Brazilian prog band Vitral are very good at what they do. What they do might not be considered “reinventing prog” but that’s okay with me. They play a very decidedly classic style of prog which is heavily influenced by British prog and Rock Progressivo Italiano. So you will hear such influences as ELP, Tull, Yes, PFM and perhaps even Camel.

“Entre as Estrelas” has only 3 songs on it and clocks in around 64 minutes. However, the title track alone is 52 minutes long! This means the other two tracks are somewhat short in comparison, 7 minutes and 5 minutes set aside for those. What’s fascinating is that the songs were composed back in 1983 and 1985 (except for a part of the title track). The songs finally were recorded in 2016 and 2017, proving how timeless prog rock is.

“Pétala de Sangue” kicks the album off and has plenty of organ and flute. It sounds like Keith Emerson and Ian Anderson jamming with Yes in 1971. The other shorter track is named for the band, “Vitral.” It’s a dreamy number with plenty of flute that would have made Ray Thomas proud. The track closes with a big, slow bit of bombast. This leaves the middle track of the album, the massive title track. Honestly, this song really could have been the album by itself. It really doesn’t need the other two songs at all.

This is not to take anything away from those songs but “Entre as Estrelas” is a huge prog epic. It’s grand in it’s entrance and makes for a wild journey. You will hear plenty of ELP, Tull and even very early Kansas. Like the other 2 tracks, it’s all instrumental. This is a band that is so good at what they do and play, vocals would probably take away from the overall quality of the music. And that’s very high quality indeed.

Yes, “Entre as Estrelas” is a lot to take in both as a song and an album. But this is true progressive rock played by a band that understands the music and LIVES it. This is not an estimation of what prog is which I hear too often. You are going to feel like you’ve been transported back to 1973. Some would argue that’s regressive. I would argue that is playing the music as it was meant to be played. Vitral do it as well as anyone has.

Rating: 9/10

1. Pétala de Sangue 6:49
2. Entre as Estrelas 52:22
3. Vitral 5:12

Label: Masque Records
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bandavitral