FunkFreak75 Same lineup, last album from these awesome J-R Fusionists from Barcelona. The band here sliding a little more into the Latin-biased sounds and styles that Chick Corea was gravitating to in his solo work of the same period.

1. "El caminant nocturn" (8:21) Fender Rhodes chord play is soon joined by bubble-effected bass and militaristic jazz drumming before synthesizer and electric guitar step in to take the lead. Lots of stops and goes, lots of rock and prog-sounding riffs and passages give this an almost NOVA-like feel, though something about it also reminds me of The MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA's last album, Inner Worlds. We've definitely entered the gratuitous world of commercial J-R Fuse that Herbie Hancock's Thrust and Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior opened up to the world. (17.5/20)

2. "Càntics de la carn" (11:18) so like the music that Chick Corea was doing with Leprechaun, My Spanish Heart, and The Mad Hatter that I had to keep checking as I was listening to this to make sure it wasn't something from him, Al Di, or a hidden RTF album that I'd missed! Excellent performances top to bottom (despite Kitflus' rather schlocky and now-dated array of keyboard sounds). (18/20)

3. "Riu d'agost" (7:41) piano and acoustic guitar opening that sounds suspiciously like something from Al Di Meola and Chick Corea. Even the sound engineering seems perfectly imitative of some of those earlier RTF albums (not Romantic Warrior). At 1:45 the full band breaks the spell of the acoustic duo and launches into a long bridge before settling into another Latin-rhythmed dance tune. The lead instrumentalists retain their acoustic orientations while bouncing back and forth between 10-to-20 second bursts as soloists often bridged by patches in which they play together. Quite a nice, light and jolly, and impressive song of instrumental prowess--and such tight, whole-band feel coming from the quartet. (13.5/15)

4. "Embrujo" (6:14) yet another song in which the band lets their ethnic roots come shining through--though once again expressed with incredible virtuosity and intuitive interplay. These guys are really gelling! And Max has never been more effusive! (9.25/10)

5. "Crisàlide" (6:30) piano and acoustic guitar open this one until 1:20 when searing Al Di MEOLA-like electric guitar ushers in the rest of the band. This complex, never straightforward song offers some great bass playing as well as tight disco-ish drumming with Kitflus' DEODATO-like bouncy Fender Rhodes play when Max is shredding up front. (9.25/10)

Total Time: 40:04

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion approaching the Smooth Jazz era.

FunkFreak75 The third studio album release from these maturing artists: all their hard work and previous experimentation have finally paid off with this Jazz-Rock Fusion album that shows the band finally committed to one style of music.

1. "Sentiments" (1:50) wonderfully potent atmosphere that begins to deliver big time with the MAHAVISHNU-like finish. Wow! Great start! (5/5)

2. "Andalusia, Andalusia" (5:37) such great sound coming from the drums, hefty electric bass, and joaguín "Max" Sunyer's Al Di Meola/Corrado Rustici-like electric guitar! It builds and forms, and fills the sonic landscape just like a RETURN TO FOREVER tune. Keyboard maestro José "Kitflus" Mas has a sound palette and style that is to my ears more similar to that of JAN HAMMER than Chick Corea--and there's nothing wrong with that--though his keys are often oddly mixed just behind the other band members. Still, Kitflus and Max keep us mighty entertained with their lightning-fast runs performed in perfect synchrony. Great first full song even if a bit overly RTF. (9.25/10)

3. "A Sevilla" (5:13) another very powerful and dynamic rock-infused funky jazz song that owes much to RTF but also to Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report despite its roots in Spanish folk melodies. The "dirty" sounds of the bass and electric guitar are understandable for giving the song a little edginess but Much of drummer Jordi Colomer's play reminds me of Lenny White but there's also some flashes of Cobham and even Bruford in there as well. (9/10)

4. "Ball De Les Fulles" (5:30) a song whose sound palette for some reason reminds me more of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA or even GEORGE DUKE than the previous stuff. I'm not a real fan of Max's very "dirty" almost fuzzy guitar tone but I can find no fault with his play. Kiftlus' mastery of clavinet might just be more impressive than his Fender Rhodes play. Primitivo Sancho's bass playing is solid if mixed a little too open on the low end and Jordi Colomer's drumming is as masterful as ever. (8.875/10)

5. "Magic" (6:23) human-made dog barking and other sounds open this one up until a coaches whistle announces the real start to the song: a delightfully funky affair that presents some very engaging melodies amidst some quirky sounds and riffs. The funk bass seems quite reinforced and perhaps even enhanced by Kitflus' clavinet while Jordi's drums hold a pretty steady Billy Cobham-like beat but it's the keys that are definitely the star of this show! Nice, tight, easy-going. (9/10)

