Biography
Crucis may have been
the greatest progressive rock band to come out of the rich South
American progressive rock scene, taking cues from both the emotional
Italian and instrumentally bombastic Dutch scenes. Hailing from
Argentina, the band gigged feverishly in the underground music
scene of Buenos Aires, eventually establishing a great deal
of notoriety. The band released a pair of excellent releases,
both of which were recorded nearly live in studio. Apparently,
along with fellow proggers Alas, Crucis became one of the biggest
bands in Argentina. A career highlight came with an exchange
tour with the Brazilian group Terco/Mutantes, a double bill
that drew huge crowds in both countries. Their two albums, Crucis
and Los Delerios del Mariscal are both essential South
American progressive rock albums in their own right, but have
been released on CD in a convenient two on one package, Kronologia.
The band unfortunately broke up in 1977 after Los Delerios...,
although bassist Gustavo Montesano went on to release a solo
album entitled Homenaje, which is said to be somewhat
of an extension of the Crucis sound, being that all members
of the band participated in one way or another. -
Greg Northrup [October 2001]
Crucis
(1975)
On Crucis' debut album, the band
displays a style of instrumentally jaw dropping symphonic rock,
with a slight fusion influence, as well as a metallic, Deep
Purple-ish sense of aggression. Crucis is technically
flawless, showcasing extremely tight musicianship, and juxtaposing
chugging guitars with wild organ flights and particularly dexterous
drumming. Certainly, the band owes a debt to the Dutch school
of jazzy symph bands like Focus or Finch, but in my opinion
surpasses both those groups. Another influence seems to be the
frenetic Italian legends Semiramis, with their quirky, yet addictive,
melodic sense. Indeed, if any complaint can be leveled at Crucis,
it is that they sound so stereotypically "prog" on first listen,
and given their tendency for unrelenting complexity, one might
make the mistake of overlooking their significant compositional
and melodic talents.
In short,
this album kicks ass. Every song is pretty much a winner, and
is characterized mostly by Anibal Kerpel's organ as a lead instrument,
with guitarist Pino Marrone often unleashing a severely inspired
guitar lick in graceful counterattack. There is a definitely
hard rock-ish underpinning, driven by the thunderous rhythm
section, which manages to hold down the fort amazingly through
a tumultuous barrage of rhythmic changes and whirling drum fills.
Occasional vocals do come to the fore, but are overall nondescript,
though pleasant. Most importantly, the cuts here are, for the
most part, extremely memorable, and listeners will likely find
themselves falling over themselves playing all sorts of air
drums or keyboards in ecstatic imitation. In comparison to the
follow up, Los Delerios del Mariscal, a classic in its
own right, Crucis perhaps displays a more thought out,
compositionally based approach, as opposed to the off the cuff,
mind blowing jams that occupy much of the next release. A great
debut album from this Argentinean powerhouse, and an undoubtedly
essential South American symphonic release. -
Greg Northrup [October 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Los
Delirios del Mariscal (1976)
The second album
from Crucis, Los Delerios del Mariscal, is another gem
out of South America. The membership is the same, as are
the basic ingredients of this band's sound; an explosive, amorphous
rhythm section complemented by the consistently dueling barrages
of Kerpel's organ and Marrone's guitar. While on the last
album, this battle could probably be said to have been won by
Kerpel, Pino Marrone is undoubtedly the star of the show here,
laying down some stratospheric guitar solos that are incomprehensibly
awesome, making my hair literally stand on end.
There are
certainly a number of points on which this album seems to part
from the self titled debut. Initially, the sound seems
more symphonic, due to less of a metallic, aggressive vibe and
the more serene, melodic feel of "No Me Separen de Mi".
However, the real character of the album exhibits itself on
the extended jams like the title track and "Abismo Terrenal",
which have an almost improvisational element at times, albeit
with an underlying, set structure that provides the melodic
foundation. It's here that Pino Marrone rips things to
shreds, the music often taking on an almost Santana-ish character,
and bordering on an intense brand of fusion at times.
Organ fills the melodic gaps nicely and the Farrugia/Montesano
rhythm unit is simply awe-inspiring in providing an endlessly
shifting, breathtaking complement to the stellar melodies.
This is a band that was completely and totally in sync on every
level during the recording of this album, and it shows.
Every moment is impeccably tight, and flawless from a technical
standpoint, though infused with a surging emotional power that
characterizes the best progressive rock. Los Delerios
del Mariscal is without a doubt one of the first rate, classic
albums to have come out of South America. So what's better,
Los Delerios... or Crucis? Fortunately,
you don't have to decide, they're both available on the two-on-one
Kronologia CD.
- Greg Northrup [October 2001]
