

We first mentioned this album as a news item on the CDRWL. I just picked one up for myself, and let's see what it's all about...

The CD itself says that Mantra sounds like a combo of Azahar, Iman Califato Independiente and Cai. Hard to argue with that and you could throw in other southern Spanish luminaries like Triana, Medina Azahara and Mezquita if you were so inclined. High energy Flamenco styled rock, with symphonic progressive elements (constantly shifting time signatures, synthesizers, heavy guitars...), is what you can expect here. A musically fantastic album.

So it's pretty much the great archival find of 2012 right? Well, I'd be a bit more enthusiastic if the sound quality matched the musical output. Unfortunately these really are demos, and the dull, thin and muddy bass/drums somewhat ruin a potential masterpiece. The album sounds like it's from a 3rd generation cassette tape. Judging by the copious liner notes (in Spanish), and unique photos, this is no shoddy cash-in effort - the fact remains, this is the best music copy available. Arabiand Rock is to be commended for bringing to light a long lost style of Spanish rock music to the world. An album very much worth checking out for fans of Rock Andaluz.

**TCC** · 10-23-2013

OFF my radar!
Tankx!!.

**wideopenears** · 10-23-2013

cool..haven't heard this one!

**Sputnik** · 10-23-2013

Got this one a while back. Haven't spun it for a while but recall enjoying it. I bought it with another Spanish reissue that came out about the same time that I thought was awful, can't recall what it was. But this one I remember being pretty enjoyable I'll have to tee this one up for a fresh listen.

Bill

**Yves** · 10-24-2013

Too bad Miley Cyrus isn't twerking on the album cover. You'd be 7 pages deep into this thread by now!

**Sputnik** · 10-24-2013

Just gave this a fresh spin. My memories of it were correct, it's a winner. Mostly instrumental, to me it has shades of Iceberg (though perhaps not as "fusiony"), Mezquita, Crack, and some of the other uptempo Andalusian style Spanish Prog.

These guys can actually play, and most pieces showcase some prodigious chops on guitar and synth, though the album isn't a "chopsfest" by any means. Glad I dug this one out, it's a good one for sure. Probably deserved more ballyhoo for the CD release than it got. Very worthy one for the fans of more muscular Prog to check out.

Bill