STANDARTE

Standarte

Heavy Prog

3.59 | 36 ratings

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ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer

Early seventies music released in the mid-nineties. This is what "Standarte" is offering.

And I have to say that the band is quite convincing in this heavy loaded keyboards oriented music. Heep, Atomic Rooster or Jane's fans, this band is definitively worth watching out!

From the very start of the album (Dream Love Sequence Nr.9), one knows what is going on. Keyboards have an enormous influence of course since there are no guitar player (?) within the band. All songs are sung in English, which is not frequent for an Italian band.

Standarte is nicely rocking during the scary "One Strange December Evening" which shows an excellent Michele Profeti on the keys. And the drummer/singer Daniele Caputo is very efficient too. The mood changes completely for the finale which is a kind of a remake of the closing section of "Dancing Out With The Moonlit Knight" from whom you might know.

These first two songs are excellent. Powerful, mighty yet sensitive music. The heavy scheme keeps on with "As I Wandered", but this one is a more straightforward track which can't compete with the best parts of this work.

This record sounds as a concept album, almost each track being shortly introduced by some spoken words. I don't usually like this very much but it doesn't bother me here, since these parts are short. It also sounds as there is a guitar part in "Tolerance Town" which is another very good track.

I won't say the same about the funky "Beat Pimp Muzak" and the average bluesy "In My Time Of Dying" (although this one features a great middle section). But not all numbers could be jewels, right?

We're heading the wild territories with "A War Is Declared". Violent beat, pumping and crazy organ play and again some. wild guitar! Mostly instrumental, this is another fine track. But delicate ears should avoid this one. For them, only the finale which features peaceful church organ would do.

The closing numbers are conventional heavy rock music with less originality. By no means weak, but at this time of the album, they sound a bit too much.

This "Standarte" debut is encouraging and should appeal some nostalgic old freaks. Three stars.

ZowieZiggy | 3/5 | 2008-8-11

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