Band:	Echoes
Album:	Nature/Existence
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	2010

01. Epilogue (...Is Where We Start)
02. Rude Awakening
03. Leaf Motif
04. Lullaby
05. Bonfires
06. Unfair
07. Seasons Came To Pass
08. Far From Coincidence
09. Despair
10. Winds Of Dread
11. Farewell
12. Prologue (Where We End...)

Be ready to be floored by their musicianship. Be ready to be mesmerized by their song-writing. They might reshape your understanding of music as you know it. They are Echoes, an unabashed progressive band from Venezuela. That's right. Venezuela. And as far as prog music goes, their debut album Nature|Existence is close to perfection.

Cleverly balancing prog power metal and prog rock and throwing in a healthy does of post-rock, Echoes is sure to expand your musical horizons. Originally an instrumental combo, the band teamed up with some great session vocalists to produce an excellent mix of instrumental tracks and killer songs. Every musician on this album seems to be playing guitars, and that is actually close to the truth. The band is composed of Javier Landaeta (guitars), Antonio Silva (guitars), Rafael Sequera (guitars), Alfredo Ovalles (keys, percussion and? guitars), Jorge Rojas (bass) and Miguel Angel Moline (drums). All vocals are handled by session musicians Carl Webb, Nick Storr, Tobias Jansson and Pedro Castillo. The names might not impress you but their vocals will. Every single singer has that "it" factor.

Echoes managed to let their musical landscape vibrate, leaving room for their melodies to flourish and for their atmospheres to fill the room. The major force of the band is to let you guess where the music is going. Mostly prog power a la Dream Theater of olden times mixed in with classy prog rock (think Riverside quality), their sound is a perfect harmony of styles. The production and sound design work of Stefan Schneider paid off big time. Every instrument has a crystalline sound and it all sounds epic.

The bombastic instrumental opening "Epilogue (Is Where We Start)" gives me goose-bumps every time. The guitar work is splendid. You already know you are in for a treat. But then it just gets better whether it is the Glenn Hughes type of voice that Carl Webb showcases on the absolutely monumental "Rude Awakening" or the huge drive chorus sung by Tobias Jansson on "Unfair". Every single track has something new and exciting to offer. "Far From Coincidence" has yet another brilliant song structure and killer vocals. The Pink Floyd-like atmosphere in "Winds of Dread" is to die for, saxophone performance included courtesy of another musician Dave Dufuss. Enough said you get the picture.

In case you jumped directly to this paragraph: Absolute masterpiece, there I said it. With a debut album like Nature|Existence, the Venezuelan combo Echoes can only break through onto the big stage. This is the Progressive album of 2010 for me. No contest. Creativity and power, gutsy vocals, perfect execution, catchy songs, fascinating atmospheres, what else do you need? Spread the word.