"Against The World" is the third album from Chilean traditional metal band, BOLIDO. Their sound is a mixture of 70's classics like PRIEST, RUSH, and MAIDEN and the writing and production have an old-school vibe and approach. The title track kicks the album off with a straight forward rocker reminiscent of MSG or ACCEPT. Right away, something that sets this band apart is the up-front bass playing of VIC DEIMOS whose snarling, nasal tone cuts through the mix with each tasteful run. This song has a big, catchy chorus and sweet harmony guitar leads.

Next up is "MIG Alley" which takes the intensity up a notch with a quicker tempo and more intricate guitar work. Guitar solos are beautiful cascades of arpeggios and twin harmonies with bass and drums taking turns to add fills. "Time To Be Yourself" takes things in a completely different direction, being so proggy as to bring YES's "Big Generator" to mind. Clean guitars, fluid bass lines, and a vocal line doubled with a guitar melody all give this track a very unique and unusual approach for a traditional metal band. If that's not enough of a diversion, "Angel In Black And White" comes in with a funky and bouncy trip that sounds like something off of EXTREME's "Pornograffiti". The solo breaks into a blues shuffle where again, the bass playing of DEIMOS steals the show.

"In Dreams" clocks in at 8:54 and has so many cool tones from the classic influences it is like a time machine trip. A sleepy, trance-like riff carries the song with a warbly guitar coming in like textures from STEVE HOWE or GEORGE HARRISON. "Turbo" comes in on fire, with glass shattering vocals and melodic harmony guitars that are so IRON MAIDEN you'd expect EDDIE to jump out of the speakers at you. Then they follow up with, "Heartbreaker" a song so smokey and blues injected it could have been written by ZZ TOP.

The album closes with the prog extravaganza, "White Hell" a 21 minute opus dealing with the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The song features all the instrumental excellence and stylistic variety found on the rest of the album with an added element of poetry in the narration that brings to mind QUEENSRYCHE's "Empire". Overall a very interesting piece of work, "Against The World" might be a challenge for some metalheads to get into but for many proggers who appreciate the occasional surprise or musical left turn, this one's for you.