Kaizen Reviews

Also see: Rio ArtRock Festival 2000

From: "Mark Fonda" <>
I'm not sure who recommended this, but I just got Kaizen's 1994 'Gargula' CD and I can't seem to keep from hitting the replay button. Anyone who like's Classical Symphonic Prog ala After Crying, Solaris, Finesterre, Hecenia, Quidam, etc. should check this out. I think it is their only release. Kaizen is from Brazil and are led by Kleber Vogel (violin), ex-member of Quaterna Requiem and Carlos Albuquerque (guitars), Ronaldo Dos Guaranys (keyboards), Alvaro Seabra (bass, keyboards and percussion), Cleto Castanon (drums) and several special guests playing flute, oboe, bassoon and cello.  No vocals.

From: Lanzarini <> 
Kleber Vogel (violin) left Quaterna Requiem after Velha Gravura and formed Kaizen. The band was preparing the second CD with this line up: Kleber Vogel...violin; Wagner Andre.... keys; Saulo Batessini....guitar (ex Quaterna); Wilham Murray.....bass (ex Bacamarte); Mario Leme...drum (ex Bacamarte). The link - I think there's an english version: http://www.domain.com.br/clientes/kaizen 

From: "Alan J. Mallery" <>
I don't usually do this, but I really have to dis-recommend this one. I found it very amateurish. The violinist played on the first Quaterna Requiem and that band is much better imho.

From: "alexandre a. s." <>
I agree with Alan. I really don't know what people saw (or heard) on this album. Sure, Kleber is a monster violinist, but his backup band suck terribly, the recording is extremely poor, all the sounds (guitar, drums, keyboards, even bass!) are cheap and too "glossy". There isn't much to recommend on this album except for Kleber's playing, which is very good. But I believe Quaterna's first would be a better showcase of Kleber's talents...

From: Lanzarini <> 
You mentioned the biggest problem of the CD, Alexandre... Kleber told me that PRW (the record company) didn't choose a good studio for the band . Besides it, IMO the CD is more a solo work from Kleber than a band... This new line up is promising... Ah, on Rio Art Rock Festival 97 - with Quaterna, Violeta de Outono and Par Lindh Project, that released first in Brazil the new album Mundus Imcompertus - he was invited to play Velha Gravura! And he did it very well! BTW, Rock Symphony will release a double CD of the event plus a video somewhere next year. Idon't know if VG will be on the CD because the music had 10 minutes more than the original version.

From: "alexandre a. s." <>
> Kleber told me that PRW (the record company) didn't choose a good studio for the band . Besides it, IMO the CD is more a solo work from Kleber than a band...
The studio has little to do with the horrible players he used for the album... A monkey could drum better than the guy he hired for the album...
> This new line up is promising...
That's what I heard...
> Ah, on Rio Art Rock Festival 97...
I was there, I saw it. I believe it was this show that he played so furiously that he broke a couple of strings of his violin! "Velha gravura" was the best track of an otherwise very lame show by Quaterna.
> BTW, Rock Symphony will release a double CD of the event plus a video somewhere next year. Idon't know if VG will be on the CD because the music had 10 minutes more than the original version.
Well, the Quaterna show was boring. It would be better to release just "Velha gravura" and nothing else...

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