Issue 2026-010

Demo Rumudo — Consecuencias (Expanded Edition)

Owen Davies

To coincide with the release of their second album aptly titled Second Nature (see review below), Demo Rumudo have re-released their 2022 debut EP Consecuencias in expanded form. The new edition contains live renditions dating from 2023 of the three tunes that made up the original release.

The studio tunes are excellent and I was left enthralled by their overall impact. The tunes are cyclical in nature with recurring themes and identifiable opening and closing motifs. This style is also readily identifiable in their Second Nature album.

Whilst the sax takes centre stage for much of Second Nature, the trumpet is the main solo instrument in the studio portion of Consecuencias. Brass player Lucas Rousset is outstanding and I thoroughly enjoyed his controlled approach to his instrument and his delightful tone. His expansive playing that precedes and elaborate the bright piano flourishes that are a central part of Sapte Arome are excellent.

Guitarist Gabriel Visinel also has a much more prominent role in Consecuencias and it was the combination and predominance of these two instruments which sets this album distinctively apart from Second Nature.

Jaffar is probably my favourite of the trio of original tunes. It has a melody that is delivered by the sax and trumpet in conjunction. In the majority the Demo Rumudo's compositions the piano is used to offer light and shade or to instigate changes of pace or direction. Jaffar is no exception , and the piano is used skillfully to break up an enjoyable call and response section involving the guitar sax and trumpet. The piece draws towards its conclusion with a dynamic trumpet solo that fizzes and pops with creativity and a refreshing effervescence.

The live pieces are very enjoyable and have a controlled spontaneity that is quite infectious. It was interesting to observe how the band interpreted their original arrangement of the funky Mirage by omitting the trumpet parts and utilising and expanding the role of the sax. That it works so well says a lot about the skill of saxophonist Álvaro Fernández whose interaction with the guitarist in this live piece and also in the studio piece is exceptional.

However, I was somewhat disappointed that their second album does not feature Rousset at all, as his performance in Consecuencias certainly added a different flavour to the studio pieces.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the skillful renditions of the Consecuencias pieces in the live tracks and alongside Second Edition, both albums more than held my attention. I look forward to further releases by this very accomplished band.

Demo Rumudo — Second Nature

Owen Davies

There are many satisfying things to enjoy in this excellent album. Second Nature is the second album by Demo Rumudo and consolidates the style and approach that was apparent in their Consecuencias release.

The album is infectious, skillfully executed and simply great fun.

The piano does much of the heavy lifting and underlies most of the tunes. The melody is usually carried by the outstanding reed playing of Álvaro Fernández. The music is fleshed out by tasteful guitar fills and rhythmic riffs. The rhythm section is propulsive and in conjunction with the rest of the ensemble, is consistently able to move things along when the need arises.

The album contains numerous piano interludes. These are delightfully crafted and are frequently used to break up a piece , shift its direction or to alter its tempo. There were occasions when the sparkling fluidity of the piano and the choice of tones during bubbling synth solos and embellishments reminded me of the flamboyance and empathetic approach of Chick Corea.

When considering how best to sign post Demo Rumudo's sound in Second Nature, I was frequently reminded of the overall approach of Mobius Strip.

Like Mobius Strip, Demo Rumudo have a playful exuberant approach where compositions are frequently begun or consolidated with flowing piano arrangements. Similarly, just like Mobius Strip, Jazz compositional stylings lie at the heart of the majority of Demo Rumudo's tunes.

A theme is introduced , explored, and imaginatively presented. It is then reintroduced , in a familiar form as the piece concludes. Therefore, repetition and the thrilling exploration of distinctive motifs and improvisation are all used to good effect.

However , on the evidence of their latest release the band are also influenced by identifiable aspects of the Canterbury genre of instrumental prog, the rhythms of flamenco and on occasions, the thrustful power and melodic discordance of King Crimson.

Nevertheless, this excellent group of musicians have an easily identifiable and distinctive style. Their signature sound is no doubt due to the compositional style of Keyboard player Hugo Martsan and is readily apparent in this album and also in their Consecuencias release.

Although the instrumentation differs in Second Nature due to the absence of a trumpet/ cornet, and the emphasis on particular instruments might be altered, (There are fewer protuberant guitar parts in Second Nature ) there is no denying that both releases have much in common.

On reflection, I probably preferred the overall sound and instrumentation of Consecuencias with its prominent guitar parts and superb trumpet embellishments. Nonetheless, the wonderful sax soloing and blowing that is to the fore in Second Nature is extremely satisfying. Both albums are consistently entertaining and enjoyable.

Second Nature begins in fine fashion with the engaging Buratos. It's sweet piano sections and effervescent rhythms sets the scene for the whole album and raises expectations for what is to follow. There are some delightful changes of pace and direction as the tune evolves.

