AOR: Art Oriented Resuscitation
Strange are
the ways and methods of meeting different albums. I got this album many, many
years ago from my Mexican friend, recorded on cd-r with titles written on paper
envelope. I listened to it a dozen or so, I liked it and… nothing special
happened at that time. But, the year 2017 brought a major breakthrough in the
case of Tercer Acto. I decided to check the album out once again… and it happened.
Now, as an original copy, it joins barefacedly the section called: my best musical stuff. And what is the
most interesting, not being a metal band…
Granted, I
am a musical orthodox person, I need metal music to work and live. It fully
satisfies my wants. And believe me, I
really wanted to put “Eternidad de un instante” into my metal dimension as an
integral part. And I failed, unfortunately. Unfortunately? No, it’s not a good term.
If the band’s genre is concerned, I found hard rock, progressive hard rock and
AOR. The abbrev means adult-oriented rock, album-oriented rock, or just
album-oriented radio. Well, no idea which definition should be the only one and
the most precise, however ‘radio’ word makes me really puke. But I tell you, it
isn’t important at all, as the good music only counts. Especially when it simply
captivates me.
Yep, I really
wanted to find it metal release. Seems I repeat myself, but this album gutted
my world and took a seat next to metallic records in spite of all. Searching
harder moments, definitely two songs should be mentioned: the shortest “Días sin tiempo” and “Jamás”. And if the first one is
a pure hard rock through all the time, the latter could be a part of “Holy
Diver” yet with strong Deep Purple influences, due to both riffs and more
aggressive vocal appearance of Eduardo. These songs are the only one without
any slowdowns or ethereal, balladic fragments, contrary to “Camino al destino”,
“Esquinas compartidas”, “Falsa libertad” and “Sin ti”. They have hard rock
riffs, especially when it starts off, varied lighter Gustavo’s forms in stanzas
and heavier parts in chorus. And counting the songs sequentially, three of them
pulsate with vivid energy, despite they’re just… ballads.
Ah, the ballads. Sometimes the sign of kitsch,
sometimes an added value to the entirety. And although “Fingiendo sueños”, “Bajo un cielo gris” and title “Eternidad de
un instante” are marvelous songs, Tercer Acto managed to create some balance between
such forms and the rest. It really works a splendid way. Mentioned “Fingiendo sueños”
was the first song that conquered my heart, and it left the doors open for
another tracks. Simply as that, isn’t it? What’s more, this group is probably
one of the best such songs I’ve ever heard and if the whole instrumental layer
is second to none, I really can’t miss Eduardo Contreras and his enthralling
warm voice. He sings in rather middle range and he does it in a perfect way in
Spanish, proving this language is much better than English. In faith,
phenomenal. The title track that ends the album appears as a proper stuff to do
that, the band decided to calm all the emotions down bringing a balm for my
tired soul. And that’s the way I can feel it…
It’s hard to believe, but “Eternidad de un
instante” recorded in 1997 is a debut album. Well, no problem at all, as these
five musicians don’t look like incapable rookies and don’t sound like that. Starting
from ideal sound realization that helps to fish all the tunes out, to the
interesting design of booklet layout. Each song represents an undeniable
(emotional) value I cannot live without. And if I listened to it hundreds of
times this year, I arrive at a conclusion that the person of keyboardist Rafael
Escalona has a huge contribution, not only because his instrument predominates
here (and definitely in uncannily fabulous “ Borrando el pasado”), but it
doesn’t… disturb me. For me keyboards are always very significant element of
the musical puzzle and it sucks in most cases
being like an awful pollen allergen coming from poplar tree and attacking
my daughter. Here, as such genre has been given, Rafael’s work is needful,
indeed, and the most important I do not have impression he wants to be a
leader. And mind you, there are no keyboard leads, fortunately. Leads, leads,
guitar leads… Gustavo
Hermosillo responsible for all guitar structures did everything to stick all
the elements together in one impact. I’m far from claiming he is the most
important guy on the stage, yet his performance is some kind of frame-work and
clay bonding at the same time. It made the opportunity to display rhythm
section’s talent and in final form just another great title in musical world. And
if I have to find only one adjective to describe this album, I will give beautiful without any hesitation…
These ten
tracks are like the Ten Commandments. Just throw one of them away and the Christianity
doesn’t have any sense. Take any song and the monolith is not the same. You can
quarter, burn or flay me, but I cannot give the best song in the “Eternidad de
un instante” family. That means all the compositions are very equal in general
quality, however the music itself isn’t hard to decipher, with simple means yet
perfectly composed they conquered my soul till the eternity. Summing the thing
up, the only album of Tercer Acto is one of the most important albums in these
hard times being a complete contradiction to falsa libertad. And it’s very hard to me to get over the members
are not together anymore as the band split up in 1998 (e.g. Eduardo joined Agora,
Gustavo Angeles del Infierno). Nineteen years have passed away and now I am
writing something about art called “Eternidad de un instante”. About its
beauty, magic, catchiness and magnitude. And because my words are just poor,
let “Camino al destino” fill the air once again…
99/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(written during July and August, 2017)
