OLTRE... LONTANO, LONTANO

It is quite true that some bands need more time than others to record their second album, but 43 years? Yes, the debut album from Gleemen was released in 1970, and here we have three of the original quartet along with some guests back with the second, with artwork that in many ways isn't too dissimilar to the original. I haven't heard the debut, but wouldn't be surprised if it sounded similar to this as what we have here is an album that is steeped in the rock sound of the Seventies, back when it was okay to mix loads of different styles and even play the blues if they wanted to. It is powerful, emotional, deep and full of passion. Although everyone has a major part to play, it is Bambi Fossati who will always gain the most attention as his guitarwork is just incredible, and it doesn't matter if he is playing a Sixties style number such as 'Stelle Di Vetro' that honestly could have been written a couple of years prior to their debut, or blasting it out in 'Schizoid Blues'.

There will be many who will say that this isn't really a progressive rock album at all, but rather a melting pot of many styles with a hard rock and blues grounding, but what really matters is not the label that ones gives to it but rather the understanding that this is one hell of an album. It is hard not to fall in love with it from the very outset and the more I play it the more I like it. The different guitarist bounce off each other, and there is the feeling on some songs that if they hadn't faded out then they would have gone on for hours. Add to the mix some great psych and pop numbers and Black Widow have a real winner on their hands. Unfortunately Bambi Fossati passed away in June at the age of 65, but he has left behind a fine way to remember him. www.blackwidow.it