THE FORTY DAYS

"Monday" begins with piano and fresh air, modern, cheerful, a velvety synth, yes it makes you want it, far from the announced RPI; a Monday birth day for a melodic tune and Giancarlo with a soft, captivating voice; the warm keyboard drives the point home; chopped riff to warn of the dangers of life and aerial solo which follows without wanting to demonstrate, a good new modern prog in fact with a vintage note by the warm keyboard worthy of the 80's. "Under the Trees" bucolic intro on a well-crafted neo-prog for the carefreeness of childhood; a rock pop title, a tune with an intimate, contemplative break and the guitar-keyboards association well highlighted, without forgetting the rhythm section with effective drums, good for the rest; don't forget Dario's solo which snatches the air. "The Fog" drum pad, an A-HA note and a spatial synth at the start; the sound is more atmospheric and electrified rock like RUSH, in the tradition of PORCUPINE TREE, whose influence the group does not hesitate to claim; a more tortured voice like that of the hero who doubts his condition in today's world, nothing new there; progressive evolution with aggressive guitar solo and velvety synth layers, no time to bother, it's good because it's melodic but not soporific, note the detail! "Broken Bars" beautiful intro, not too worked but gradually latent; the organ and the spleen voice on a PINK FLOYD at the start, a tune which rises on an AOR base, heavy, with a very fat sound, I think of Bob SEGER; the basic riff announces the break with a Zeppelinian, porcupinian sound, a beautiful passage where the guitar traces the voice; come on, the synth goes solo and amplifies the proggy side even more; WILSON and RUSH in reminiscence for the song from the album, oh there a heavy scream, a hard riff, it gets carried away, it comes together really well.

"B4 the Storm" guitar arpeggios for a soaring interlude, amplifying the previous musical debauchery, a contemplative dreamlike space which gives weight to this album. "Bi!" » completely changes register, funky tune at the bar, well rhythmic, Giorgio showing an energetic and creative hit; it is Giancarlo's synth which sets the tone for this surprise instrumental where the Crichtonian guitar swirls pleasantly. "Beyond the Air" meditative piano intro for the hero reflecting on his way of life, air and voice here eyeing the magnificent ENCHANT for a nervous and captivating ballad; when the voice and the guitar complement each other harmoniously for a warm, gripping, vibrant sound and the most beautiful guitar solo on the album. "In Glide" intro à la HENDRIX it was said; it rises gently on a proggy rock with romantic-melancholic touches, a reflective ballad on past life with the desired optimism; the suddenly heavy break keeps the riff and the voice is higher; the piano takes center stage, crystalline, airy I think of the US sounds which flirted with the prog space but which claimed to be rockers above all; a moving final ballad with Moog and captivating Gilmourian guitar accompanying Giancarlo in an intimate meander.

THE FORTY DAYS rock new melodic prog, fresh and very well delivered for one of the surprises of the year, quite simply. Fine-tuned compositions for an inventive progressive mix, ambiances that relax and give the impression that the music is easy to play. Art, musical art-rock which surprises with a new genre, apart from where the influences are diverse but varied enough not to be caught up in a particular genre.(4.5)

Music is endless and has no boundaries, we are lucky to be living in this era where people never cease to create and share, and I really thank the musicians who always keep our spirit up, loving life and enjoying music. This time, Dario Vignale had the kindness to introduce me to his band, The Forty Days, a four-piece Italian act whose debut album was released in the late 2017 and has fresh music to share, in spite of its obvious retro influences.

It opens with "Looking for a Change", its first minute is kind of mysterious but later it truly starts with a blast of rock that takes us to a 70s musical with a 21st Century prog disguise. The song is really enjoyable; it has cool keyboard moments and those retro guitars that remind me of Uriah Heep. "Uneasy Dream" has a nice proggy-funky mixture that will make you move your head. Though it is a short piece, its instrumental rock essence is amazing. I like how the band's sound might contrast from song to song, I am saying this because after that rocky song full of energy, they continue with "The Garden" a song that might sound like a ballad, a soft and even depressing song with heartfelt vocals and later with so wonderful and also heartfelt guitar riffs. The song lasts almost 7 minutes, and in spite of its slow rhythm, it runs so fast!

"Homeless" is the longest composition here. The structure has once again a slow rhythm, but that's not a problem at all, it brings moments of tranquility and even introspection, the sound is soft and somehow slow, but it is very well composed rock. After five minutes the song makes a big change, an instrumental proggy passage appears, with a faster rhythm provided by keyboards mainly and followed by drums and strings. When it finishes, a new episode begins within the same song, a kind of peaceful but at the same time chaotic atmosphere appears ?there are some psych nuances here and there, by the way- opening the gates to the vocals and guiding the song to its final part.

"John's Pool" brings again that 70s feeling, it is impossible not to have a flashback, to be honest, but anyhow they manage to create a fresh-retro-sound, if that's possible. I love those keyboard bombastic moments it spreads, and I like a lot those contrasts within the same song, those different inner passages, exemplifying a man's soul and mind, our essence. "Restart" is one of my favorites here as well as one of the proggiest. It's a deep encounter with life, a walk with conscience and introspection. The guitar work here is outstanding in both, acoustic and electric, and the song's changes are very touching.

The last track is "Four Years in a While". It runs so naturally, it is a wonderful piece to finish the album. Its rock, psych and proggy passages, its changes, its voice, all together make it great.