Album Details

• Artist: Ligro
• Album: Dictionary 2
• Label: Moonjune
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2012-12-11

Instrumental Prog-Rock, from any country, is often balanced between technical and improvisational mastery and self-indulgent, a hardly "master of one's domain" spectacle. Indonesia's power trio Ligro for the most part track hard to the former path, making "Dictionary 2" a hot, guitar driven set. Their Prog is firmly set in the Zappa/Nels Cline/Mahavishnu camp.

They even rock out hard and convincing on "Stravinsky (with Bach intro)," a title that evokes cringe-worthy ELP or Marillion nightmares in judgment. Anchored by the rhythm section of bassist Adi Darmawan and drummer Gusti Hendi, guitarist Agam Hamzah roars and sweet-talks his way through these songs, all of which have dirty bite and the sublime exploratory classical-jazz quotes found in the best progressive rock. Form the hardcore opener "Paradox," through the hypnotic "Future," to the epic ten minute plus jams "Etude Indienne" and "Transparansi," the trio are tight and willing to take risks within the framework they have set for themselves. The only real clunker i

s "Biker 3," in which piano and tempo shifts make for a maudlin, ponderous effort.
Ligro's genius lies in its ability to draw from the best of Western Progressive rock as well as upon their obvious virtuosity. "Dictionary 2" is both homage and an extrapolation of 70s fusion, the biting, exploratory stuff that has held up the best. Ligro have the chops to explore future worlds with that as a foundation.

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