APOTEOSI

Another talented group that fell to the dreaded one-and-done Italian prog curse of the Seventies (well, until so many of them started making comebacks over the last few years!), Apoteosi of Calibria in Southern Italy left us with this one precious and dynamic self-titled album from the mid Seventies. With a core line-up that was very much a family affair made up of a group of brothers and sisters - and teenagers no less! - and produced by their father, these impeccably skilled youngsters offered a primarily symphonic album comprised of a bunch of scattered little ideas, culminating in lengthy instrumental sections drowned in lavish servings of piano, Mellotron and spiralling spacy effects, constantly busy drumming and fiery guitars, and the use of a female vocalist grants it a very unique place in the Italian progressive works of the vintage era.

Along with `Embrion's brief opening introduction of crashing cymbal storms, rising synth washes and lightly jazzy guitar licks all growing in stature, `Prima Realta' tears through Massimo Idà's vibrant piano/keyboard-dominated sprinting musical segments full of power not too far removed from fellow Italian one-off band Triade's `1998: La Storia di Sabazio' from 1973, but also finds time for several placid and pastoral moments to catch your breathe. Silvana Idà's voice is sweetly cooing with moments of stronger urgency, Marcello Surace's drums are endlessly frantic yet brilliantly controlled, Franco Vinci moves deftly between classy acoustic and charging electric guitar bursts, Federico Idà's bouncing bass leaps around with finesse and his breezy reflective flute weaves in and out of memorable reprising themes that flow with ease. It drifts right into `Frammentaria Rivolta', offering moments of gothic piano and delicate classical elegance in amongst the whirling keyboard runs and rumbling propulsive bass attacks. Silvana's plaintive voice is sweetly melancholic here, but the mood of the album is lifted again with an infectious and joyful whirring synth finale amidst ragged guitar grinding and thrashing drums.

The flip side holds a three-part suite - `Il Grande Disumano' opens as a subdued and stark piano introduction with impossibly subtle electric guitar wisps, but it and `Attessa' spring to up-tempo jazzy life to tear into buoyant and snappy spasms of Triumvirat/E.L.P-like pomp. Franco's brief wilder vocal almost reminds of Osanna, there's even a haunting and sobering spectral organ and choral interlude (`Oratorio Chorale'), and there's plenty of back and forth/call-and-response soloing duelling between all the members. `Dimensione Da Sogno' turns triumphant and hopeful with Silvana singing with great dignity and spirit, and self-titled instrumental closer `Apoteosi' unveils slowly unfolding deep-space glistening synths and slow-burn electric guitar soloing, perhaps the closest the disc comes to a psychedelic moment that might not be too far removed from bands like Nektar and Eloy.

Sophisticated and ambitious but tastily lacking an overly polished production to retain just enough of a grit that perfectly captures the youthfulness, energetic bluster and determination to impress of the young players, `Apoteosi' proves that while the band might have lacked the absolute pinpoint precision of Banco del Mutuo Soccrosso, damned if they didn't come close to their own version of the eclecticism, variety and energetic instrumental arrangements of that defining band. There's probably plenty of more important albums in the vintage Italian prog era, but Apoteosi and their grand little self-titled album with its humble sleeve is a much-admired minor classic and beloved personal highlight for many.

Four and a half stars.