Rating: 9/10
Release: 16 July 2023
Label: Independent

Flor De Loto (“Lotus Flower”) is a five-member Peruvian prog-metal band. Their bandcamp page at the time of writing says they’re “what would have happened if Iron Maiden met Jethro Tull in the ruins of Machu Picchu”, and that’s close, but this has a character of its own.

This album, Flor de Loto’s twelfth (and first in English, as far as I can tell), ticks all my personal boxes. It’s got a huge prog vibe, clear vocals, amazing flute action, and great production value. Usually by a band’s second or third album, they’re running out of steam, but that’s absolutely not the case here– lots of great ideas on display here. It’s so groovy, and full of life.

It’s hard to choose a favorite track, though. “Afraid to Shoot Strangers” and “Slave to Your Soul” are both great songs with slow intros that surprise the listener with catchy riffs. The album’s title track, named after the mysterious geoglyphs of southern Peru, is probably the best of the lot despite being an instrumental. It’s got a strong synth presence, cool sci-fi opening, and a couple memorable motifs. Each time that I listen to the album, my ears perk up most for those “Nazca Lines”. The following track, “Regression” goes even harder on the vocals, as if to compensate. It’s a good one, too.

Flor De Loto is progressive rock, and I can see where some folks wouldn’t like it, especially on a site dedicated to folk metal, but it resonated strongly with me. I loved listening to this album: the vocals are subtle and choruses are memorable, there are a couple nice guitar bits, the synth stuff is impressive and spacey, and the flute (sounds like a traditional flute for the most part, but a pan flute makes a few appearances) shows a great deal of talent without being showy or over the top. The melodies are catchy on their own, but they’re played with such skill and grace that the product is a lot more than the sum of its parts.

It’s forty-one minutes well spent, and it won’t be long before you’re humming and singing along. It’s a lot of fun. Check it out!

Tracklist

1. Empire Made of Glass 06:20
2. Animal 03:52
3. Slave to Your Soul 04:58
4. Afraid to Shoot Strangers 06:50
5. Nasca Lines 05:26
6. Regression 04:34
7. Until the End 09:50