CORTE DEI MIRACOLI

After a couple of years of struggling and some major line-up changes, finally Corte dei Miracoli got to record their eponymous debut album (their only one, indeed). With two keyboardists on board and no guitarist, it was Feltri's and Zegna's shared responsibility to create a sense of energy with their assorted instruments (pianos, organ, synthesizers, clavinet) while maintaining the keyboardsman's usual role (orchestrations, layers, adorning effects). And yes, they achieve this goal proficiently and convincingly: besides a guitar lead delivered by a guest from New Trolls on the opening motif of track 1 - an amazing one, by the way -, the fact is that this emblematic 6-string rock item is not missed at all in Corte's overall sound. The sense of energy is certainly mandatory for this band, since their style is overtly based on a somber romanticism, which means that emotion has to burst out and be conveyed in practically every melodic line, every ounce of the keyboard orchestrations, and of course, by a passionate lead vocalist. The latter role is properly fulfilled by Graziano Zippo, who handles his tenor timber with such an intense approach that at times his voice seems to be going headlong toward the very limits of restraint: but he does so as part of the game, keeping on par with the intensity created by the instrumentation delivered by the keyboards. The rhythm section is solid, carrying the songs' foundation with fluency, while adopting a jazzy manner: the use of complementary percussive implements allows drummer Scogna enhance the jazz factor. This same jazz factor is picked up mostly by Zegna, while his partner Feltri (who had been pretty much into jazz rock during his Giro Strano days) seems to prefer the most overtly symphonic side of prog - his playing is influenced by Emerson and Vicenzi brothers, to a certain degree. Even though it is fair to state that Corte dei Miracoli create a unique sound, some similarities can be found to BMS and Apoteosi: the latter also delivered a melodic prog with a somber inclination, so it could be said that they somewhat predated what Corte dei Miracoli ultimately managed to deliver with a major depth. The opening track '. E Verrà l'Uomo' sets things clear right from the outset, in terms of overall style and individual qualities: it is basically a pompous prog ballad with a psychedelic prelude and an up-tempo jazz-rock interlude. The romantic tendencies are further explored in 'Una Storia Fabiesca' and 'Il Rituale Notturno', and so are the adornments that come in to create tension and variety. Before these manifestations of emotional density, the jazzy 'Verso il Sole' displays a more uplifting spirit, incorporating some funky-based jamming on organ and piano, while the wood blocks create a weird yet effective counterpart to the solid drumming patterns. The gem of the album is the 12- minute suite 'I Due Amanti', which condenses all the musical facets covered all throughout the previous repertoire and takes up the resulting amalgam to its most epic expression. I love this album, and I think my personal reaction shows in this review, but I notice a minor flaw in some parts of it: I feel like some of the motifs incepted in tracks 3 & 4 could have been delivered further in order to make each final result more impressive than they actually turned out to be. Anyway, this album as a whole is a truly excellent musical work, so to my eyes it deserves no less than a 4 star rating.