10 Essential 1990s Progressive Rock Music Albums
7. Arrigo Barnabé - Façanhas
Brazilian composing and prog rock great Arrigo Barnabé has never shied away from giving the progressive scene a more avant-garde flavor.
His fifth LP, 'Façanhas', dropped back in 1992, and saw the experimental multi-instrumentalist blending more traditional prog rock tropes with traditional Brazilian music genres. Hearing the likes of Samba mixed with avant-garde rock and a more '80s prog rock sound immediately set this album apart from anything that's come before or since.
Released to passable success in Brazil and little attention worldwide, Barnabé's maddened, affecting vision of hybrid prog with a more international flavour came and went under the radar. Of his 11 LPs, Barnabé's 1980 debut, 'Clara Crocodillo' arguably remains his best-known and most acclaimed piece of work. While the album marked a strong debut from the occasional film soundtrack mastermind, it was in 'Façanhas' that listeners got to experience the peak of his talents.
More than 30 years on, the album's legacy still remains on the quiet, conservative side, solidifying its status as an unsung gem of the prog rock scene. Considering its inventive signature sound and energy, it's well worth checking out for progressive enthusiasts.