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Dopo 13 anni di silenzio ritornano i Prowlers, una delle band più interessanti del neo progressive italiano degli anni novanta.
"Sogni in una goccia di Cristallo", continua il discorso musicaleiniziato col capolavoro della band, quel "Sweet Metamorfosi" che è stato uno degli album fondamentali del progressive anni novanta di casa nostra. L' organo hammond, il pianoforte, il mellotron, il moog e l'arsenale di tastiere analogiche di Alfio Costa, le percussioni di Giovanni Vezzoli, i virtuosismi bassistici di Roberto Aiolfi e le chitarre di Flavio Costa e Stefano Piazzi, ridanno vita ad un album ricco di colori, sfumature e immagini sonore che fanno da cornice ancora una volta alla splendida voce di Laura Mombrini.
Una delle punte di diamante della scuderia Mellow ritorna più in forma che mai con un album che si annuncia tra le più importanti uscite del 2011 !

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Sembrano passati in un batter d’occhio, ma sono ormai trascorsi ben sedici anni da quando i Finisterre si sono affacciati sul mercato discografico con quell’omonimo debutto che ancora oggi Aggiungi un appuntamento per oggi fa esaltare i seguaci del progressive. Era il 1994 ed una delle menti di quel gruppo era Fabio Zuffanti, che fino ad oggi Aggiungi un appuntamento per oggi è riuscito a sfogare la sua sfrenata creatività in tutti quei numerosi progetti che quasi sempre hanno ottenuto un certo seguito dai progfan (Hostsonaten, Maschera di Cera, Aries, ecc.). Oggi Aggiungi un appuntamento per oggi su Zuffanti si potrebbe quasi scrivere un libro… Non un virtuoso del strumento, né un cantante perfetto, Fabio può vantare altre straordinarie qualità. Innanzitutto capacità compositive invidiabili; poi una fantasia fuori dal comune; infine, il fatto che, prima ancora di essere musicista è un appassionato di prog e non solo di prog... Sfruttando le sue doti è riuscito a creare gioielli sia con il gruppo che lo ha lanciato, sia con le numerose altre idee venute man mano durante il prosieguo della sua carriera. Inevitabilmente, anche i suoi album da solista meritano la massima attenzione. All’inizio del 2010 è uscito “Ghiaccio”, con cui viene sviluppato e migliorato il discorso intrapreso con la prova dell’anno precedente del disco omonimo. In questo lavoro Zuffanti canta (mostrando anche una certa maturità vocale), suona tutti gli strumenti e si mostra abbastanza distante da qualsiasi altra opera lo abbia visto protagonista in passato (piccolissime similitudini potrebbero essere viste con l’elettronica dei Quadraphonic o con il progetto Lazona dedito al post-rock); perciò non aspettatevi romanticismo, suoni vintage, parti strumentali ricercate, ecc. Anzi, per assimilare al meglio “Ghiaccio” dovete innanzitutto sgombrare la mente da qualsiasi pregiudizio e non dovete partire alla ricerca di fonti di ispirazione ben precise. Non che non ci siano influenze più o meno marcate; non che Fabio abbia realizzato un qualcosa di nuovo e originalissimo; però sia chiaro fin da subito che se volete del buon vecchio, caro e “sicuro” rock sinfonico questo non è certo il disco che fa per voi. Perché qui ci troverete minimalismo, elettronica, post-rock, cantautorato colto, vagiti canterburiani e moderna psichedelia, miscelati nelle giuste dosi ed in maniera tale da far venire fuori un’opera omogenea e ricca di spunti di valore. E’ incredibile come i timbri algidi scelti per le sue prove soliste riescano ugualmente ad incantare e a trasmettere un’aura fiabesca… Bastano poche note di tastiera, o una lenta e sonnolenta melodia vocale in lontananza, o delle atmosfere brumose, o delle ritmiche ipnotiche per catapultarci d’improvviso in un altro mondo, guidati docilmente e portati per mano dalla musica di Fabio. D’altronde, come si fa a resistere a “Cinque all’alba” (la traccia di chiusura, forse una delle cose più belle mai scritte dall’artista), che ci culla con nenie che fanno avvicinare due mondi apparentemente distanti come quello dei Sigur Ros (“citati” più volte durante l’album) e quello di Robert Wyatt? Negli altri brani continuano ad essere in evidenza i suoni sintetici, collegati spesso alla canzone d’autore e alla sperimentazione, come il miglior Battiato insegna. Insomma, non ci sono costruzioni articolate e complesse, ma un lavoro di base intelligente, a volte basato su pochi accordi, a volte sorretto da una ricerca sonora particolare, e dal quale si sviluppa un album pervaso da un mood malinconico che seduce ed affascina. A questo punto si potrebbe fare qualche elucubrazione su quanto questo cd possa rientrare nell’ambito del progressive… ma… conta davvero? E’ così importante “catalogarlo”? E poi potrei dirvi “sì, è prog!” per poi sentire le proteste di chi la pensa diversamente (e viceversa)… Che Fabio sia una delle possibilità per far aprire gli occhi a chi non riesce ad andare oltre la riproposizione continua di schemi precisi e ormai ultraquarantennali? Che possa trainare chi ha ammirato Finisterre e Hostsonaten ad ascolti più impegnativi, “diversi”, dai quali traspare un’evidente apertura mentale (che spesso manca al famigerato “progfan medio”)? Che abbia individuato una via “diversa” da seguire per arrivare a nuove meraviglie future? Non so se le risposte a queste domande saranno affermative; quello di cui sono assolutamente sicuro è che Zuffanti il suo irrefrenabile talento lo mostra anche con “Ghiaccio”. Hats off!!!

Giuseppe Di Spirito da Arlequins

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Marillion is one of those bands…!

While undisputedly playing a significant role in the prog-rock history of the last 30 years, and with a cult status supported by numerous and faithful fanbase, still Marillion moves normally in the underground with that early exception of the hit single Kayleigh, that up to today still plays abound in the 80’s classic radios and discos.

The history of this band is full of happenings, drama of change, perseverance, shifts in style and approach and even recent declarations of prog-relation denial. Yet maintaining and increasing a vast catalogue punctuated in great musicality, emotion and rich lyricism.

Inside the prog community it is also a controversial band, even if not for the dramatic change of style after the leaving of charismatic lead-singer Fish by the more conservative and apparently shy Steve Hoggarth. The truth is that this band has always been bashed by a fringe of the older prog fans, normally based on a single sided elitist point of view (and therefore particularly cruel on biased, imo).     

I, for one, have always enjoyed this band, as you can easily prove by the numerous reviews I’ve done on their releases over the years (I confess I have a deeper admiration for the Fish-era, but I still find enough to love in their 2nd generation).

But like it or not, this is one of those bands that marked an era therefore fully deserving to be tribute. It’s influence over the last 3 decades has not only inspired many bands but has especially inspired many listeners.

This particular 3-CD tribute, released by Mellow Records, is a good example on the way to tribute such an influential band, as the bands participating in it have put in practice the several possible ways on how to interpret the influence, importance and respect that Marillion has gathered, presenting their tracks with different approaches: from the pure form of cover to the personalized version.

