APOTEOSI

Somewhere in the universe of prog each of us, old prog tough fellows, runs into a bright lonely star. That's what happened to me when, for my long coveted holidays in Histria, I thought it was a great idea to put in my large bag the cd reissue of this mid- seventies album.

Apoteosi was one of the many italian so called one-shot-bands but, of those many, surprised me for the particular composition of the band. Three brothers (the Idà's brothers: Federico on fender bass and flute, Silvana on singing and Massimo on keyboards and sinth arp) working togeter along with other two skilled musicians (Marcello Surace on drums and Franco Vinci on guitars and singing), all them under the supervision of Salvatore Idà, the father, who produced this very well done piece of art and also pleased us with the writing of the track titled Oratorio (Chorale). All the five band's members are from Calabria, the famous southern region of Italy which I really did not expect a memorable classic prog band could come from.

I was delighted that the situation of backwardness of southern Italy is the topic the band chose to build up their wonderful concept work. Regarding to the own words of Federico Idà, as resulting from the few notes in this Mellow Records reissue cd, this is a hymn to their homeland, a hymn of hope for the awakening from the numbness of that wonderful piece of our beloved country.

All this passion and emotional involvement are the propulsive force of this great opus and the resons to understand the highest standard of quality of what it was thought to be only their debut album.

The main references of the band is represented by the previous italian prog experience and in particular the warm and pastoral production of Premiata Forneria Marconi. This was their starting point. The atmosphere is rather spacey, though, often going to dreamy and theatrical due to the master use and mix of keyboards, synth and classic piano. Nice and mellow female vocals are their trade mark, 'cause it's not common in the prog movement. By the way, I have to admit that the few times that women graced us with their contribution, always it was for excellence, never for mediocrity.

Apoteosi is a dream. And as for all dreams, it ended too soon.

4.5 stars