Progressive Rock
Badalona’s own Big Bang present their fifth studio album. The band is made up of Siscu Carrasco on drums, Frederic DaVeins on bass, Francisco Rubiales on guitar and Manuel Rubiales on vocals.
“Irreal” is the opening track. Forceful, powerful and highly rhythmic, with an even more energetic chorus. It is also raw given the kind of production used, which makes sense, since not everyone can afford Capitol Studios rates. We could describe this opener as a more aggressive version of Pearl Jam. A good track to kick off any day.
And with a different register, we get “Arde”, where the keyboards give it a more modern edge. The heavy compression is not a problem here, since it is a very direct track, with few subtleties and solid vocal work, even using a technique that leaves the phrasing plenty of room to breathe. Very rock, with riffs very much in the Rage Against the Machine vein, set against some really well-chosen keyboards.
The wild introduction to “Punto y Final” is really amusing, giving way to a good funk-rock groove from bass and guitar. The stop-and-go, loud-and-soft interplay comes off well and gives dynamism to a track that needs it, since the compositional ideas keep circling that same point, right up to the riff that heralds the guitar solo.
And there is room for the drums right from the start of “Como el Viento”. The whole introduction works very well, especially thanks to the lovely rhythm guitar, which honestly did not need any keyboard backing. Where the keyboards do fit well is in the verse, written at a mid tempo, which then picks up speed for the chorus and closes with some fairly Zeppelin-esque rhythmic figures. The song revolves around these ideas and ends with a dispensable keyboard part.
With several tempo changes, we get “Vértigo”, a winding track, though fairly standard within rock — solid filler for a record. And we could describe “A Quién le Temes” as rough and harsh, a track where no attempt was made at fluidity, especially with tempo changes conceptually very different from the previous track’s, and a mix that is too aggressive, especially on the drums.
Changing register, we get “La Gravedad”, whose introduction tries for an Arabic atmosphere in the style of Myrath, though without the tons of overproduction the Tunisians pile on, which is a relief. That said, it quickly moves away from that line to give us a heavily filtered vocal treatment, adding a nice bit of variety to what we’d heard so far, along with a brief interlude between verses where robot-emulating effects provide an effective contrast.
On “El Tiempo no es Eterno”, they try for something special with a rock-funk fusion, without straying too far from a fairly ecumenical composition. On “El Capitán”, meanwhile, we again find that Maghrebi-flavoured atmosphere, though here there are many more ideas of that style woven into the vocal lines and arrangements.
The album closes with “Mi Sombra”. A track that rhythmically tries to steer away from predictable simplicity. Even so, we run into keyboards the band does not really need again, and, perhaps, as a closing track it ends up a bit too complex, given that complexity was not really this record’s defining trait. Or maybe it does fit — as they say, each to their own taste.
A good rock record that deserves a bigger platform than others which, simply for being from abroad, get more press coverage — and “Causas Naturales” has nothing to envy them for.
Manuel Rubiales – Vocals
Siscu Carrasco – Drums
Frederic DaVeins – Bass
Francisco Rubiales – Guitar
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Writer: David Sàez