So let’s take a closer look at each one of the tracks that are to be found in this triple cd compilation:

CD1

CD2

CD3

Summarizing

While all respecting the musing band, this tribute album presents a swell collection of tracks that will, without a shadow of doubt, be of the highest interest to that huge quantity of followers/fans of Marillion. Both for those who prefer the Fish-era or the ones that prefer the Hoggarth-era. But it is for those that, like me, find interest on both sides of the same coin (Marillion) appraisable and full of music-formatted-pearls.

I would emphasize (for many apart reasons) the versions provided by Marco Masoni, Conqueror, The Samurai of Prog, Harvest, J’Accuse, Vanilla Project, Garden Wall, Echoes and NoSuch Thinking as the ones I’ve come to enjoy the most, especially for the fact they add something valuable and very personal to the tracks they have chosen.

Overall this is a release with great moments abound and one that must be highly recommended for the vast legion of faithful fans that Marillion has gathered throughout their fruitful, shifting but always high quality career. Thumbs way way up!

Nuno Lourenco PROGGNOSIS

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2 cd, 30 brani, 158 minuti, 30 gruppi, più di 140 musicisti coinvolti, un doppio cd con 30 brani storici per un importante omaggio alla leggenda di Santana e all’esperienza del latin rock: questo l’ambizioso progetto Guitars Dancing In The Light, il primo disco internazionale di tributo a Carlos Santana, pubblicato dalla Mellow Records.Nato con la produzione artistica del patron della Mellow Mauro Moroni e del giornalista Donato Zoppo, Guitars Dancing In The Light è un doppio album che raccoglie artisti da tutto il mondo, con storie, provenienze ed appartenenze differenti, dal rock progressivo alla fusion passando per l’heavy rock.

“L’obiettivo del progetto – afferma Donato Zoppo, appassionato conoscitore della musica dei Santana – è stato chiaro dall’inizio: mettere insieme un manipolo di gruppi italiani e stranieri non appartenenti al bacino latin rock per elaborare una serie di rifacimenti sia di classici intramontabili che di pezzi meno noti del vasto repertorio Santana. Rifacimenti personali ma aderenti allo spirito dell’originale“. 16 nomi italiani e altri 14 provenienti da Europa e USA sono i protagonisti di questo lungo viaggio sonoro: un’esperienza che si apre con la copertina di Maurizio Galia e si estende su due cd.

In omaggio allo spirito del viaggio e al sensuale incontro tra ritmo e melodia, i singoli cd hanno un titolo significativo: il primo è Rhythm And Spirit: The Light, il secondo Body And Soul: The Dance. Un passionale excursus che tributa la fusione operata da Carlos e dai numerosi musicisti che lo hanno affiancato: rock, jazz, blues, psichedelia e ritmi latini, in un calderone rivoluzionario e popolare. Guitars Dancing In The Light vede sfilare chitarristi (da Gio Gentile a William Red Rossi, da Fabrizio Fedele degli Osanna a Lucio Lazzaruolo del Notturno Concertante), sigle storiche (Goad, Violeta De Outono, Spirits Burning, Central Unit), giovani formazioni italiane e straniere (Fonderia, Nemo, S.A.D.O., Elicotrema, Mist Season etc.).

DONATO ZOPPO

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The Barock Project idea comes from the desire to spread the finest and perfect structure of classical music (mainest baroque music) with rock-style and a little bit of jazz harmony, all supported by a pop song structure. Their intention is to make live again the love for '70s progressive-rock. This project was born from the keyboardist Luca Zabbini , pianist and composer at the "O.Vecchi" musical institute in Modena. His passion for Keith Emerson (Emerson,Lake & Palmer) , has increased his desire to play a full range of style , from classical to rock and jazz. Luca is the composer of many songs of the band and since 1990 he played in several bands rock, blues, funky and also as a classical pianist. This is their second CD. Ten new songs full of surprises, with also the sting quartet... electronic, symphonic and ethnic too (one song is based on a hungarian folk melody).

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Ego is the synthesis of a musical evolution, which has united three musicians, all active from many years with several experiences in the underground music scene. The passion for historical bands of the seventies, both foreign and, above all, Italian ( such as Orme, Goblin, Metamorfosi, PFM, etc..) together with the interest in many different musical genres has let us break down those fixed schemes, wich prevented us from freely expressing our souls. Such a consideration has made us layout our own way, conscious of what dealing with this genre nowadays means. The choice of a trio finds its roots in the strong friendship which links us. Moreover, the fact of playing many instruments has enriched our compositions, setting our souls free. As far as our philosophy is concerned , the decision of adopting only instruments ( which means no voice and no text leading the tracks) lets each listener accomplish a free interpretation of any compositions. Thus everyone can give a personal interpretation of the work, following his/her own imagination, which means let one’ s soul fly away…exactly in search on one’ s inner “ Ego”…

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http://www.yleclipse.org

YLECLIPSE (Keyboards, guitar, bass & drums) in their fourth album performs an elegant and elaborated Progressive rock style, subtly balancing lyricism and British refinement  with a melodic and instrumental luxury and an obvious romantic Italian sophistication (PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI or LOCANDA DELLE FATE). Those brilliant guitar-keyboard combinations evoke FLOYD at their best, whereas the guitar arpeggios remind of Steve HACKETT and the lively parts blending keyboards and guitars get closer to those epic crescendos typical of MARILLION.  The style presented on this album reminds of the previous works, even though it introduces a more mature band that could even sound like CAMEL's best works.

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Cherdak – the second album by Olive Mess, which is very close stylistically to the first one, “Gramercy”. Cherdak includes four, rather long 
tracks, one of which is instrumental. In this album, you can hear influence of the classical, baroque, renaissance and modern academic music. 
The sound became more dense with more „drive”. 
The keyboards play now bigger role in the sound. 
Instead of soprano of Ilze Paegle, on the second album, you can hear bariton of Maris Jekabsons, who sings in the classical (opera) style. 
Maris have made available for the band great instruments like bagpipes, which you can hear in Beowulf. In this album again you can hear the 
beautiful sound of archlute, and this is what is giving some similarity with the early baroque operas.
The band follow the tradition,which was also in the Gramercy album, to use historical events in their music. For example, you can hear the story 
of battle between Beowulf and Grendel , from the old Anglo-Saxons saga. Mane, Thechel, Phares told us the story of the prophet Daniel and the 
Tombeau de Cherdak is the medieval troubadour cry, about his friend, king of England – Richard, the Lion Heart. Three different languages have 
been used for the song’s texts, which are English, Latin and old Provencal.

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What a year for Italian prog! Usually I play an album many months at a minimum before writing a review, but sometimes when you have brand new material you have to get the word out and get some information up for prog buyers. And so this is the early quickie review for those intrigued by our newest ISP band-I may flesh it out at a later date. A bio is being prepared at this time but in short Coral Caves is a 5-piece band from Palermo with a sound that I’d almost given up finding in a young, current band. They are a band that has actually managed to present a fresh face on a classic sound and pull it off with devastating emotion and sincerity. This is not a band trying to be “difficult” or musically snobby, but rather a band going straight for that pleasure center in your musical brain. This is not a “grower” that will take 25 spins to get, in fact, it is remarkable how instantly likable they are, several people have mentioned to me being wowed on the first spin. Where they really succeed is making this "kind" of progressive rock something new again, rather than something from the distant past. There is wonder. The music allows you to lay on your back and stare at the sky uninhibited again.

