As steady as a click, CAST carries on making albums, so regularly that you have the feeling the Mexican band has always been a part of the Progressive rock scene. It even could have been so, if only a lack of funds had not forced them to wait twenty years until they could release their works. At least, since the band’s birth in the Seventies, it had time to polish up its music ! Now with a dozen disks (Studio & live) in their pocket and as happy promoters of the BajaProg festival in Mexicali, Alfonso VIDALES and the guys could easily have some deserved rest. No way ! 2003’s double-CD "Al-Bandaluz" shows that CAST is still far from reaching the end of its musical evolution. From their early works influenced by Seventies Progressive rock (CAMEL, GENESIS, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI…) and neo Progressive (MARILLION, IQ…), you can obviously find highly symphonic instrumental parts. The Latin side is still there, though it’s not ostentatious. Actually the evolution is more generally based on a constantly rising ambition regarding songwriting. Here diversity rules. Watch out, this is an essential release for 2003 !