RC2 - Future Awaits

Year of Release: 2008
Label: ProgRock Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 59:41:00

Not sure if this is their second release candidate or a hybrid model between R2-D2 and C3PO. Whatever the case, Future Awaits is a real dandy. The group brings a lot of unrelated influences to the mill: Tiles, Pinnacle, Little Atlas, and Mastermind to name a few.

Rather than MIXING and MASHING different meads, it's as well-crafted as those microbrews. Never does it get too pompous with its pulp either. Oftentimes, RC2 absorbs those sensibilities that have worked for more popular groups. In particular, a whole sack of passages venture into Dream Theater's Falling Into Infinity due to Felix Duque's emotive singing. Also, there are several batches where I hear Yes' "Machine Messiah" in the instrumental mix. And when "Autumn" comes, I cannot help but think that it's Genesis' Trick Of The Tail with a sudsy layer of popping guitar solos.

On a separate note, "El Diablo Suelto" is pretty cool due to the mariachi sequence bridging a power ballad with a jam. If you looked up fusion in a dictionary, this could be the given example. Keeping with the alternatives, "Voice Of The Storm" is like an updated epic version of Eric Burdon's "House Of The Rising Sun". The preamble is where it sees the most overlap. Latter aspects are closer to IQ, Saga, Rush, or Styx.

When you put it all together, these brewmasters are skilled in their craft. Not only do they incorporate a burst of tricky time-signatures in a vat of structured compositions, it's actually harmonious. That in and of itself is an accomplishment when you consider these potentially clashing ingredients. Can't put my finger on it, but there is something in their algorithms that makes this asymmetrical material mesh.

Back to the encoded moniker: After doing a little research, it seems their name, RC2, most likely has to do with a useful cipher in the security sector. Fortunately, they're more intuitive than a source-heavy Feistal Network. With that said, Future Awaits has been unencrypted for your ears.

[You can hear tracks from the album at their MySpace site -ed.]

Tracklisting:
Time Pieces (10:58) / Future Awaits (7:07) / 11 (7:29) / Autumn (8:02) / El Diablo Suelto (4:02) / Coming Down Again (6:12) / Voice Of The Storm - Part 1 (6:06) / Voice Of The Storm - Part 2 (9:49)

Musicians:
Eduardo Benatar - drums
Pedro Misle - bass
Mauricio Barroeta - guitars
Rafael Paz - piano, keyboards
Felix Duque - vocals

Discography:
RC2 (2003)
Future Awaits (2008)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin ES

Added: January 1st 2009
Reviewer: Joshua "Prawg Dawg" Turner
Score:
Artist website: www.rc-2.com
Hits: 7162
Language: english