From their website, “In 1999 at a school in the neighborhood of Saavedra in Buenos Aires two strangers met on an improvised stage. Ariel Bellizio and Alejandro Lopez would never been separated, even though they were thrown out of school after the episode. A ten year old Marcelo Malmierca, son of an unknown jazz drummer, went mad while listening to KING CRIMSON, ELP, and VAN DER GRAAF lost his mind years later making his own synthesizers hoping to reproduce the sounds that they left in his head. Juan Manuel Lopez known as the Argentinian with the widest knowledge about KISS, loses his composure after listening to “Sheer Heart Attack” by QUEEN. Renzo Favaro still remembers the loudness of the crowds roaring in one of the IRON MAIDEN cassettes he used to listen to as a child. Today he hopes to be able to generate emotions in others, just as his idols did it with him and many more. Fate brought them together under the name FUGHU.

The album has eight songs, and “Killing Me for Fun” is first. It enters with a funky electronic line and then guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. The interplay between the dark verses and the wide-open choruses is a stark but interesting thing to note, and the music is quite uncommon. “Alive” has a big, expansive melody at first that transitions to playful harmonies that are reminiscent of the Prog bands of the 70’s, but it also has a modern flair. You can begin to take in the band’s strong musicianship as well. “Fade Away” has a more pensive sound at first. “Don’t disturb me while I fly” he muses. The synergy between guitar, bass, and keys is quite remarkable, as each contributes equally to their sound, over a backdrop of grey skies at times.

“Chemical Rainbows” begins with acapella vocals but in comes fat keyboard notes, and they straddle the line between playful and dramatic. The balance is near perfect as well, as is the band’s unique sense of style. I really appreciate their confidence. “Out of Nowhere” is a heavier offering but that child-like sense of playfulness is still there. Chunky bass notes are squeezed in between guitar and keys, and the vocals go from dark snarls to wide-open harmonies. “Feel the Roof and Fall” is a short, straightforward, and melancholic song, where the band conjures up some emotions to display, and they have a lot to offer in that regard. Although it is fairly linear, it still has some mystery to it, and that is one thing that is ever-present on the album.

“The Last Minute” is a beautiful piano-led song, but a weighted and declarative riff breaks the early silence. The song has a dramatic flair and builds crescendos at just the right time. Given the title, you have to wonder…did you make it, or not? It does not answer. “Mr Rivers” closes the album. A dark cloud hangs over and the tension is thick, until the wonderful melody that shines in the chorus. The use of accordion is both odd and confident at the same time and it showcases their sense of style. The song and album end on a positive note. Like DREAM THEATER, the band seems to possess a veritable well of creativity that they only partially unleash on the album. They have a flair for the dramatic, as well as a sense of simplicity on the album. Their musicianship is very strong, as is their confidence, and both play out equally in this uniquely pleasing sound.