BASTIAN PER

Impressive debut from Argentinian multi-instrumentalist.

South America has long been a progressive rock stronghold. For current evidence, King Crimson are set to conclude their world tour in October performing for two nights in an arena in Santiago, Chile whose capacity is no fewer than 17,000 (simply: after one date had sold out, demand dictated another). That said, compelling South American prog bands have been comparatively thin on the ground in recent years. With this in mind, the arrival of newcomer Bastian Per is very welcome. Per – or Sebastián Prosperi to give him his full name – is a Buenos Aires-based guitarist and drummer who

has recruited a strong vocalist in Mariano

Barreiro and written 10 powerful songs that hint regularly at the influence of Threshold and their ilk. The musicianship here is of the virtuoso variety – the complex time signatures of instrumental Beginner’s Luck would give Dream Theater a run for their collective money. But that’s not to the detriment of the songs and there are some lighter moments too which offer light and shade from the heavy riffing. Epic Journey reveals Prosperi as a talented writer with a good ear for a memorable melody. He is most definitely one to watch in future.