FLEKTOGON

In 2007 the stable members of Nodo Gordiano, founder Andrea De Luca and drummer Carlo Fattorini, return to the studio to work on the band's third release.This time though keyboardist Gianluca Cottarelli was not with them, so De Luca handled all guitars, bass and synths for this album with occasional performances on sax and violin.Instead they were joined by singer Silvia Scozzi and sax/flute player Franco Terralavoro.Entitled ''Flektogon'', the new album was released in 2009 on BTF.

The album is literally centered around the 30-min. grand opus ''Avventure Di Mastarna'' with two shorter tracks each placed before and after it.This time the mood is less experimental and the music more structured compared to ''Alea'' with a couple of improvised moments in the two ''Ozymandias'' pieces.But the opening ''Teatro Di Memoria'' and the closing ''Zeitgeist'' are two great cuts of KING CRIMSON-esque Heavy Prog with angular guitar chops and a pounding rhythm section, featuring very strong grooves and riffs, while the first one features also the operatic performance of Silvia Scozzi, that makes the overall style even more atmospheric and haunting.Of course the real deal and the biggest bet for the group comes from ''Avventure Di Mastarna'', which could stand as a whole album alone.This is a very good example of intricate Heavy Prog, presenting finally Nodo Gordiano as a mature group.The musicianship remains fairly guitar-based with endless changes between complex textures and more laid-back material, where the presence of spacey synthesizers and elegant flutes add a nice diversity to a very edgy style.The different themes are tightly connected in a composition that runs almost flawless, featuring also some fine choirs and a mood towards shifting climates, ranging from spacey instrumentals to complicated guitar workouts to extremely ambiental soundscapes with a great atmosphere.

By far the more mature work of De Luca and his companion.''Flektogon'' is a beautiful album in its own cruelty with some great instrumental madness delivered.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.