MANO AI PULSANTI

My experience with the RPI genre has been mostly dipping my toes into the pool every now and then, usually with albums by the likes of PFM, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and a host of other more obscure acts. So I cannot put Adharma's sole release of Mano ai Pulsanti into its proper context within this genre, but if this aspect interests you, there are other reviews for this album that might be very helpful right here on Prog Archives.

My discovery of this album was from reading other reviews noting that this album was a free download. In many ways, this may be the group's invitation to say, "Hey, listen to our music! Spread the word!" And so I am...

Adharma's debut is a good mix of old school prog rock (to my ears, both RPI and British prog rock influences) and modern prog rock. Reference points might be a mix of Radiohead, King Crimson, Modry Efekt, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and PFM. Their music is genuinely energetic, sometimes picking up to a frenzy wall-of-sound in places. Sometimes it calms down to a beautiful, peaceful section, only to rip you back into another frenzy. There aren't any acrobatics by any of the musicians; they all perform their roles as if part of a whole. Vocalist Jacopo Incani approaches theatrical heights sometimes, but never overdoes it. I guess the only downsides to this wonderful album are a sort dated- sounding production (which isn't necessarily bad) and what I would call a cheesy misuse of drum machines in places. But the power, energy, and sometimes eeriness of the music outweighs any of these weaknesses.

Well worth four stars. As I understand it, this band is no longer together and that's too bad. They left behind a wonderful debut album, another "one-shot" RPI classic.