INSOLITARIAMENTE

Tilion (the name taken from a moon in Tolkien's "The Silmarillion") is a band from Bergamo Italy formed in 1998. According to their bio they were "founded from the ashes of PROWLERS, a group that released three albums in the nineties. Tilion consists of Roberto Bobo Aiolfi (bass), Paolo Cassago (drums), Alfio Costa (keyboards), Flavio Costa (guitars) and Andrea Ricci (vocals). The music of this group is symphonic progressive with some jazz influence and perhaps even hints of prog-metal..The debut album Insolitariamente was released.by Mellow Records. It is an album that is very much in the seventies Italian tradition and with a prominent use of vintage keyboards." "Insolitariamente" translates roughly to "Into a Lonely Mind" and is yet another good example of the new breed of Italian progressive rock: overflowing with ideas, difficult to pigeonhole, trend-averse, seeking freedom via the musical Vita-mix. This album reminds me of Egoband's "we are" in spirit if not completely in sound, but Tilion succeeds in crafting a more memorable album. Other bands recalled while spinning this album were Porcupine Tree and Oceansize, though only for some instances of guitar and drum, not songwriting, overall sound, or vocals. The album was recorded in the summer of 2002 at Sonica Studios in Rovereto.

The comparison to Egoband is relevant in three ways. First, both albums get high marks for aspirations while only partially succeeding at the lofty goals. Second, both albums are hard to describe definitively as they venture into so many different flavors. And last, and I feel bad having to say this because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but both bands suffer a bit from vocals that are average at best, sometimes grating, sometimes even sounding off-key. (Singer Ricci has now left the band and I think it may serve them well in the long run.) This album, written in large part (but not entirely) by keyboardist Alfio Costa features five long pieces ranging from 6 to 16 minutes in length, with six short interludes gluing them together. The highlights are the feisty opening "Prologo" with its acoustic guitar/piano intro giving way to heavy guitar riffs and LOUD, bright cymbal crashes. Definitely gets your attention. The superb "Buio" is more a dream than a song with fine keyboard work up against shifting, adventurous rhythm sections. "Il Custode" and "Luna" both flounder a bit despite nice moments and are not as memorable as they could have been. Wedged between them is the wonderful "Solitaria Mente" featuring a sublime guest vocal by the Prowlers Laura Mombrini over great acoustic guitar playing with lots of harmonics on display. "Torpore Celebrale" features guest saxophone and some slow, steamy, laid back jamming. Later comes more Laura vocals and piano before the pace picks up. They dedicate 16 minutes to "Dietro i Ricordi" and it doesn't disappoint, exploring many avenues and having several pay off. A nice variety of great keyboard work, some flute, and a fiery electric guitar solo towards the end.

It's a good debut album despite the flaws and would certainly be enjoyed by fans of Mellow's eclectic artists, modern space rock fans, and Italian prog fans. But as with Egoband just be prepared for a few strikes here and there. While there are some excellent moments, overall it's not a 4 star album in my view. The band has a new album coming out soon on Musea.I'm excited by the prospect of different vocals and perhaps a bit more cohesion of the overall compositional theme, I will definitely be checking it out. 6/10

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