CC merges classic Italian prog ala PFM with the rich spacey goodness of 70s Pink Floyd, but presented with youthful vigor and optimism. There are hints of neo-prog accessibility and a bit of Jester’s Tear era Marillion in the instrumental pacing and feel of some tracks. The players seem far more interested in the melody, atmosphere, and the emotional impact than they do in technical wankery or anything else for that matter. The compositions are beautiful and authentic and original despite the band’s love of 70s rock, they succeed in taking the great elements of their influences without falling into the trap of worship. They sound fresh and modern in their presentation. Saviano has a great, strong vocal delivery in the Italian tradition and adds his flute to a few tracks. The keyboards are front and center, blending spacey retro sounds with modern synths and some piano and organ. Lead guitars wail throughout this album in classic Gilmour feel at times, but with original things to say, and backed by nicely handled rhythm section and acoustic guitar. At times they rock with the grungy, garage force of Neil Young like at the end of “Sorridi.” Together the band has incredible instincts for melody and arrangements that keep you completely on board at all times. They marry their music with excellent video content on their website. Coral Caves is not for shredders, tech-rock nuts or the avant lovers. But this album is a must for melodic prog lovers: anyone into Floyd, RPWL, Marillion, Kansas, PFM, should be running to grab this one. And I enjoyed comparing the cover to the Jester’s Tear artwork—while perhaps unintentional there are some interesting similarities if you look close. A strong album that will please most lovers of Symphonic, ISP, Neo, and Crossover.

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An exciting blend of sounds…and it rocks.

The band from Trieste along with Mellow Records have surely delivered an album that will be on many lists of top albums for 2008.  Packed with energy it crosses musical styles like space rock and psychedelic with eclectic complexities; and again in my opinion, some of that early alt/punk swagger.  Urgency, tension, nail-biting progressions keep building and releasing.  There are moments in the 12 minute "Sul Bordo Dell'Abisso" that are the musical equivalent of the final moments of a gazelle's life as it's being torn to pieces by the lions.  Punchy and violent in these moments it really doesn't get much better than this…until the arc comes down into a breather and lets you enjoy some serene moments accented by lovely guitar notes or a laid back vocal.  What a track!  Of course it isn't all like this.  The short opening is a Floydian style soundscape that leads into "Il Tempo Muta Le Forme" which starts a bit like 80s Crimson before adding the alt-rock sound on top.  The playing on all levels is very attentive and original.  From the stellar percussion to the searching guitar parts to the driving, awesome bass lines it is fabulous.  The vocals are blue-collar but certainly get the job done with either power or sensitivity depending on what the moment calls for.  The album continues the frenetic vein through "L'Angelo" for the most part until "Cencando un Punto Lontano" when it shifts towards a beautiful and mellower spacey rock sound that wouldn't sound out of place on Deadwing.  The 13-minute closer "Ricorre L'Abbandono" continues somewhere between PT and Radiohead quadrants while showing the band's uncanny ability to take each possibility somewhere interesting and add the stamps of their own personal sound.  (They are not clones of the bands I mention….I note them as references for readers only.)  They even throw a jazz guitar solo by Andrea Massaria into this one.  I read one complaint about the sound/mix quality of this album and while it sounds pretty thin in my car I had much better luck inside…I can't say it was any big issue for my enjoyment of the music. 

This is an album for anyone who thinks there's no original rock and roll left on the landscape.  This is not simply a "progressive rock" album for the traditional "prog" crowd but also just a great rock fix…something not to be taken lightly in a time when the media exhorts us to be excited over yet another U2 or Coldplay album…and the public dutifully laps it up.  J'accuse..! will not let rock and roll (or prog) go quietly into the night.  "Neighbors are to be wakened and fists are to be pumped out car windows" should be the caption on a sticker on this CD.  A very meager booklet with this one unfortunately, but no matter.  Along with DFA and Il Bacio Della Medusa, J'accuse..! gives Italy yet another serious contender for prog album of 2008.  Bravo! 

ALBUM REVIEW BY PROGARCHIVES

http://www.myspace.com/jaccusemusic

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Chromate sounds recalling the 70's and 80's, enthralling melodies,
explosive rhythmics, flashes of flute, echoes of hard rock with some
divertissement (like a piece in AOR style and short incursions
recalling classical music): you can expect everything of this second
album played by TenMidnight after their first self-production.
An anomalous band of the Italian progressive rock because the five
guys recall more the American trends than the ones of their own
country. In fact their music may remind you of Kansas or Saga.
Besides any comparison, the result is a very particular mix: a
pleasant and interesting music.
TenMidnight perform several prog variations in the 9 pieces: from the
descriptive and simphonic intro (keyboards only) to the enthralling
piece "Run Bobby run" (pointing out guitars and synth); from pieces
mainly recalling the Italian tradition ("Sfere" and "Lonely man") to
inmost moments like the beginning of "Charlie Brown" or the beautiful
ballade "Led Ten". Last but not least, there are "Lusitania" and
"Algarve" (the true light motives of their CD: travelling) from which
the team work is coming out as well as the voice of Roberto Bovini, the
vocalist and percussionist of the band.
In a few words: this album will be appreciated by those loving energy,
continuous evolution and music played with heart and not with computer.

http://www.tenmidnight.it
http://www.myspace.com/tenmidnight
Video promo:
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=hQONRTPjpks

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"There is a perfect profiguration of the dream like atmospheres on these 
albums. Although the music is close to Camel, Rousseau have their own 
style. Their music is a combination of the serene flight of the flute, 
delicate guitar chords anf lyrical keyboard parts. All together, Rousseau 
plays very sophisticated rock that invites the listener to enter their 
musical world.. If you like refined progressive rock, then this albums is a 
must for you."
http://www.myspace.com/rousseauprog

                

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This album is nowadays called Jinetes Negros, not “El Jinete Negro”. I believe this change was made when the Viajero Inmovil label issued this album. Before that it was only an independent release.

What a pleasant surprise this album was! This Argentinean group is a project by the keyboardist Octavio Stampalia, who was previously in the group Anima, and the singer Marcelo Ezcurra. According to the liner notes it is music composed for the poem “El Jinete Negro” (The Black Rider) by Nene D’inzeo. Her poems have inspired keyboardist Stampalia. The overall sound is very operatic due to the wonderfully arranged choirs. Besides the normal prog line-up there is some additional flute and violin in some of the tracks. The production quality is of high level as well.

The album starts with the wonderful “El Jinete Negro” with beautiful choir parts. The 2nd track “La Anciana” is more straightforward but excellent as well. There is a videoclip for this track included but I have to say that I don’t really like it. But the music is good. The album continues strongly after these tracks and the 4th beautiful track “Floreces, Tiemblas Y Te Vas” being the highlight from the album. The track “Sacro-Cielo”, again with beautiful choirs, deserves a mention too.

This album seems to have different covers. The Viajero Inmovil version I have is different, more beautiful might I add and housed in a very nice mini-lp sleeve. This version at least includes the already mentioned videoclip as well as different versions of the tracks “Floreces, Tiemblas Y Te Vas” and “Soldados de Fuego”. Mmmmmm....nice!

Conclusion: An impressive album!

