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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Fernando Perdomo Out To Sea 3: Storm Review by Gary Hill It's always a bit tough to pin Fernando Perdomo down to one sound. I generally land him under progressive rock, but this one fits a lot more firmly under that heading than some others do. Other than some drums, Perdomo is responsible for all the music here. It is definitely prog rock, and all instrumental, but there is a fairly wide range within those confines. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2020 Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.

Track by Track Review

Out to Sea 3 Theme The sounds of the sea appropriately bring this cut into being. Acoustic guitar rises up to herald the start of the music. The cut works on the theme with other sounds, including some electric guitar joining. I can make out hints of things like King Crimson, Genesis and Queen on the sound of this piece. It's an effective and potent progressive rock number that continues to build and grow.

Wonder A bit more mysterious, this number seems to draw heavily on a fusion type sound. There are definitely hints of Pink Floyd on this. I dig the tone and vibe of the piece. It's more rocking than the opener was, but it's also fairly slow moving in the early sections. The cut powers up and gains tempo and energy later, though. There is a short freaked-out movement at the end.

Cycles Coming in with an electric guitar line that seems more AOR-oriented, this is definitely more of a rock song as opposed to fusion. I can even hear some hints of The Beatles in some of the guitar lines.

The Storm Somehow this track makes me think of Mike Oldfield quite a bit. It's a powerful number that has a bit more of a mainstream prog rock sound to it. It has some intriguing changes. A fairly rocking movement that serves as the backdrop for acoustic guitar soloing almost brings some Spanish sounds to the piece. This is a powerful number that's among my favorites of the set.

The Great Known . The fusion elements are in control on this tune. It has a good up-tempo energy and some classy melodic work. There are some particularly powerful moments here.

Frenzy One of the hardest rocking pieces of the set, this has a real modern King Crimson vibe built into it. It's a powerhouse stomper that works so well. There is definitely an old-school rock and roll meets surf guitar edge to this thing, too.

Tambourines of Malmo A melodic rocker, this has a real lighthearted vibe to it. There are definitely fusion leanings here, but it's more of rock-based song than jazz-based.

The U.F.O. Club . There is a real 60s rock element to this up-tempo cut. This is a lot of fun. It still has some vintage fusion sound in the mix, though. It also has some smoking hot guitar soloing and powerhouse bass work.

Doom Is Often Loud . Another that's among the harder rocking of the disc, this has almost a metal edge to it. It has some smoking hot guitar soloing, too. It's one of the highlights of the set as far as I'm concerned. I can definitely make out hints of early Rush on this, particularly as it nears the end.

The Crab I dig the cool synth textures on this piece. The whole tune has a classy prog rock sound to it. It's a particularly potent rocker. There is a cool exploration mid-track that brings a bit of that fusion element to bear for a bit.

Dawn An acoustic-based cut, this is a pretty and rather intricate number. It does power up a bit at times, but overall is a melodic and inspiring mellower tune.

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