UR-

ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI were a band I followed almost from their start enjoying their Jazz flavoured sound. Then came "Violato Intatto" in 2017 and everything changed. This album was on another level, in fact it was my album of the year for 2017. So here we are with the followup "UR-" which is a prefix meaning "original". Still a four piece with keyboards leading the way and we get five guests adding violin, vocals, bass, guitar and cello. Besides keyboards the band consist of drums, sax and guitar. I laugh at the description of the fender rhodes as "heavily overdriven and phased fender rhodes". Oh yes it is! Others have mentioned MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and I did hear that too and we get that violin on the first four tracks. Released on Cuneiform Records with Udi Koomran mastering it this is a feast for the ears. Giovanni the keyboardist and leader says in the liner notes that this album was mostly composed during his frequent travels by train to Trieste and back to Bologna. It conceptually deals with "roots" or ancestors.

So first of all props to the band for creating something powerful like the last album but different. I still prefer that 2017 release by quite a bit but I must also admit that I feel this one is still growing on me after more than a week of listening. Much respect for this one though as I feel it's a top three album for 2021. So much amazing music! The opener "Tergeste" opens with that tension of the relentless piano and it doesn't let up until after 3 1/2 minutes. It turns powerful again around 5 minutes in and the guitar leads the way 6 minutes in. Another calm late before it kicks back in with violin, sax and more. "Thus They Breathe, Time's Fires" opens with outbursts of violin and drums that come and go for a couple of minutes as organ, sax and guitar join in. They amp it up big time at 3 1/2 minutes. Sax solos over top then it's all piano.

"More Limpid And Clearer Than Any Lived Impression(pt. III)" has some good contrasts on it between the lighter and heavier passages. Piano and violin lead the way but sax shows up around 2 1/2 minutes. Growly keyboards late. The title track is awesome with the guest female singer adding vocal melodies to great affect. And at 11 minutes in length the longest song on here. Lots of sax and power on this one and piano early. Guitar late. Nasty keyboards to start "The Short Century" then drums and sax hit us hard. Guitar at 1 1/2 minutes as the tempo picks up. Electronics after 2 minutes then drums join in along with growly keyboards. Sax too as we get that KING CRIMSON spirit here. Great stuff! "Opposed To Any Agreement" ends it and this starts off so mellow and laid back with piano and sax. Sax is replaced by the cello after 1 1/2 minutes. Cymbals then beats as it turns powerful and the guitar replaces the cello around 3 1/2 minutes. Intense until it settles before 5 minutes.

This doesn't blow me away like the previous album did but man this is one impressive album and this is a band who is a force right now.