The progressive rock band Trem Do Futuro (Train Of The Future) was formed in 1981 in Ceará, a state located in the north-eastern region of Brazil. Given that this is area better known for its deep folk roots and rhythms, it perhaps isn’t too surprising that it took some fourteen years for the band to build enough momentum to release their first album! The self-titled ‘Trem Do Futuro’ was released through the Progressive Rock Worldwide label in 1995. Since then it has been unavailable, and has now been released digitally for the first time, by Progshine Records, who keep unearthing gems from Brazil. It is obvious that the band were heavily influenced by both the British and Italian progressive scenes, while flautist Ulisses Germano had obviously been playing very close attention to Ian Anderson. His phrasing, and the use of clear sounds at certain points combined with a rougher much harder approach at others, intervening at just the tight time, is one of the highlights of this album. But, the band never sound like Tull, as their symphonic approach, combined with some folk influences, is quite different indeed.
The lyrics are sung in Portuguese, but even without knowing the language this is an album that can be enjoyed immensely and on the very first time of playing. The band are content to move between direct rock and acoustic styles, but they are let down at times with the quality of the production, and I’m still not totally convinced about singer Paulo Rossglow. It could be argued that he is singing with lots of emotion, but he doesn’t always hit the note as true as he should. It doesn’t sound like an album of the Nineties to me (apart from the odd keyboard sound), as this feels much more like a long-lost album from the Seventies as it feels genuinely of that period, as opposed to attempting to recreate something that had gone before. But, given that the band took fourteen years to release the debut album that may well have something to do with it as they did start playing together back in 1981. Overall this is an interesting album, and all power to Progshine for making it available again after so long.