Progarchives.com

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In Italia non ci sono molti gruppi che si rifanno all'esperienza di Canterbury: oltre alla storica band genovese Picchio Del Pozzo e ai vari DFA, Memoria Zero, Floating State, che talvolta esprimono sensazioni e reminiscenze riconducibili alla cittadina inglese, è raro trovare gruppi che dichiarino la loro appartenenza ideale a quella scena. Diversa la posizione dei Corte Aulica, che si presentano proprio come ispirati al movimento di Canterbury.

In effetti "Il temporale e l'arcobaleno", album d'esordio del quartetto bresciano, indica un chiaro riferimento verso quel pastiche tipico della seconda metà degli anni '70: un rock-jazz strumentale che punta a comunicare stati d'animo, colori, impressioni, evitando l'esibizionismo e rivelando anche una vena romantica, evocativa, con melodie nitide e immediate. Brani come la title-track o "Chiaroscuro" sono un buon biglietto da visita, collegato all'esperienza dei Caravan di "Waterloo Lily", ai Camel di "Rain Dances" ma anche ai progetti di un Phil Miller o ai Gong post-aelleniani. "Tiziana" e "La principessa del parco" colpiranno i prog-lovers più accaniti anche per le sonorità delle tastiere e per i riferimenti ai canoni del rock sinfonico, ad esempio nei ricordi hackettiani; "Via Rua Sovera 19" non è lontana da certe elaborazioni in stile Banco/PFM.

Nei sette brani strumentali il quartetto mostra abilità esecutiva, come prova la tenuta d'insieme durante i lunghi assoli del chitarrista Luca Saccenti. Fondato da Gustavo Pasini, ex batterista dei NotaBene, il gruppo non segue le orme della "band madre", più orientata al classico prog italiano dei tempi che furono: tutt'al più nelle sfumature, nell'esposizione dei temi, negli intrecci timbrici, i Corte Aulica mostrano una comune sensibilità melodica. L'unico neo del gruppo è nell'assenza di mordente, di una spinta che sollevi i pezzi da una sorta di autocompiacimento, vizio che peraltro affligge formazioni simili come i francesi Eclat o gli americani Rare Blend.

"Il temporale e l'arcobaleno" è il frutto di una formazione a suo modo anomala, un disco che gli appassionati del Canterbury-sound e del rock-jazz più vellutato gradiranno sicuramente.

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After listening to the wonderful Doracor albums Transizione (2001) and Evanescenze (2005) I was very curious to this new album from multi-instrumentalist Corrado Sardella and his band. Well, again Doracor managed to make a compelling album that is inspired by mid-Genesis (like the track Dimensione 4) but this time less obviously than in the past. The compositions sound melodic and alternating featuring lots of howling guitar runs and pleasant work on keyboards (from soft choir-Mellotron waves and mellow Fender Rhodes piano to fat synthesizers). I also enjoyed the wide range of instruments like saxophone, vibraphone and violin like in the titletrack. The vocal parts are sung by a male and female singer, especially the song "Il Giardino Di Pietra" contains a great performance by Gianna Chilla, blended with biting electric guitar, very exciting! If you are up to compelling symphonic prog, this album is a tasteful and pleasant discovery.

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Prolusion. Don Falcone is a highly prolific musician (keyboardist and composer) from the American state of California. QUIET CELEBRATION is one of the units in quite a long string of projects he runs and which includes also Spirits Burning, Spaceship Eyes, Melting Euphoria and Spice Barons, to name a few. "Sequel" is a successor to Quiet Celebration's self-titled debut album from 2000.

Analysis.Different projects involve different music, and it would've been strange had it been otherwise. Unlike Spirits Burning, this 11-track recording is more in the realm of ambient Space Fusion (with elements of World Music) than Space Rock and seems to have no direct connection to Rock in general. Nevertheless it would be wrong to call this music entirely ambient or spacey either, for several reasons. Falcone doesn't use prolonged drones and succeeds in avoiding even relatively protracted ones; the compositions reveal no obvious repetitions, evolving slowly, yet almost constantly, without any amorphous or abstract constructions, and no pointless effects. This is not all though. The tablas (played by Edward Huson), besides being the main bearers of ethnic elements, often provide counterpoint lines and complex rhythms as well, bringing a distinction to the music everywhere they're part of it, and they are present on eight tracks. These are Cyan, Lilac, Chlorophyll, Lapis Lazuli, Mandarin, Lavender, Palladium and Dragon's Blood, each for the most part coming across as both flowing and rhythmic, pleasingly contrasting music, full of emotion and tranquility at once. Dan's third main partner, Purjah, skillfully merges his quasi-improvised guitar and woodwind solos into the basic fabrics, now directly supporting the development of the main theme, now playing counterpoint melodies, advancing the entire picture to take an almost surrealistic shape. Still, quite a few of the movements have a distinctive Falcone sound, evolving in a way that is familiar to those who listened well to Spirits Burning, as I did. Of the aforesaid pieces, Lapis Lazuli and Mandarin both additionally stand out for their blazing acoustic guitar leads as well as more distinct oriental colorations, referring to Indian and Chinese music respectively. The sole track with singing, Palladium features Karen Anderson whose wordless vocals are ethereal, hovering over the dreamlike spacey-atmospheric landscapes. Gong's Daevid Allen has contributed his guitar solo to one of the tracks here too, namely Lavender. The three compositions with no tablas involved, Aureolin, Copper and Henna, all bear a much richer melodic sensibility. Dominated by acoustic instruments, with bayan (think accordion), violin and acoustic guitar at the fore respectively, each comes across as a piece of chamber symphonic music with some spacey and occasional fusionesque tendencies, the former piece often blending together Arabic and Gaelic tunes.

Conclusion.Quite Celebration's "Sequel" is another proof of Don Falcone and his fellows' ability to work equally effective within textural and rhythmic fields. This time around they often sound like nothing else I've heard, albeit that Jade Warrior (think "Floating World" at its most serene or "At Peace") can serve as a relative point of comparison. Those who enjoy Spirits Burning should be satisfied with this release as well.

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Ennesima formazione italiana da ammirare al debutto discografico. Prodotti dal chitarrista dei Moongarden David Cremoni, gli Obscura sono una six-piece-band che con “Le città invisibili” realizza un cd che è un'altra piccola perla che arricchisce la già vasta produzione della nostra penisola. Il loro è un rock sinfonico romantico, raffinato, nel quale affiora tanta malinconia e costruito grazie al sapiente uso dei vari strumenti presenti. Le tastiere sono classicheggianti sia nelle loro fughe maestose, sia nella creazione di atmosfere avvolgenti; la chitarra elettrica graffia, quella acustica è delicata; il flauto interviene spesso con la sua dolcezza, la sezione ritmica è precisa e puntuale ed il cantato è evocativo al punto giusto. Pietre di paragone precise non ne vedo; si può intravedere un legame quasi inevitabile con il prog italiano degli anni '70, ma rielaborato in chiave fortemente personale, un po' come fecero i primi Finisterre.
Le nove composizioni hanno tutte qualcosa di speciale ed è davvero un piacere ascoltarle. Alcuni brani sono costruiti con i classici cambi di tempo e la struttura imprevedibile del rock sinfonico, vedi l'opener “Mondo 3”, l'incisiva e ruvida “Ombre tra la folla”, la mediterranea “La città del sole” (forse la più vicina ai Finisterre) e la conclusiva “Guernica”, che oscilla tra docili melodie, impressionanti accelerazioni e spazi solistici dal grande fascino. Poi ci sono alcune composizioni che fanno emergere i legami con la musica classica: le strumentali “Bersabea”, “Ipazia” e “Zemrude” con gli eleganti dialoghi tra il pianoforte, la chitarra acustica ed il flauto (solo “Zemrude” prosegue con variazioni ritmiche e timbriche sorprendenti). Discorso un po' a parte le due meravigliose tracce denominate “Limbo cosmico”, in cui si combinano magicamente suoni acustici ed elettrici, con leggeri spunti barocchi e intrecci da brivido e che rappresentano un po' la summa della musica degli Oscura.
La produzione fa venir fuori i suoni un po' “chiusi”, il che fa aumentare quell'atmosfera un po' dark che si respira per tutto l'album. Che altro dire? Compratelo!

