Five Suns

Guapo | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cuneiform
• ASIN: B00015YW5S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,584 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Five Suns...four stars, October 18, 2005

By 

J. Holmes "blood+whiskey" (yokohama, japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Suns (Audio CD)

Guapo is an experimental UK-based instrumental rock band that has fallen under massive influence of the Zeuhl school of thought. early bands like Magma, Univers Zero, etc. paved the way for this kind of intense, repititious, and hard driving progressive kind of sound. and then japan's Ruins added to that sound with a furious hardcore/punk kind of edge. Guapo's take on the Zeuhl sound combines some distant eerie tones and a foreboding atmosphere which gives the music a real David Lynch kind of creepiness. the results are like a meeting between Goblin and Magma. on this album, Guapo has added a keyboard player and their sound has benefitted greatly from this additional member. the centerpiece of this album is the 5 part 46 minute title track. there are a few extra tracks that seem to be a bit unnessesary, almost feels like they are sort of just tacked on to the end to make the record a little bit longer. but that's a minor complaint when the album is this good.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern zeuhl, March 16, 2004

By 

"rclamitans" (Lima, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Suns (Audio CD)

Previous albums more closely resembled Ruins. However, the addition of a keyboardist/guitarist for Five Suns makes the group's sound more closely approximate some of the stripped-down zeuhl of Magma (without the singing and voices). Fans of Happy Family should enjoy Guapo's Five Suns, although Guapo is less manic on this album and more fully develops their themes. The dominant drums and bass guitar provide a bleak landscape darkly enshrouded by drifting waves of organ and mellotron. Part 1 of Five Suns gradually accumulates tension that resolves into the chaotic repetitive phrases that are developed in Part 2. Part 3 continues with repetitive themes that are a bit more subdued and that highlight organ. It gradually builds into frantic climax that dumps the listener in to Part 4. Parts 4 and 5 are somewhat more minimal and repetitive, and nightmarish. Part 5 gradually disassembles into the opening invocation of Part 1. A break between Five Suns and the final two pieces allows the listener's brain to regroup for further sonic onslaught. Mictlan is a dark and still relatively aggressive assemblage of repeated and gradually developed themes. The last, Topan, is the only piece of the album approaching melodic, and it ends the disk on a subdued note. Overall, this album is highly recommended listening for those looking for a modern successor to Magma and their ilk.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Hard Prog!, March 18, 2004

By 

Carl Johnson "budbear_5000" (Detroit, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Suns (Audio CD)

I am new to Guapo though they have been around for several years. I read the one other review and really have no basis for comparison, however...

Five Sun is a five part 40 plus minute piece. Yes, they have simularities to Magma BUT they also would fit in well backing bands like Mars Volta! The piece starts out with very regular instramentation. They perform the entire piece, building off of each other with no soloing... and you do NOT miss it! The whole piece is melodicaly based on 3 to 5 chord progressions and you do not get bored at all. The song is almost like a continuous rock concert finale and I thought I would have lost interest. I have NOT lost interest.

As a matter of fact, each time I listen to it, I discover different ways that the band has pulled together as an exciting, prog rock, working unit. The effects more than likely can be done during a live show, which this album makes me want to see.

I do not hear any simularities to the band Ruins or Henry Cow. I do hear the Magma, possibly some metal bands (I can not think of any particular band though) influence but it does not overshadow Guapo's originality. As a matter of fact, I think it makes them more appealing. Also, there are two more songs that are REALLY good on the CD. Excellent spin!