In 1999, Philippine rock band
Siakol released its third album,
Pantasya ("Fantasy"). The new album finds the band approaching the level of the first, which was a fine first outing, and sounding far better than on the second.
Pantasya doesn't have the immediate impact of the first album, and repeated listenings are required to better savor the music. However, it's worth the wait.
The album opens on the acoustic, "Hindi Mo Ba Alam" ("You Don't Know"), which features the plaintive vocals of lead singer Noel Palomo, accompanied only by acoustic guitar. The melody to "Hindi Mo Ba Alam" is exceptionally strong. Many songs here use an acoustic ambience, in contrast to the band's earlier albums, which emphasized raging electric guitar. The acoustic guitar is predominant on some songs or works in tandem with the electric guitar, as heard on "Muli Bang Makikita" ("Will I See You Again") and the rollicking "Malaya Ba?" ("Is It Free?"). There are no heavy metal or overt punk songs on
Pantasya, though "Kasalukuyan" ("Currently") and "Makabagong Panahon" ("New Time") are punkish in spirit, working off a fast rhythm. "Pantasya" has a anthemic rock feel, "Inday" has the ambience of a traditional folk dance, and "Sisa" sounds nearly like a children's song in parts.
The band's musicianship has improved significantly since their 1996 debut album, and the music has lost none of its charm. The songwriting (all done by vocalist Noel Palomo) is substantially improved, and Palomo's vocals just get better and better with each album. ~ David Gonzales