TRANSIBERIANA

Triumphantly spanning five decades of progressive rock history, Italy's one and only BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO which proved everything sounds better in Italian (compare to the English "Bank of Mutual Relief") returns after a quarter of a century since the last studio album "Il 13" was released in 1994. Along with bands like Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), Le Orme, Area and Osanna, BANCO dominated Italy's popular prog scene that took the early 70s by storm with a string of classic albums that began with 1972's self-titled masterpiece and followed by the even more outstanding "Darwin!" and "Io Sono Nato Libero" followed by other great albums that continued throughout the decade however like many a prog band of the era succumbed to the changing tides in the music industry. While some bands like Genesis, Yes and Franco Battiato rode the new wave of pop music like pros, BANCO reached new nadirs with lifeless pop shlop that has pretty much been rightfully forgotten.

Exactly 50 years after the band's formation, this Roman legend has surprisingly sprung back to life releasing its 17th studio album TRANSIBERIANA in the year 2019. This is all the more surprising considering the operatic vocalist and charismatic frontman Francesco Di Giacomo perished in an unfortunate car accident in 2014. It's fair to say that no one saw this one coming but with the modern day renaissance of all things progressive and 70s albums that went virtually unnoticed during the day suddenly becoming hot selling items, i can't say i blame any legendary prog rock band can miss out on it, especially after the caliber that BANCO delivered in their prime. So yes it has been a "thing" for classic prog bands to emerge from the past and resuscitate their former glory years that helped make the prog universe so distinctly unique within the greater rock music paradigm. But capturing the past and balancing it with the modern era is no easy feat for sure.

BANCO clearly deserves the highest plaudits as one of the greats of the Rock Italiano Progressive scene and it cannot be unnoticed when a band revives a certain characteristic that has become an instantly recognizable icon of its identity. I'm speaking of the debut album's terra cotta boob shaped piggy bank that makes a reprise on the band's latest offering TRANSIBERIANA only this time featuring a world map and colored blue. Instantly this signifies that the band has eschewed it's lame attempts to cash in on the insipid pop of the 80s and 90s and finally has gotten back to what it delivered with all the fiery passion that made them the legendary stars that these guys?. well, so immortal. But mortal they are like all of us. Of the classic lineup that graced the first two albums, only co-founder Vittorio Nocenzi remains, so any notion of the "real" BANCO should dissipate very quickly and realize that this is a totally new band that only has one important connection to the classic years.

The new lineup consists of Tony D'Alessio (lead vocals), Filippo Marcheggiani (lead guitar), Nicola Di Già (rhythm guitar), Marco Capozi (bass), Fabio Moresco (drums) and the sole connection to the past Vittorio Nocenzi (piano, keyboards, vocals) and TRANSIBERIANA consists of 11 new studio tracks with a bonus track edition that has two extra live tracks that add 16 minutes of playing time. Despite the long delay between albums, BANCO never really went away and has been playing live gigs off and on throughout the years. It wasn't until the death of Francesco Di Giacomo and the arrival of singer Tony D'Alessio that the band contemplated actually getting to work and recording a progressive rock album that looks back to the golden years of the band while updating things to the modern day in terms of both production value and contemporary relevance.

It doesn't take long to hear that despite a completely new lineup minus one founding member that the spirit of classic BANCO carries on. The passion is still there and D'Alessio while not blowing away the late Giacomo's vocal prowess still commands a veritable vox box delivery in his own right. Right from the starting track "Stelle Sulla Terra" it's clear that the BANCO sound has returned but it's also clear that it is a distant recording from those early years despite the firm connection to them. While all the tracks host the progressive elements that made BANCO Italian superstars, there are not lengthy sprawling epic tracks like 1973's "Canto nomade per un prigioniero politico" from the "Io Sono Nato Libero" album. The longest track on TRANSIBERIANA is merely six and a half minutes long but the band creates some veritable musical gems in this album's somewhat lengthy 53 minute playtime.

Once again BANCO delivers strong melodic hooks with that classic Italian flair that reignites the passion, ramps up the rock mixed with classical and jazzy touches and introduces some veritable art rock accoutrements to the mix. The opener is a prime example as it crafts a melodic verse / chorus traditional feel but has intermissions with rapidly almost rapped vocals behind what sounds like a mandolin riff. The band also includes the expected proggy piano rolls alongside the more electronic sound effects from the synthesizer. The band members uncannily mimic the past member's excellent instrumental interplay with progressive chops, alternating pianos, acoustic guitars, drum rolls and electronic in a dazzling tapestry that exudes the classic zeitgeist while crafting uncharted territory for the band but then again i have skipped the majority of the 80s and 90s output due to its reputation alone.

Perhaps my only complaint is that the album is a little too long and some of the slower tracks in the middle could've been edited out to create a more authentic 70s album length that only exhibited the best the new version of the band could muster up, however nothing is overtly bad. With so many classic bands emerging out of the woodwork and trying to recapture the past, unfortunately very few succeed in their efforts. BANCO's new album TRANSIBERIANA is quite the surprise as it actually is a worthy addition to their lengthy canon. While the first three classic albums are in no way in danger of being dethroned as the feathers in BANCO's cap, this album delivers an interesting mix of old and new without sacrificing the spirit of the classic BANCO years despite some tracks sounding almost more industrial or punk oriented. TRANSIBERIANA is an intriguing comeback album for sure and while i usually wish that classic prog bands just call it day and let the classics speak, when a band delivers an interesting album with a new spin, i have to say it warms my heart to know that old dogs can learn new tricks even if most of the dogs on board are new. Excellent release! Biggest surprise of the year so far.

In Italy beauty counts more than provocation, sharpness, showing off virtuosity, and maybe even innovation. Although the Transsibirian railway, a journey by which is the theme of this concept album, isn't exactly in Italy, after a hiatus of 25 years and for the first time without singer Francesco di Giacomo, who passed away in 2014, Banco have produced a truly Italian album. Transiberiana certainly isn't going to revolutionise music, however it is mainstream progressive rock as it should be. Beautiful, complex, and competent (with most emphasis on beauty), showing supreme musicality and compositional skill. The album has stunning highlights (La discesa del treno is the perfect music for the beginning of an exciting train journey; Scampo di fragole is magically beautiful), but what really makes it worthwhile is the variety. Banco put together trademark elements of their at times melodramatic style with diverse influences from mainstream rock, jazz, classical music, a pinch of more aggressive and darker RIO-like prog and traditional Italian songwriting. Lasciando alle spalle and Il grande bianco, though not electronic music, even show some affinity to the melodic material and approach of Tangerine Dream and Edgar Froese in the mid-seventies. That Banco are able to pull all this off in such a relaxed and organic manner is no small feat. New singer Tony d'Alessio is maybe not going to be my favourite singer and not quite di Giacomo, but he fits the music very well and has the variety of skills in his voice to make it work.

Overall a very rewarding album and one that convinces me pretty much as strongly as their legendary work from the seventies. Even if this is not quite as innovative in 2019, it still sounds fresh and not like a thing of the past.

I have the version that has two added live bonus tracks. These are very well recorded, however together with them the album has 69 minutes and feels maybe a quarter of an hour too long (I'm not necessarily saying that overlength only comes from the bonus tracks; still I shouldn't complain that the band has given me more music than what was 100% up to their top standard). I had concert tickets for a Banco show in 2020 that was cancelled due to Covid-19. It would have been my first experience of them live. I'm gutted that this didn't take place and will surely take the next chance to see a band that still seems on top of its powers. 4.0 stars.