I particularly enjoyed the twisting synth solo that emerged after about two and half minutes. The frenzied saxophone flourishes, and reed stonking crescendos, that inventively expand, the melodies and motifs of the tune, are also very appealing. However, the clever use of an ethereal distant vocal, as the tune journeyed towards its conclusion, was both unexpected and beautifully executed.

Cheek straining sax parts and nose-tap flamenco rhythms all have part to play in the excellent Flavours of Failure. It's repeated sax motif wrings out every possibility, and ensures that its recurring theme never becomes hackneyed or predictable. The piano and flute decorations add touches of elegance at several points in the tune. Their tuneful appeal superbly counters the raucous nature of the controlled aggression and tight-lipped screech of the sax.

Without doubt the most impressive synth solo on the album occurs during the title track. It was reminiscent of the type of sound of Upp used to generate. This piece also features guitarist Gabriel Visinel and his tasteful additions to accompany the synth, provided a welcome change from the dominant lead melodies of the sax.

Helix is a rhythmic piece that has a rolling piano riff and has a Crimson Esque vibe. The guitar solo that emerges is spacious and carefully crafted. Its twisted notes and interesting tones offered a great contrast to the fleet fingered piano frills, pounding bass lines, discordant riffs and fervent sax screams that are influential in other parts of the tune.

Whilst all the members of Demo Rumudo are clearly accomplished players and there are occasions when individual virtuosity takes a lead, the strength of the album lies in the way the various performers are able to inventively interact with each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of Demo Rumudo's releases and if you like Jazz fusion that possesses a clearly defined structure with an added contemporary twist, then much of their output will be appealing.

Duo Review

Oudeziel — The Finest Hour

Edwin Roosjen

For the latest release The Finest Hour, Mateusz Bańkowski is added to the line-up of Oudeziel as a bass player. There are a few guest appearances. Two vocalists Renato Costa and Justin Turk. The latter also created a rock album Forgive & Forget with the collaboration of the members of Oudeziel. Also on The Finest Hour playing keyboard on two songs is a certain Derek Sherinian.

The music of Oudeziel is mostly instrumental, somewhat psychedelic ambient soundscapes. Their previous album Oudeziel was completely instrumental and on The Finest Hour it is split nicely in half, four instrumentals and four with vocals.

The Finest Hour starts with an instrumental song with in the first half a hypnotic sound loop. Over that loop we hear are Pink Floyd-like guitar solos and other melodic pieces. Halfway in the song the pace of the looped sounds increases, and the many creative sound effects make it an interesting psychedelic song. It reminds me a bit of Oresund Space Collective and Monomyth.

Sisyphus has the vocals of Renato Costa, the song has more structure and is not as psychedelic as the opener. Jeremy's Promise has Derek Sherinian on the keyboards, on this song sounds it is back to the atmospheric sounds of the opening song The Finest Hour. When Derek does a guest appearance on an album, most of the times he shreds notes from his keyboard, but that is not the case for his contribution here. During his second appearance, in Ordinary Life, the mood is kind of mellow. No bombardment of keyboard notes on this one.

On Castaway and Etheogen we hear the vocals of Justin Turk. These songs are more poppy. The first one is a laid-back, almost country-like song and wihle Etheogen has a lot of energy, at times it makes me a bit twitchy.

Back to an instrumental song, the sound on Fluister (Wind) reminds me of the more techno/dance albums by Jean Michel Jarre.

The introduction of two vocalists might alienate some listeners, or at least could require some getting used to. Both provide a descent contribution, although to my ears, the songs with Renato Costa are a better fit with the rest of the album. But it does make The Finest Hour a diverse album, and a very nice one, from start to finish.

The Reticent — Please

Andy Read

The Reticent is one man's musical vision. Chris Hathcock writes all the songs and lyrics, performs most of the instruments and vocals, and even produced and engineered this whole thing. With the release of the project's sixth full-length album, I think it's fair to say that Chris Hathcock has pretty much perfected his artistic vision. This is simply one of my favourite progressive-metal albums of recent years.

Starting out as a drummer, Chris bedroom-produced his first album, Hymns for the Dejected in 2006. Two years later, Amor Mortem Mei Erit was recorded in two days. A short tour began to generate some interest. With his other bands having folded, Chris decided to focus on his own project.

Le Temps Detruit Tout came out in 2008 and includes Hathcock's unique version of REM's Losing My Religion. Four years later and the ambitious On The Eve Of A Goodbye was his first foray into concept album territory.

This was taken a step further with album number five, where The Reticent began to attract more international attention. The Oubliette was my first encounter with Chris' music. In my review six years ago, I explained how I could truly admire the craft and creativity, but found the dominant use of death vox not to my tastes.

The Oubliette is a progressive-metal concept album focused on Alzheimer's disease. It follows the journey of an old man (based upon a relative of Chris') as he descends through the seven stages of Alzheimer's. I only wished that Chris had focused on his clean vocals a lot more.