6. "Joguines" (3:00) a song to show off Max' prowess on steel-stringed acoustic guitar as well as Kitflus' on piano. There's still electric bass and Oberheim-like strings but it's a nice change up from the fire and smoke of the all-electric stuff. Plus, there are some very pretty lines and playing from both Max and Kitflus. (9/10)

7. "Alegries Del Mediterrani" (9:17) this one takes the listener on a musical journey that is surprisingly smooth and melodic--especially the first three minutes. The band tries to go full-speed RTF in the middle section but ends up crossing more into GEORGE DUKE or UTOPIA territory--except for that amazing drummer: Jordi Colomer is definitely on another plane of consciousness throughout this section! At the six-minute mark the music takes another detour, starting with a rather raw and raunchy bridge that opens up into another more smooth and melodic motif similar to the opening, only this time guitarist Joaquín Sunyer shows up with a laser sword to cut and slash his way through and over the rest of the band--at least until the final minute when everybody returns to the second full-speed motif. Nice finish! (18.5/20)

Total Time: 35:50

Though nothing on this album quite lived up to that pretentious proggy opening title song, the rest is definitely of incredibly high caliber and worthy, as a whole, of mention along side some of the greatest J-R Fuse albums of the mid-1970s. The instrumental virtuosity is all there, now the only step left for these guys is the full integration or "fusion" of the band's four members into one, fully synchronized and entrained unit making music that is holistic. That is what the next album (and, sadly , their last) will put on display. An amazing "arc" of growth to behold: self-awareness and enthusiasm turns into self-discovery and, then, finally, self-realization.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of dynamic and hard-drivin' Jazz-Rock Fusion of the early Third Wave, taking its inspiration from the likes of Return To Forever, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and other masters of the domain.

Warthur Switching from a symphonic prog rock band to an all-instrumental fusion group was a smart move on Iceberg's part, the vocals on their debut album being the weakest link. This time around they play a style of fusion reminiscent of the darker Mahavishnu Orchestra or Return to Forever tracks, with the keyboard work of Joseph "Kitflus" Mas being a major presence. Unfortunately, the synth sound used by Kitflus has not aged well, which makes it hard for modern ears to appreciate the technically proficient fusion on offer here. In addition to this, the usually competent playing is let down occasionally by slipshod songwriting - the second track, Nova, in particular seems to lack cohesion to my ears. Still, a solid three star album from a more than competent fusion outfit.

Warthur Emerging just as Spain was on the cusp of its transition to democracy, Iceberg's debut album finds the band unsure of just what direction they intend to take. Regular nods to the conventions of symphonic prog aside, the band's heart really seems to lie in funk-influenced jazz fusion, leading to an intriguing blend of styles which keeps the album entertaining - though I'm left with the impression that the music would be improved if Iceberg had committed to one musical direction or another rather than prevaricating. In particular, I'd like to hear much more saxophone and less vocals from frontman Angel Riba, though guitarist Max and keyboardist Kitflus trade solos more than competently.

Sean Trane After the superb Coses Nostres, how can one follow up and still appear as on top of their game? Iceberg found the easy (but not so obvious) answer, to make another superb album, and believe me they did. The album actually veers a bit more jazzy in the fusion sense sometimes approaching the over-demonstrative Return To Forever or even a bit Weather Report and still the better Santana (Caravanserai) and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Some moments are so powerful that I cannot help but thinking of Journey’s superb jazz-rock debut album with the incredible Ainsley Dunbar on drums.

Right from the opening title track, you know this album will strike all the rights chords if you like the above-mentioned bands, and the Spanish feel is present but nothing obtrusive (hardly any flamenco hints, but more of Rodrigo (Aranjuez) feel. Again Sunyer and Mas take the stage by storm, but the rhythm section is really on top of its game. The only small gripe I might have is that the synths sounds are a bit more “modern”, but at least on this album they have been correctly reproduced during the CD transcript. To separate one track and raise it above the rest is simply impossible to this reviewer, because the album is incredibly even, with maybe Magic a bit under par. However, if I must name just one track, listen to the closer Alegries Del Mediterraneo.

A smoking album, just as excellent as the previous Coses Nostres but better rated because of no avoidable sound flaws. Among my top 40 jazz-rock albums, no problems even if I have only known it for the last few months.