by Amit Peled
“You Can’t Remain Neutral on a Moving Train” – Howard Zinn
The Brazilian progressive metal ensemble ‘Maestrick’ presents an album filled with an ambitious, interconnected musical odyssey – “Espresso Della Vita: Lunare”. This title, translated from Portuguese as “Live express: Lunar,” leads the listener through an experience that oscillates between the realms of a grand rock opera and Danny Elfman’s eerie score for ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. The band navigates this spectral thematic domain, guiding us on a thrilling train journey where the main character confronts their inner demons across various tracks populated by an array of characters inhabiting its musical landscape.
‘Maestrick’ has layered their sounds skillfully throughout the album. To start, their configuration as a four-member band includes:
Fábio Caldeira (Lead Vocals, Piano and Keyboards), Renato Montanha (Bass and Gutturals), Heitor Matos (Drums, Percussion and Backing Vocals) & Guilherme Henrique (Guitars).
Furthermore, the album is enriched with an expansive orchestral backdrop for the songs. Strings, woodwinds, brass, and orchestral percussion bolster the metal riffs and motifs throughout the piece.
The third sonic dimension is reflected in the electronic and cinematic facets, incorporating electronic synths, glitches, impactful hits, and other auditory elements that modernize the music, along with a significant use of sound design employing ambient noises that enhance the narrative’s details. Audibly, we are led through the tale with samples ranging from people screaming on rollercoaster rides to darker segments featuring German dialogue that evokes moments from WW2.
One of the privileges of progressive music lies in its capacity to construct an expansive musical realm that can sustain a grand thematic and conceptual narrative. The members of Maestrick embrace this premise and elevate it to its maximum potential with an album that exhibits the same intricate depth as a film, novel, comic book, or script. Moreover, this album, which could be viewed independently as a singular musical work, is part of a broader musical universe and connects seamlessly to the band’s earlier 2018 release: “Espresso Della Vita: Solare”. This showcases the band’s overarching vision of their creations and their dual role as both musical performers and storytellers.
The themes and motifs introduced in the initial tracks quickly evolve into deeper significances as the traumas and pivotal moments traversed by the album become increasingly somber. The narrative includes personal traumas and incidents alongside historical traumas related to the 2nd World War, highlighted through holocaust survivor testimonies in tracks like ‘Dance Of Hadassah,’ which incorporates Eastern European Klezmer elements in its closing segments.
Maestrick displays exceptional musicianship, as they seamlessly transition between the grand epic slower tempos of their large choruses and hooks and the rapid, intricate prog metal riffs that confer a distinctive edge to the album.
The guitar solos are abundant as well, showcasing impressive guitar playing and tonal finesse. Henrique provided intriguing insights into his guitar sections in tracks like “Upside Down,” where he steps outside typical boundaries, drawing inspiration from the enigmatic guitar virtuoso ‘Buckethead.’ He shared how certain riffs and lines were reversed in “Upside Down” to create a literal interpretation of vertigo.
The collective demonstrates outstanding collaboration and musicality, supporting the lyrics and ensuring that all elements of the arrangement have their moments, while also knowing when to step forward and unleash the metal sections of the composition with vigor.
Additionally, the band investigates visual themes and concepts that resonate with their music, as seen in their video ‘Ethereal,’ which parallels an astronaut’s surreal experience on earth with a fetus’ umbilical cord and its connection to the planet. Striking a balance between focusing on a grand theme while attending to the intricate details proves challenging, and it is fascinating to observe how the band strives to harmonize both elements throughout the album.
Sonically, I perceive the band’s connections to their musical influences, linking to albums such as Dream Theater’s ‘Images and Words’ within their core musical style, not just instrumentally but vocally as well, showcasing a notable resemblance to James LaBrie’s vocal phrasing and delivery. There are intriguing musical guests featured on the album portraying various characters, including Tom S. Englund from the Swedish progressive band Evergrey, who appears on the track ‘Boo!’ as well as Jim Grey of Australian progressive metal band Caligula’s Horse, who contributes to “Agbara” (Capacity).
Maestrick has set an ambitious objective with this album, and it appears they have achieved it exceptionally well. I would recommend this album to any prog rock enthusiast and to anyone eager to delve into a musical universe brimming with diverse storylines and characters on the journey of their musical locomotive.
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Releases on May 2, 2025 on Frontiers Music
1. A Very Strange Beginning
2. Upside Down
3. Boo!
4. Ghost Casino
5. Mad Witches
6. Sunflower Eyes
7. The Root
8. Dance of Hadassah
9. Agbara
10. Lunar Vortex
11. Ethereal
12. The Last Station (I a.m. Leaving)
Line-up / Musicians
Fábio Caldeira / lead vocals, piano, synths, orchestrations
Guilherme Carvalho / guitars, vocals
Renato “Montanha” Somera / bass, vocals
Heitor Matos / drums, percussion, vocals
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
