With a name like Blue Coconut, I was expecting some bizarre version of a prog-rockin' Jimmy Buffett. Instead, I get a Spanish progressive-metal band whose five-song demo CD End at 953 shows some promise.
With riff-heavy elements of Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Pain of Salvation, this six-piece outfit incorporates both English and Spanish lyrics. Erik Llerena's vocals get buried in a weak mix, but the arrangements are powerful enough to leave a lasting impression. Blue Coconut saves its strongest material for the end, as the final two songs, "Black Earth" and "Cage of Sands" — each clocking in at around 10 minutes — reveal the full potential of this young band. Particularly impressive are the extended guitar solos by Frederic Fernandez and Marcel Puy.
This isn't anything we haven't heard before, but it's clear Blue Coconut is serious about moving forward. The demo comes packaged like a real CD (complete with liner notes, lyrics, a band photo and even a bonus track), and these guys seem hungry enough to make something happen.
Track Listing:
1) Torn
2) Snuro
3) ZZZ
4) Black Earth
5) Cage of Sands