FOGLIE DI VETRO

One hit prog wonder from Italy, Foglie di Vetro (Tears of Glass) put out one of the finest Italian Prog classic albums and promptly vanished! I guess some strange circumstances mysteriously surround their disappearance because this debut is an absolute cracker!

From the opening notes of "La Moltitudine" , we are in for some enjoyable musical proceedings. As always with the Italian School of Prog, the maestro performances are front and center, with truly gifted playing by all members. The keyboards in particular rekindle fond memories of past icons (PFM, Le Orme, Banco, Goblin etc...) , Carlo Pari's piano playing is truly breathtaking , both delicate, passionate and melancholic. Where this band really throws one for a loop is the distinctive and original fret work from Matteo Benvenuti , expressive, gritty, almost "dirty" at times, a grungier version of Mary Newsletter's equally rambunctous Davide Pisi. As the second track "Prende La Mia Anima" unfolds, it confirms it's status as an absolute prog masterpiece. Another strong suite from the Italian bands is long tradition of great vocalists (especially in their native tongue) and this recording is full of beautiful vocal expressionism , surprisingly handled by virtuoso drummer Daniele Bronzetti. The tradition lives on! I am a total sucker for melody, mood and atmosphere , as opposed to gratuitous technique that show a lot of chops but no "suey" !

The title cut is another suave piece of grandiose musicianship, a drop dead gorgeous hymn elevated to great heights thanks to a brief vocal passage, elevating the angst to agutwrenching level, cradled once again by that "slutty" guitar tone described earlier. The subsequent pieces are equally impressive, without any waste or filler, spiced with liberal use of flute and glorious sax (an unfortunately underused prog instrument that deserves way more exposure) .The CD ends with a reworked reprise of the opener, in the finest prog tradition .

Why they vanished is not known (I have tried a varity of Net searches, without a hit) but at least the musicians can take comfort in knowing that their one shot was a bulls eye. This is a record that I revisit fondly and with trepidation every year at least once since its release in 1996. It remains one of my desert island classic must haves ! It should warrant your immediate interest.

5 glass leaves