Tantra - Holocausto. 1978 Portugal

In my review for Mistérios e Maravilhas, I had mentioned Tantra had an international flavor to it. And that continues here on Holocausto. Once again, you'll hear bands like Carpe Diem and Crucis, not likely direct references, but rather they share similar influences and approach to composition. There are sections of 'Último Raio do Astro Rei' that recall the Spanish group Ñu, especially in the frantic vocal approach. One can also hear the 70s Italian masters peek through on various occasions as well. The music on Holocausto is very much in line with the late 70s Iberian peninsula musical landscape, arguably the area's greatest moment in the sun when talking progressive rock. Easy recommendation for European progressive rock fans, though not the best place to start if just getting your feet wet. As once again, the production leaves much to be desired.

LP: 1978 EMI
CD: 2016 Belle Antique (Japan)

Originals come in a fine gatefold. The Belle Antique release appears to have been independently remastered, and not taken straight from Musea as is their usual protocol. I never did hear the Musea disc, as by the time I went looking for the CD (I already owned the LP, going back to the early 90s), it was long sold out. In any case, this mastering is clearly taken from vinyl, as you can hear the muffled pressing noise.

Tantra - Misterios e Maravilhas. 1977 Portugal

On the surface, Tantra sounds like an odd cross between Mahavishnu Orchestra and Genesis. There really isn't any other band from Portugal that sounds anything like Tantra, and with revisionist history on our side, the band have a somewhat international flavor. The fusion tracks sound like Argentina's Crucis whereas the vocal numbers recall Carpe Diem of France. The heavy use of the Farfisa Synthorchestra and the distant, sparse, and mysterious vocals add credence to this latter claim. Meanwhile, on the middle tracks, the insane bass and drum rumblings with wild soloing made me think of Los Delerios del Mariscal. As many have said, the production is lousy, and detracts from the overall immense potential for greatness here.

Ownership: LP: 1977 EMI. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2019). Note back cover of the original. There are two pressings, and the one with "1877-1977 100 year" seal is the true original. I started with the 1983 press that I purchased in 1990. That was replaced by the Musea CD. I've decided to part with the latter after capturing the excellent liner notes, and there are no bonus tracks. 

1990; 10/15/15 (new entry); 12/11/19 (LP acquire); 2/18/23