Review: Jardín De La Croix - 187 Steps To Cross The Universe (2013)

Into the great horde of Post-Rock bands, a really interesting but over populated scene where a band is an exact copy of another one, there still are some that are really enjoyable. In a sub-genre where progressive rock is practically implicit (with different intensities, of course), bands like Scale The Summit brought some fresh air to the scene by exposing those progressive elements and making them "explicit". I mean, Post-Rock with a progressive sound, and with all of what that implies: an increasing rate of technical elements, scales, tempo changes, rhythms and schemes, etc.

In that line we find Jardín De La Croix, a Spanish group founded in 2007, that after their auspicious debut in 2008 (“Pomeroy”) they managed to get attention from the underground scene in 2011, with their second work named “Ocean Cosmonauts”, an excellent record, combining in a classy way the Prog Rock world with the more elementary Post-Rock. After this album, expectations for 2013 were high, really high.

In “187 Steps to Cross the Universe”, we find an interesting sound renewal. Inspired by Nikola Tesla (in the cover you can see the band's intention), they decide to give us their most electric, heavy and intense album. Let's see what the result of this is…

The album starts with “Man Made Lightning”, no concessions given. Very intense, guitars alternate between mindless phrasings, even surprisingly relaxing bases. The rhythmic work is sublime, managing to keep the same dynamic structure…. dynamic, making the listener to stay heedful for the different variations and structures proposed. Being an instrumental piece helps to heighten the participation of each member, bringing out their ability to send a message, an idea, a feeling. With a length of 7 minutes, everything is wonderful, balanced, pungent and melodic at the same time.

Second song. “Topsy’s Revenge” it starts with parsimony, in crescendo, that finally blows up on your face. The impact that they create by increasing the intensity surprises even those who know the genre well, skimming the Metal sound. While they don't do Metal, they flirt with elements of the genre, making the general sound resources of the band abundant and stronger. Both guitarists make a wonderful team work, alternating the handling of melodies, becoming an enviable and enjoyable duo.

For the third song, other 7 minutes of majesty. “Colorado Springs” shows them very active and eclectic, clearly showing that it's no coincidence that they were inspired in Nikola Tesla for composing. Every section, every rhythmic pattern, every melody keeps the listener hypnotized, going through a rollercoaster filled with different emotions and astonishments from the variations and up and downs created by the band every second. With “electricity” as a premise, it sounds devious, rabid, hypnotic and sublime. Every detail has its own intention, to make the listener feel something, and be different from every other pretentious and self-indulgent band.

A quite disturbing introduction leads to the albums last song, “Talking with Planets”. What is in this song? More of the same? Yes and no. Because while there isn't a lot of variations like in the other songs of the album, they don't need a 180º turn to keep us interested. And then we notice something: Jardín De La Croix has a style of its own, an identity that has developed through the years and evolves album after album, making every work and song special, having their own characteristics. It's when a 10 minute song feels like a 3 minute one, being so focused on the track, time is no longer important. It's when we think about it when we realize that not many bands can do that.

Because of that and many other things, “187 Steps To Cross The Universe” it's the best album of a band that doesn't stop growing and showing they are the very best of the international Post-Rock scene. A band that gets better after every album, creating unforgettable songs. This is the best of 2013 so far, no doubt.

Score: 96/100