Quality, intelligent music is a worldwide gig. Whilst classic progressive rock was born in the UK, it spread very quickly, and each week, I am proud to bring listeners on my radio show class, both old and new, from around the globe.
Flor de Loto are from Peru, and their latest, the twelfth since 2005, Cosmos can be purchased digitally at https://flordeloto.bandcamp.com/album/cosmos and you can get hold of a nice physical copy from Oskar Records by visiting https://oskarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cosmos-cd
From the first note, you are struck by the quality of the songwriting and musicianship on offer. In addition, what a cover!
There are Andean influences, powerful guitar riffs, and intricate rhythmic structures. Notable guest appearances by vocalists Ray Alder (Fates Warning) and Mike DiMeo (ex-Riot, ex-Masterplan) join the regular band, Alonso Herrera on vocals and guitar; Alvaro Escobar on drums; Alejandro Jarrin playing bass; Diego Sánchez on keyboards; and Sergio Cuadros on flute.
Nine tracks to unpick – let’s do it.
Our opening introduction to the work is Exodo (Exodus). The flute and the sense of drama is palpable, a stunning symphonic opener segueing into (R)evolucion (Revolution), the flute whirling, the band riffing beneath it, a thumping rhythm section, pretty much a perfect mix of the pastoral and harder rock as you have heard since the halcyon days of Tull. Herrera has a voice which provides for a sense of the dramatic. The drum solo and then the commensurate guitar solo three minutes in are wonderful. Come the glorious day!
This is followed by the title track, which features DiMeo. It is embedded below for you. The shift that Cuadros puts in is clear from the off, and this is representative of the entire album, and the guest vocalist complements the band very well. A fine slab of rock music exploring the universe with excitement and fun. The three-minute mark is again pivotal, with a blistering guitar lead alongside the swirling flute, the keys reigning supreme above, all the while with a thumping rhythm section, the close allowing Sánchez to show his chops as the lead. Sheer class.
Ahorita Voy (I’m Coming Right Now) follows, and I will be playing this on my Progzilla Radio show this coming Saturday at 16:00 UK time, which is a remarkably handy 11:00 in sunny Peru. Five minutes of sheer progressive joy, the flute at the opening as dextrous and clever as any passage of wind instrument you have ever heard, and when the band enter the fray, it is once again Cuadros who leads the charge. This is a strong contender for this website’s instrumental track of 2025 award, the sound of a band in perfect harmony, the sense of urgency palpable, the Hammond solo recalling the spirit of the late, great, Jon Lord.
Sobrevivire (I Will Survive) is up next, and opens in a light, pastoral sense, the defiance not loud, but quietly insistent. There are some nice harmonies on this track, the voice of Ingrid Castro adding huge value. The track is embedded below for you to enjoy, and I know you will really get into the way that it develops in intensity as it flows without ever blowing up, a gradual build, a track bursting with positivity. I really do love it.
Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn) has a deep and rich heavy sound to it, the flute rising above some dense riffs, the drums especially high in the mix. On this track, Herrera perhaps provides us with the finest example of how he tells a story vocally, but without ever resorting to the easy trap of wanting to shout, scream, or growl when singing to us. Similarly, the charge towards the close has a melodic guitar solo with the flute then taking charge above the vibrant noise on a track which best be described as a marriage of Tull, Maiden, and modern artists such as Riverside.
Ecos Del Pasado (Echoes of the Past) follows and opens with a sensitive urgency, the rhythm section very prominent on this, the bass melodies utterly lush, as good a drumming performance you will hear all year, the acoustic guitar work complex, discreet soundscapes created on the keys, the whole thing exploding out of your speakers in a wall of sound and at a cracking pace, especially the complexity of the guitar work as it expands. It will compete with Ahorita Voy for “instrumental of the year”. Superb and moving.
Reino Del Dolor (Kingdom of Pain) is perhaps not the cheeriest title you will see in a song in 2025, and it bursts out of the stalls in dynamic fashion, a relentless pace of riffs beneath the urgent vocals. The best way one can describe this is supercharged Peruvian music, all at once traditional, but percolated with the joy of hard rock sensibilities.
We close with Crossfire, the longest track at seven and a half minutes, and featuring Adler as the guest. I like Fates Warning, and, indeed, played a track of theirs on the radio show recently. The piano and winds combine so well at the start, and Adler demonstrates his class with ease. This track brings together all strands of this album very nicely, and is, thus, presented to you below. From heavy prog rock to quieter passages with the flute and piano as leads in perfect harmony, Andean pipes, emotional guitar solo, a solid underbelly, delicate soundscapes, swirling flute, expansive vocals, it is deeply impressive.
In fact, those last four words sum up this fine album perfectly. Intelligent progressive music knows no boundaries at all. Flor de Loto are not the only Peruvian band I have access to in my collection, but they are, I believe, the premier in terms of how they fuse their national identity with wider rock and are fully deserving of your attention.