L'INCIAMPO DELL'UOVO

Back for real! As I mentioned in my recent review of 2023's Obliquizioni d'Autunno. Prima che l'Aquilone se ne Voli Via, I believed Cormorano were savoring the chance to have a second act, another shot at exploring new creative impulses beyond material they wrote decades ago. I had hoped they would return for another album and, lo and behold, they were apparently already working on it! The core band is the same as the 2023 album lineup with the exception of Michele Zanni taking over on guitar (and his playing is killer).

Reiterating what I just wrote about these guys, Cormorano's sound has often been compared to RPI legends, Area, but the connection is probably too tidy and convenient. Yes, Regoli does sound remarkably like his old friend and mentor Demetrio Stratos, but the two bands and the songs themselves differ a fair bit. I would say Area were more strident in pushing toward avant-garde areas of prog rock. Cormorano will head in that direction occasionally, certainly, but they also have their own style, which is a bit more melodic, a bit more understated, and yet no less satisfying. They are still quite unique and hard to compare to other current prog rock bands, but I would put them in the orbit of Altare Thotemico, another current group with a bold and enigmatic frontman, vibrant songwriting, and pure musical adventure.

"Pax MSG from Universe" starts the show at its most difficult, a jarring, dissonant mix of otherworldly vocalization and "Grand Vizier's Garden Party's" afterparty. They come back to earth after that opening, but they never get truly conventional. While Cormorano embrace the most accomplished and serious of the '70s RPI scene, particularly the fusion and brass-flavored outfits, they have become very effective at crafting a new and fulfilling presentation in the modern era. These last two albums may confuse or alienate on your first couple spins as they are challenging and actually progressive rock, but if you give them some patience, they will reward you.

I used to consider Cormorano just an oddity in the RPI canon based on knowing only "Giro Tondo," but with these two recent albums, they have now confidently assumed a role in the wing of modern RPI that still wishes to push the envelope. This is not a band for those wanting the pretty symphonic Italian rock, pop-prog, or the prog-metal influenced bands. Cormorano is an updated vehicle for fans of the most serious and saucy RPI, for those who crave the experimental spirit of bands like Area, Stormy Six, S.A.D.O, Officina Meccanica, or Gruppo D'alternativa. And they manage to invoke such lofty creative company while actually crafting music that is a bit more mature if you will. That's not to say those older bands were immature, but that Cormorano of today has this broader musical maturity or wisdom or refinement that, even in the experimental wing, gives them another attribute to appreciate. In other words, they can make the difficult and the challenging quite easy to dig.

Put another way, what wins me over on both recent albums is not simply the experimental edge, but the sneaky excellence of the playing underneath it all, the not-immediately-obvious undercurrents. The songs and the playing are so well constructed and nuanced as to leave a listener somewhat perplexed at the end of a listening session, yet anxious to get back to it again for another try. For gents who are the age of the older members of the "Cormorano Reunion" as they refer to themselves on social media, coming up with two excellent progressive works back-to-back in the 2020s is a legacy to be truly proud of. Highly recommended to RPI fans.

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