Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: RC2
Label: Progrock Records
Released: 2008
Rating: 3.5/5
RC2 are a relatively young progressive rock outfit from Venezuela, a country that the world usually knows less for its musical achievements than for gorgeous tropical beaches, lush flora and fauna, and beautiful women, and lately also for the colorful rhetorical “skills” of its charismatic head of state. It’s certainly not a prog rock mecca. Its oldest prog band, the long-dead Estructura, dates back to the late seventies, when it vanished after two obscure but decent albums during prog’s commercial decline. Time marches on, and RC2 belong to a wave of newer Venezuelan prog bands that have decided to put their country on the international prog rock map as a serious player.
From their name, which in computing means an encryption algorithm with a variable key size, you’d expect some very rational, mathematically disciplined brand of progressive rock with dull lyrics about the latest feats of electrical engineering. Luckily that’s not the case, because their music is anything but cold and rational. Traditional Latin elements surely have a lot to do with it, giving their compositions a stamp of individuality and setting them apart from similar bands right away.
RC2 often aren’t shy about using somewhat heavier riffs, which is by no means a reason to file them under prog metal, where some critics and listeners put them for no clear reason whatsoever. Thanks to the extensive use of varied symphonic-ambient keyboard palettes, their sound is closest to symphonic prog rock and the legacy of legendary British prog acts like Genesis, Camel and Yes, and thanks to that characteristic Latin warmth, a little to the Italian standard-bearers led by PFM, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme. With their somewhat heavier guitar lines they sometimes edge toward certain neo prog bands like Arena and Enchant, who in their own sound often don’t shy away from hard rock (and sometimes metal) elements. Luckily they take only the best from those influences and don’t follow the usual neo prog clichés. The Hispanic melos, especially in the slower sections, brings an almost endearing warmth into the individual pieces, which is in complete contrast to the almost cold instantness of some modern Scandinavian prog bands.
Singer Felix Duque can boast surprisingly good singing in English, in which you can hear a slight Latin accent, though it’s far from distracting. That’s even more surprising given that “RC2” (2003), their previous debut album, was sung entirely in Spanish, and such sudden language switches (especially in the Latin world) usually don’t go over too well. The keyboards are top quality throughout, always moving between more modern analog synth sounds and more traditional layers of piano, Mellotron and Moog. It’s also worth praising that none of the instrumentalists comes across as dominant for even a second or starts indulging in over-the-top solo showcases of their technical chops, which can often be off-putting in modern prog bands. It’s also very important that the drums never sound generic, boasting really good rhythmic combinatorics instead. The Latin melos also shines through in the sensitive guitar passages, especially on tracks like “El Diablo Suelto” and “Voice Of The Storm – Part 1”. There isn’t a weak track on the album. They’re very even in quality, yet naturally varied from one another thanks to their different sections, in all their experimental, symphonic, adventurous and meditative-ambient nature, so there’s no point in singling out favorites.
With “Future Awaits” RC2 haven’t (yet) made a masterpiece, but they’ve delivered a very good record that neatly sidesteps blindly following assorted neo prog clichés while shining in all its Latin uniqueness and temperament. Their compositional and technical skills have undoubtedly improved noticeably since the debut, and they’ll surely keep progressing. With this album RC2 have clearly proven that they deserve the attention of listeners who are into modern prog rock, since they’re the right band for everyone sick of one neo prog retro cliché or another who wants to try something new with a pinch of tropical exoticism. They’re definitely an interesting band, and their progress will be watched very closely in the years to come. It’s nice to know that Venezuela, where a few other young and promising prog bands have popped up in recent years alongside RC2, has joined the list of countries saving the honor of progressive rock in the new millennium.
Lineup
Felix Duque – vocals
Mauricio Barroeta – guitar
Pedro Misle – bass
Rafael Paz – keyboards
Eduardo Benatar – drums
Tracklist
1. Time Pieces (10:58)
2. Future Awaits (7:07)
3. 11 (7:29)
4. Autumn (8:02)
5. El Diablo Suelto (4:02)
6. Coming Down Again (6:12)
7. Voice of the Storm – Part 1 (6:06)
8. Voice of the Storm – Part 2 (9:49)
Album length: 59:41
