Having traveled through the former Soviet Union during my youth, it was very apparent that the Communist regime had severely weakened the influence of “Western” culture and popular music. In the early nineties, it seemed only the most recognizable artists from the west were known to the general public: Michael Jackson, AC/DC, Guns and Roses. Given the lapse in time since then, and the plethora of Russian MP3 sites littering the Internet, one would assume that the cultural gap has closed dramatically. Unfortunately, Vespero’s Rito does not seem to have adapted, leaving one to believe either access to new music is limited in their small hometown of Astrakhan, or Vespero are still engrossed in the music of their youth.

Rito is a dark, brooding album, filled with long neo-classical drones and noise, interspersed with progressive rock outbursts similar to that of Rush or CAN. At the heart of this album, there are some very good songs. The fifth track, “Crabs Ashore,” incorporates a pulsating bass line and driving snare atop mellow stringed synthesized chord progressions, eliciting a mesmerizing sound similar to that of Rachel’s. Yet, these moments are lost in the album’s inconsistency, constantly switching tones from a ominous bass driven dirge to a prog improvised guitar solo on “Triptych: to the falling sun,” and back to the almost kraut rock jam session of the title track “Rito” (complete with eerily echoed voices). Combined, all of these elements, while well done in their own form, do not achieve what is considered progressive in 2007.

Hopefully, Vespero’s problem is a limited access to new music, and will soon stumble upon a wealth of artists and incorporate modern influences into their sound.

-Thomas Lloyd