TERCER ACTO - Eternidad de un instante (1997)

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)