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• Releases 2006

CD - MMP 466
TANGLE EDGE
Serpentary quarters

Norway's TANGLED EDGE has been in existence since 1980. This is a brainchild of guitarist Ronald Nygard and bassist Hasse Horrigmoe, who are still together, drummers having changed frequently until Tom Steinberg joined the trio in 2002. Apart from two CD-R and two cassette recordings, the outfit has five officially released full-length albums, namely "In Search of a New Dawn" (1989), "Entangled Scorpio Entrance" (2CD, 1992), "Eulogy" (1993), "Tarka" (1997) and "Serpentary Quarters" (2006). Tangle Edge is a live band, from time to time touring all over Scandinavia, as well as giving several performances in England, Italy and Russia.

Analysis. Overall, "Serpentary Quarters" is Space Rock from start to finish, but I very much doubt this remark is elucidative enough to complete the review right here and now:-), above all due to the narrowness of the term as such, since there is probably no end to the different forms and manifestations of that genre. Another reason to examine the album in detail would be this group's quite specific approach to the style they've chosen, and it's just the time now to mention that originality is one of the main virtues of their creation. There are five instrumentals on the CD, and most of them begin and develop similarly - exactly due to the fact that Tangled Edge have their own original vision of music. The opening number, Emerald Mound, starts off with spacey effects and related sounds, which eventually give way to bass, guitar and drums, the latter two instruments figuring more prominently, since it's the bassist who sets up the framework for his partners' improvisations, and inasmuch as he does so almost everywhere on the recording, his parts appear to be the most laconic, though never monotonous. (After reading the previous sentence, one may mentally exclaim: Then why did this reviewer call this music Space Rock, and not Space Fusion? The fact is that there are only rock improvisations on the album and none of them touches on jazz harmony.) On the other hand, Emerald Mound is the one track with a conspicuous melody, some guitar solos being nearly catchy. The music evolves slowly, yet steadily, above all thanks to the drummer whose amazingly inventive work with various cymbals, triangles and other percussion strongly diversifies the picture. In all, this accessible piece turns out to be a really apt introduction to the program. The consequent compositions are highly eclectic, despite the fact that the scenario is still the same (though I see I've already touched this matter - just with different words). Serene Procession and Beyond Elevation fluidly flow from one to another without a pause, in which is no surprise, since both are parts of one monolithic epic, Transcendental Virtue, whose total duration exceeds 35 minutes. Not counting that in the intros and outros of each of the parts, the music is never slow and, say, distinctly spacey. The density of the textures and the intensity of the arrangements steadily grow during the first five or six minutes, then reaching the height of intensity and eclecticism with a wall of blazing guitar solos and drums crescendos, to be maintained right up to the finale of each of the parts. A real culmination, however, awaits the listener on Beyond Elevation. Contrary to its title, most of this piece reminds me exactly of an endless elevation, the arrangements being even more dynamic, eclectic and edgier than those on the preceding piece, whose title though (Serene Procession) seems to be ironical as well. There is much phase shifting throughout each of these two. Although fast and rocking throughout, Daidalos Hunt is also a gem of a Space Rock jam and is another highlight - along with Beyond Elevation. The short piece The Seventh Tide is the one whose inclusion in the CD I'd call in question, to say the least. Performed by Ronald Nygard alone, this is a really strange combination of cycled loops (or similarly sequenced solos) and chaotic guitar sounds.

Conclusion. Although quirky, much of this music has quite a strong hypnotic effect, so psychedelic Space Rock would probably be the best overall definition for this, Tangle Edge's latest offering. Perhaps there is something transcendental in this stuff, but it's certainly not for meditation, demanding much attention on the part of the listener. If you like the earliest work of Hawkwind and Amon Duul II, but especially the first Djam Karet album "No Commercial Potential", you might be pleased with "Serpentary Quarters" as well.

VM: October 1, 2006

SPIRITS BURNING is a free-will multi-participant association founded by American musician, composer and producer Don Falcone back in 1998 - soon after the break-up of the actual Spirits Burning band which had existed since 1986, without having any releases, although they took part in a couple tribute albums. Their debut CD, "New Worlds By Design", was released in 1999 and was followed by "Reflections in a Radio Shower" in 2002. Apart from the commander, Don, and the three permanent players whose names you can see in the lineup above, the third Spirits Burning offering, "Found in Nature", comprises numerous contributors - no less than 30 this time around, though "as usual" would probably be a more appropriate conclusion for this sentence.

Analysis. So, the project's collective exploration of the depths of Space Rock is already eight years old. Being acquainted with their work, I can assert that Spirits Burning are, say, in their element on their new album too, the only significant difference between it and the preceding one lying in the fact that there are no real songs among the 16 tracks on "Found in Nature", the majority of them being purely instrumental. While Space Rock as such rules everywhere on the recording, the compositions are as if calling the listener to divide them into four categories - on the basis of their belonging to one or another of the genre's manifestations, and they indeed can be subjected to classification. Let's go? Then the first category would include pieces that are composed throughout (well, almost throughout, because the elicitation of spacey effects from synthesizers ensues not from a thought process), namely Darker Bows of Rain, Oak and Chiaro, all being striking for their strong symphonic component. Darker Bows of Rain is less diverse than its neighbors-in-style, but there is something transcendental in this tune, even though the music is centered on menacing low-pitched passages of synthesizer. Listen to it with headphones. The acoustic guitar- and the piano-laden Oak and Chiaro (respectively) are the works of symphonic Space Rock of the first water, very beautiful and resourceful alike, and only these two are totally free of any psychedelic features. Both are among the highlights of this disc, though the most compelling compositions are yet to be named. The second kind comprises a group of pieces whose music is half-composed and half-improvised. These are Ingredients, Raksasha-Loka, Blue Wings, Shadow Paws, Dolmen and Wilder Beams of Moon (please only take note that the musicians deal exclusively with Rock improvisations here). Unlike the aforesaid three cuts, none of these six sound like anything pronouncedly fresh, but the presence of influences does not diminish their pan-musical values. The longest track, Ingredients (9:23), opens with a set of spacey effects that 'fly' to the powerful drumming during the first two minutes. The remainder is one long Space Rock-meets-Indian Raga jam, which instantly evokes Gong's "You" and, just consequently, "Fish Rising" by Steve Hillage. Upon the first spin, you may find this composition to be overextended, but give it a couple more listens and you will be rewarded, since the music is abundant in hidden nuances. Personally I find Ingredients to be the second best track on this disc. The percussion-driven Raksasha-Loka is reminiscent of the first two periods of the Radio Gnome-era:-) Gong and has some sense of the exotic too. Well, excluding the finale, which, with its swirling synthesizer, fluid guitar, impulsive bass and groovy rhythm-section, sounds very much like late-'80s Hawkwind, which in turn is what the next two tracks, Blue Wings and Shadow Paws, suggest in their entirety. The two with some really hard elements in their construction, Dolmen and Wilder Beams of Moon are also notable for their relatively many changes in direction etc. On the other hand however, some of the movements are clearly spontaneous, the related textures being surely indistinct - psychedelia is the word. The third category includes pieces where the music is mostly improvised. Burning Bush, Variable Shades of Friendship, The Ancient Structure and Unrepaired Roads (the former three concluding the line of highlights) - each is genuine Space Fusion, especially bright jazz improvisations on the part of a saxophone and a violin. Full of efficient dynamic contrasts, Burning Bush is the most diverse and simply progressive composition on the album, displaying also the best ensemble work that can ever be found anywhere here. The other three are all built around violin passages, though Variable Shades of Friendship stands out for its Afro-aboriginal-sounding percussion in addition. The remaining three tracks, Your Last Call, Foghorns & Phantoms and Streetsweeping Sauce, are all ordinary space music. Well, the introductory theme of the former piece is an expressive and intense jam, but it's short, whilst later on there is nothing apart from the slowly droning synthesizer and those ubiquitous spacey effects.