The Reticent (promo photo)

And that is exactly what he has done on album number six. The vicious death vox only dominate one track (The Bed Of Wasps). It features Brian Kingsland (Enthean, Imperishable, Nile) on guest vocals. Incorporating black, death and thrash metal, this is a manic song that employs odd time signatures to express the onset of panic disorder. The sound of wasps at the end is unnerving.

Please is another concept album, this time dealing with suicide. As with all Chris' albums it is based on his own experiences. Glued together by narration and sound clips, it's not an easy listen but it succeeds in conveying an emotional experience on an issue that those who have never had to experience mental troubles, often find hard to relate to.

Those who might enjoy a more progressive and less melancholic version of Opeth will find much to admire, especially the opening part of this record. If you want to sample one track then I would recommend The Scorn (Those Who Don't Understand).

The second half of the album is generally calmer. The Riptide is soooo plaintive, complemented by some heartfelt guitar work. Just beautiful.

One of my favourite tracks is The Chance (Those Who Let Go). Another more mellow song, it is told from the point of view of someone on the verge of suicide. The way it cuts off suddenly is very unsettling.

I must praise the lead guitar contributions of James Nelson whose other projects include a Genesis cover band and prog-metallers Nospūn, whose album Opuis I positively reviewed a couple of years ago.

There are a lot of albums out there where you can pick and choose what songs you want to listen to, but this is more of a heartbreaking story that takes place over the course of the entire album. Also the tracks here are very different, so it's one of those discs that works best when listened to as a whole.

Chris has frequently performed his music with a band and a multi-media stage show. You can catch them at both the European and USA versions of the ProgPower festival later this year. Recommended.

Sequentia Legenda — Timeless

Jan Buddenberg

Laurent Schieber, aka Sequentia Legenda, never sits still so it would seem. Unless you actually count the hours he spends seated behind his instruments in light of the 16 physical albums and other releases in the past eleven years. Timeless, as per usual accompanied by a meaningful subtitle that reads Vibrations of the Heart, is his latest offering. Although by the time you read these words this may well have changed, as Schieber is currently hard at work on a new concept entitled Floating Between Sky and Earth .

Anyway, back to Timeless which was released in October 2025 by Cyclical Dreams in digital form with an alternative cover before it was issued on CDr by Schieber himself with matching mystic artwork the month after. It comes in a digi-pack with an 8-page booklet containing liner notes that inform about the deeper spiritual meaning of the songs. The nutshell message is that Timeless indeed sounds timeless. Especially if our space-time continuum is interpreted as a Klaus Schulze constant.

Presented as an invitation to travel to a place of contemplation and resonance that exists beyond time, this ageless variable immediately takes effect in Celestial Waves Of Light. Clocking in at 30 minutes, this sensory experience starts with oceanic sounds and synth glitterings that transport to a constellation where stars are born. In finest Berliner Schüle tradition, it glides further and further into the cosmos with endless repetition and delicate shifting sequences that ultimately creates a feel of serenity. Galactic winds swoosh and twinkling patterns illuminate the subtly flowing melodies in Pink Floyd fashion.

The creative inventiveness and spiritual enlightenment that Schieber lavishly displays in his beautiful soundscapes is also evident in his thoughtfully worded song titles. Timeless Ethereal Light does leave me with a slight question mark though. Not because of the soundscape's earthly rhythms and the voluminous stream of resonating synths that formulate an exquisite sense of eternal otherworldliness, fully aligning with the given title. However, it is the frequent use of propulsive, turbine-engine sound effects, that gives this immersive soundscape a heavenly sense of infinite space aviation. So Timeless Ethereal Light could just as easily have been called Timeless Ethereal Flight as far as I'm concerned.

Faithful to his preference of three songs per album and again recorded in the favoured frequency of 432 Khz, Schieber concludes the absorbing experience of Timeless on an absolute high with Love Feeds Love II. Universal in feel and reprising and expanding the version as originally released on Alcyone, this moreish composition is once again beautifully harmonious and expressive in nature. It shows that a sublime unification of more Mellotron choirs, more fusion, and more refined sequencing, is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Personally I consider this track to be the pinnacle point in Schieber's oeuvre to date. Although a different version released as a single does give it a fair run for its money thanks to the otherworldly sounds generated by Charlotte Abigaël Dubois' theremin.

I cannot help but repeat myself. Timeless is a wonderful album that masterly spotlights the Berliner Schüle art form associated with Klaus Schulze. Like many of Sequentia Legenda's previous albums, it shares a wealth of touching melodies and harmonious arrangements that stirs both the imagination and soul. The overall conclusion is inevitable; the beautiful Timeless is a mandatory listen and/or purchase for those in love with the genre. Yet to discover Sequentia Legenda? Then it's high time to do this through the immersive experience of Timeless.