El Reloj. 1976 Argentina

El Reloj's second album is an intense and complex dual guitar-led progressive rock from Argentina. In some ways it represents the logical next step on from classic Wishbone Ash, Man, and the Dutch group Cargo. Perhaps only Automatic Fine Tuning attempted a similar mix of highly complex music with twin hard rock guitars solely taking the lead. There is a small amount of keyboards, but they aren't the focus. And the histrionic vocals are typical of the delivery in Argentina and Italy in the 1970s.

Come to think of it - complex progressive hard rock, non-stop intensity and screaming vocals - perhaps we now know the true inspiration for Mars Volta (makes more sense than Led Zeppelin). Well... maybe?

A rather surprising sophomore entry from El Reloj, whose debut is much more straight ahead hard rock with blues touches. I personally think this is a great album - a near masterpiece.

Ownership: LP: 1976 RCA. Gatefold. Mail order acquisition (1993). Love the cover with the weird dude in a weirder place.

CD: 1996 Record Runner (Brazil). Jewel case with two bonus tracks taken from a single.

1993; 1996; 9/7/12 (new entry)