Conclusion. Still nothing new in the field of Space Rock, from Spirits Burning in particular, but many philosophers say there is generally nothing new under the sun. To be less abstract, excluding the three tracks described last, "Found in Nature" is overall a strong collection of instrumental tunes reflecting multifaceted tendencies adopted within that genre, some being really transporting. Recommended to those preferring:-) to travel in space by means of such a universal carrier as music.

VM: November 13, 2006

"My Favourites" is the first solo effort by Lucio LAZZARUOLO, who is known to many as the primary mastermind behind the Italian band Notturno Concertante.

Analysis. The album contains twenty-two tracks and, just as its title suggests, is a collection of Lucio's all-time favorite musical pieces. Almost all of them represent the maestro's solo performances on classical guitar, the only exception to this rule being Life of Agony, on which he is joined by the flautist Danilo De Luca and which is definitely the most sonically saturated. Fifteen tracks are covers (rather, precise reproductions) of the creations of Classical composers from the XVIII and XIX centuries, ten of them written by Fernando Sor, that fact immediately disclosing Lucio's secret:-) concerning his most beloved composer. Three more pieces from the said category issue from Johan Kasper Mertz's pen, and the remaining two being credited to Antonio Lauro and Napoleon Coste. Marked with distinct signs of European classicism, all fifteen of these surely remain nothing else but pieces of Classical music - only executed on classical guitar (a style and repertoire itself 'invented' by the maestro Segovia in the early 20th century). The only representatives of the present on this recording are Steve Hackett and signor Lazzaruolo himself. The two compositions by Mr. Hackett, Tales of the Intervals and Horizons, and the four by Lucio, Life of Agony, A Pagan Place, Half-human Town and Grotesque, all follow the traditions of acoustic guitar music established in the Art-Rock genre. Finally, there is also a rendering of a traditional English song, Scarborough Fair, which is the one somewhat-catchy tune in the collection, undoubtedly owing to its folk origin. I am sure that the process of making the album as such wasn't long, and that the prepared material could've been recorded very quickly. In reality however, the recording sessions stretched out from 1998 and 2004, so it's clear that Lucio didn't have the opportunity, say, to do it all at one sitting, but was forced to visit the studio only when time permitted. In any event, I was not entirely surprised by this material. Having always respected Lazzaruolo for his ability to free-and-easily manage any kinds of guitars and keyboards, I took "My Favorites" as just another example of the stunning mastery of this classically trained musician.

Conclusion. If you are an experienced Prog head, this stuff will not be something sealed with seven seals for you. The specificity of the compositions, Lucio's filigree performance and the excellent sound quality of the recording make his "Favouites" one of the most remarkable efforts in the field of acoustic guitar music today. Recommended to those liking Steve Hackett's "Momentum" and "Bay of Kings", similar creations by Anthony Phillips and, of course, Classical music.

VM: November 12, 2006

"Nightmare in the College" is the third CD by Group Therapy from the Japanese city of Osaka, following "Melatomania" (2002) and "Atlantis" (1999), both of which were also brought out by Mellow Records. This is the posthumous release of the outfit's founder and principal songwriter Hiroyuki Kitada, who died of lung cancer on January 9, 2006. In particular, Hiro's testament was that the band continue their work without him.

Analysis. "Nightmare in the College" was recorded live at the Visual Arts College's music hall in Osaka on March 14, 2004. Among the seven instrumentals that form the content of this recording, the first and the last two tracks, New Song-2, Return of Doyo Wide Gekijo and Atlantis, have their studio counterparts on Group Therapy's debut outing, while Melatomania, Ajimarikan and Saniwa are from the second disc. The remaining piece, A Fortuneteller's Life, is a new, previously unavailable composition, standing right in the center of the CD's track list. The ensemble guides the listener throughout the 64 minutes of the concert without decreasing their executive fervor, their playing being both lively and stylish. What instantly comes to my mind when I listen to "Nightmare in the College" is that this live recording by Group Therapy has a massive polymorphous sound, which is not in the least inferior to the one typical of their studio creations and, at times, even surpasses that. Why? Due to the appearance of the seventh member (violinist Kanemoto), and also because Hiroyuki actively uses guitar synthesizer, as a result of which most of the 'nightmarish' tracks appear with a kind of solid keyboard pillow as their background. Only the first two compositions, New Song and Melatomania, evoke the group's debut effort and, thus, some well-known performers as well. That being said, this is music where the seriousness of Weather Report, Miles Davis or Modern Jazz Quartet adjoins the melodiousness and the accessibility of Yellow Jackets or Duke Ellington (whose Caravan can in some ways serve as a reference point, by the way). Each contains quite a few recurrent themes and is rich in traditional jazz tricks in general, the swing component being much more distinct than the rock one. I don't mean these are uninteresting compositions, not at all. They're just less progressive than the others. Anyhow, some monotony of their thematic (but not rhythmic!) lines and, hence, the predictability of most of the arrangements in general are very well compensated for by their melodic saturation, as well as by the musicians' professionalism. The interaction between the band members seems to be realized on a telepathic level, so the notorious 'good chemistry' will instantly be noticed by anyone with interest in Jazz. Ajimarikan and Saniwa, whose stylistic picture ranges from intense and driving Jazz Rock to a more atmospheric, yet still highly eventful Space Fusion, are killers, from any standpoint. Both suites are abundant in subtly-changing rhythmic patterns, a kind of jumping through non-conventional intervals and many other attributes of complex Progressive. The music is filled with a sense of drama and is often pronouncedly dark, only the brass occasionally revealing contrastingly affirmative trills. The discipline that the musicians demonstrate here is atypical of jazz groups, the tight work of the rhythm section, the directional interplay between guitar and electric violin, the refined quasi improvisations of saxophone and trumpet and the steady, logical development of the entire picture all speaking well in favor of defining this music as genuinely progressive Jazz-Fusion. Well, some 'swings' can be found on these two as well, but these originate not from Afro-American polyrhythmic structures, but from the traditions of European polyphonic music, which allow the listener to watch the movements of several layers simultaneously, which in turn is what we probably most of all value our beloved genre for. By the way, Saniwa would have well suited the concept of Doom Fusion if such had existed. On each of the remaining three pieces, A Fortuneteller's Life, Return of Doyo Wide Gekijo and Atlantis, 'transporting' aurally-mysterious Space Fusion landscapes dominate over the Jazz-Rock textures. Every note is adjusted; all rhythmic and harmonic constructions are transparent and, therefore, will be intelligible to any connoisseur of progressive music. The numerous sections of Atlantis appear to be fully organic, so that the epic's division into several conventional parts is totally justified. In the end, the last five tracks (with a playing time of just under 50 minutes) turn out to be excellent in all senses, each representing a luminous realization of what was intended during composition - a perfect combination of exquisite taste and precise execution. Hiroyuki's unique style, which combines the hardness of Rock with the flexibility of Jazz, allows me to regard him as one of the brightest phenomena to appear in the world of guitar music in the last ten years. I can only slightly regret that Group Therapy's most symphonic (and in my view best) piece, Incident in Damask, was not included in this set.

Conclusion. Having collected together his jazz experience, his vision of Rock and the traditions of intellectual progressive music along with first-rate performances by his band mates, Hiroyuki Kitada has achieved a great success with this live album, showing the entire spectrum of the creative possibilities of his brainchild, Group Therapy. This is clever, intensely designed and excellently embodied Jazz-Fusion, rich in hidden nuances, the finding and solving of which will bring great delight to any experienced listener. Much thanks and kudos goes to Mauro Moroni for having issued this disc.

VM: September 28, 2006

Titled simply "III", the third official release by Spanish outfit ALTAIR follows their eponymous debut CD (1990) and "Fantasias Y Danzas" (1999), although they also have a few cassette albums.

Analysis. The CD booklet says the material was recorded live in the studio. However the applause that meets the coda of each composition is loud and numerous enough to suppose the band performed before an audience of 20, at least. Well, it doesn't much matter; perhaps there is a tiny club in that studio. In any event, the album's sound is good for a live recording. As to the music, already Altair's lineup configuration can be quite eloquent in this respect. Indeed, the overall appearance of their music is quite typical of keyboard trios performing Prog Rock, but does this sound exhaustive for you? Even my familiarity with their past creation was not always of help when I listened to their new offering, which turned out to be rich in surprises. The band's founder, leader and primary songwriter Alfredo Arcusa (please note he is a drummer) is a top-notch musician, still shining with performance mastery as ever. However, it's in many ways thanks to newcomer Emilio Ruiz that "III" shows a solid improvement in comparison with either of the group's previous two CDs. Emilio is a much more competent and skilled musician than Isabel Muniente who was responsible for the keyboard department prior to him. The album contains seven instrumental pieces ranging from 7 to 11 minutes, and even those in Altair's traditional style are better than anything I've heard from them before. These are the first two and last tracks, Summer Triangle, Al Abordaje and Placido Paseo. The album's opener is good, and is diverse and complex enough to be appreciated, and yet I find it to be my least favorite track here. It's a bright example of intense keyboard-laden symphonic Prog of a classic model (although they use exclusively modern synthesizers), which on the other hand is also its weak side. The influence of Cozy Powell-era ELP touches each of the three, but here, on Summer Triangle, it is evident practically everywhere. The idiom is widespread on the other two as well, but there also are a couple sections of symphonic Space Rock on each, and these are free of derivative features. Alfredo's little benefit performance (drum solo) closer to the finale of Placido Paseo is quite appropriate there. The four core tracks run about 36 minutes and are not only free of any cliches, but also reveal plenty of brave and unexpected decisions, each featuring piano apart from synthesizers, plus sounds that imitate those of Moog and Hammond, in places. Remarkable quasi Jazz-Fusion arrangements with piano improvisations to the fore are an important part of both Estrella en el Camino and Tiempos Dificiles, although the latter is basically a blend of Space Rock and classically inspired symphonic Progressive. Very good stuff. Nonetheless it is the longest two pieces, El Bosque Encantado and Tal Compo lo Oyes, that most of all embellish the album. Even Art-Rock-related maneuvers are highly impressive, abundant in complex stop-to-play movements and intricate measures. Most part of each however, concerns directly the Jazz-Fusion genre, all three of the musicians providing genuinely improvised solos, not only the pianist.

Conclusion. "III" is a strong comeback for Altair and is undoubtedly their most accomplished and tasty effort to date. The album's potential audience might embrace fans of ELP, Carl Palmer Band, Triumvirat, Greenslade and Colosseum, plus those into keyboard-laden Art-Rock and Jazz-Fusion in general.

VM: June 8, 2006

E' sempre assurdo scoprire tesori nascosti che non si sa di possedere, rendersi conto che da tanto tempo si ha qualcosa di valore, ma che non lo si è "sfruttato" come si dovrebbe. Questo è ciò che mi viene da pensare riflettendo sui Goad, band italiana capitanata da Maurilio Rossi, le cui radici affondano negli anni 70, con all'attivo una carriera di tutto rispetto e che pure, stranamente, ad oggi ha avuto solo uno spazio infinitesimale nelle cronache riguardanti la piccola comunità progressive. Speriamo vivamente che la pubblicazione del nuovo album "The wood" serva a vivacizzare un po'l'attenzione nei loro riguardi, perché lo meritano davvero. Ascoltando quest' opera, dedicata, come si evince dal sottotitolo, agli scritti del genio di H.P. Lovecraft, si percepisce rapidamente, infatti, di essere di fronte a qualcosa di unico e speciale. I Goad dimostrano di essere bravi a cimentarsi in un progressive di difficile catalogazione, molto atmosferico, pregno di sonorità evocative ed oniriche (e non poteva essere altrimenti, visti i temi trattati) e nel quale è impossibile vedere punti di riferimento. Si avvertono echi del prog dei seventies, così come tracce di psichedelia; vista una certa oscurità di fondo mi sembra di notare, di tanto in tanto, qualche similitudine con i Devil Doll o con i Moon Fog Prophet; ma la realtà è che un'entità come quella dei Goad è un qualcosa di a sé stante, lontanissima da facili catalogazioni. La cosa importante è comunque la qualità della proposta, la capacità di ammaliare con un sound carico di pathos, di essere intriganti mantenendo le distanze da mode e da facili imitazioni. Come non giudicare favorevolmente certi passaggi musicali in cui, tra un assolo di chitarra ed un intervento di tromba, tra delicatezze pianistiche e sfuriate di insieme, si viene travolti da un fascino che lascia a bocca aperta? Come rimanere indifferenti alla dolcezza elegiaca di "Sunset part I", sorretta da un flauto vellutato, da un piano leggiadro e da un canto sofferto? Come non lasciarsi coinvolgere dalle sensazioni claustrofobiche che si presentano costantemente per tutta la durata del CD? Come evitare di far correre un brivido dietro la schiena quando sensazioni sognanti ci avvolgono grazie a ricami musicali molto particolari? L'arte di Rossi è alla base sia con la creazione della musica che con l'esecuzione attraverso chitarre e tastiere, ma il leader è ben affiancato da musicisti che con violino e fiati arricchiscono un quadro sonoro avvincente che emoziona e non poco. Ben un'ora e venti minuti di musica, ma se fossero tutti così gli album di lunga durata non si correrebbe mai il rischio di annoiarsi durante l'ascolto.
Peppe di Spirito da ARLEQUINS

Prolusion. "Opus" is the second offering from Italian group The YLECLIPSE.

Analysis. "Opus" includes six quite long songs ranging from 7 to 10 minutes and two shorter instrumental pieces. On each of the tracks involving lyrical content The Yleclipse continue developing that successfully applied formula of blending Marillion's influences with their own achievements in the field of Neo Progressive which has become their trademark sound since their debut CD "Prime Substance". However two of such, A Crown of Gold and Glorious, reveal rather too many derivative features, some of the central themes and keyboard solos very strongly resembling those from Marillion's blockbusters, Incommunicado and The White Flag, respectively, and Alessandro Guerriero's singing is almost indistinguishable from Fish, throughout. The other songs are much more original, particularly Reality Show, In the Park and Opus, whose instrumental canvasses are free of direct influences, to say the least. Besides, on the first two of these Alessandro uses mostly his innate voice qualities. Well, the title track finds his vocals steering somewhere between those of Fish and Phil Collins. In the Park is probably the most theatric, the long introductory theme having some piquant flavor of old-fashioned music common to Queen or Electric Light Orchestra. The title track is almost in every respect close to the songs next described, and is somewhat inferior to them only in diversity. The Tale of the Black Cloak and Reality Show are the two most complex and intriguing pieces on the album, with strong driving guitar work through much of each, delving into more of a Prog-Metal sound in places. However, only Reality Show remains original throughout. The Tale of the Black Cloak sounds fresh and exciting down to the finale, but then, unfortunately, the band pays another tribute to their mighty benefactor. Nonetheless these two are among the works that raise "Opus" far above an average Neo Prog release, the others being the title track and the two instrumental pieces, Sailing to Caralis and Carol. Both are built around passages of classical guitar and those of synthesizer imitating the sounds of flute and harp, arousing quite vivid associations with the music of medieval minstrels.

Conclusion. While not something groundbreaking, "Opus" is nevertheless a really strong album in its genre category, full of rich textures and contrasts, with elements of classic Art-Rock and Prog-Metal. Part of what appeals to me in this recording is the ample use of piano and string pads over the more electric textures. All in all, this kind of music has always had an invariable success among most of those comprising the Prog Rock audience for the last twenty years, at least.

VM: May 26, 2006 da PROGRESSOR

Prolusion. Here is the slightly authorized retelling of what the CD press kit says about this band. FUNGUS was formed in the Italian city of Genoa in 2002 as a "totally improvisational project", but later on the musicians decided to perform "proper music":-). Their debut CD "Careful!" was brought out just recently, although the album was already fully complete at the beginning of 2004. A Mellow Records release.

Analysis. "Careful!" includes three songs (with English lyrics), three short and four long instrumental compositions, one of which contains wordless vocals though. As you can see above, nominally this recording features the performance of seven musicians. In reality however, the participation of guests is quite limited. Keyboards are present on a few tracks, but in most cases they stay in the background, serving as a kind of softening pillow for 'savage soloing battles'. The saxophone appears just as the curtain falls - on the closing number Hypnopotamus. Bassist Carlo Barreca switches over to flute from time to time, but not for long and not on all of the tracks either. But while the album isn't too rich in distinct symphonic colors, much of the music is astonishingly warm, and the sound is full of some indescribable sincerity, which I normally feel mainly only when listening to '70s Prog. The compositions featuring lyrical content and instrumental bits are all gathered in the first half of the album, usually alternating with each other. Although those of the latter category are very brief, the first two of them, Babylon and Shareful, don't seem to be underdeveloped at all. Both have a full-band sound and are very cohesive compositionally. Based on the inventive interplay between bass, acoustic guitar and synthesizer developing alongside the narration and delicate drumming, Babylon reminds me much of a musical fairytale and is an excellent introduction to the album. Shareful is an effective duel between acoustic guitar and its electric counterpart accompanied by the cannonade-like rhythm section. The longest song, Share Your Suicide, ends with a flute solo surrounded by random effects and, say, human noises, which for some reason are placed on a separate track, which in turn is the last instrumental fragment, La Cittadella. Although differing on many levels, all three of the songs, Dream No-3, Eight Days and Share Your Suicide, are striking for the elegance of their melodic lines and are the last three tracks with the acoustic guitar being an integral part of the picture. The mellow Eight Days is the one that is rich in vocals. However, Vittoria Mezzano's singing is so beautiful and charming and the themes themselves are so fresh and tasty that I can listen to the song again and again, being positive it will never bore me. Dream No-3 begins as a festival of acoustic instruments (classical and slide guitars, flute, and, surely, Vittoria's voice), but evolves unexpectedly, undergoing several stylistic conversions before finishing. Still, the acoustic guitar plays an important part throughout, its involvement in harsh-and-heavy arrangements imparting an unusual sense of fragility to the stuff. The largely instrumental Share Your Suicide can in all senses be viewed as a broadened version of Dream No-3. It is much more unpredictable in its development and is full of undercurrents. Due to their highly original nature, many compositions on the album defy straightforward definition, this epic included, but I believe it's within my grasp to name its separate stylistic components - at least those most obvious. These are guitar-laden Prog, Space Rock (of many colors and shapes - atmospheric, symphonic, harsh and what I would describe as an astral trance), heavy progressive music and psychedelia. The longer instrumentals, Polipetide, Latin Circle, Careful and Hypnopotamus, follow one another below the album's conditional equator, all characterized with a more electric, electrified and dense sound all at the same time and displaying that their makers still could not completely get rid of their primordial passion for improvisation, though in this particular case they deal exclusively with Rock improvisations, which have nothing to do with those we normally relate to Jazz. In a certain degree, all the aforementioned stylings are typical of these four too, but it's the concept of a structured Psychedelic Rock that most often comes to my mind when I listen to them. Polipetide, Latin Circle and Hypnopotamus are complex compositions, frequently changing their thematic and stylistic configuration, though on the other hand, each is just one ever-morphing jam, whose instant attractiveness lies beyond my understanding and will be a pleasant surprise for the novice Prog lover and those grown wise with experience alike. Most of all however, I am impressed with the title track, which exceeds 10 minutes in length and is an unbelievably picturesque thing, full of swirling, breath-taking events. Regardless of changes on the stylistic level, the music steadily gets more and more disturbing and anxious, the evolution of instrumental canvas being inseparably linked with that of Vittoria's voice lines, which undergo many dramatic transformations during the composition - from an unintelligible nervous whispering through a desperate weeping to a really terrible chilling scream in culmination. Drama is the word. Very naturalistic. It needs to be said that the concepts of magic and hypnotism are applicable to most, if not all, of the tracks on this material (not counting the very short ones).

Conclusion. Fungus is a band whose creation is as if destined to unite listeners of very differing tastes, but I fear it's impossible nowadays, and only those from the Prog Rock community have a real chance to appreciate the album. But if "Careful!" were released some time in the mid-seventies it could have had success comparable even with that of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", especially since the existence of spiritual (perhaps not only spiritual) kinship between these works is beyond question.

VM: May 25, 2006 da Progressor