UT

A highlight amongst the many other amazing Italian prog albums, 'Ut' is very nearly a perfect album. It begins with a classical piano piece ("Studio"), smoothly segueing into a hyper fusion piece ("XXII Strada") before landing upon the amazing "I Cavalieri Del Lago Dell'Ontario". Here you'll find all the hallmarks of 'Ut' within one piece: classical, jazz, hard rock, keyboard mayhem, heavy guitar lines, grandiosity, catchiness, lightness, darkness, melancholy, joyfulness. Guitarist Nico Di Palo emerges as one of the most capable progrock vocalists in his country, reminiscent of Il Balletto Di Bronzo's Gianni Leone and Italian cult figure Paul Chain. The vast array of moods and tones within "I Cavalieri..." makes this a quintessential piece of Italian prog, one you'd recommend to anyone wanting to hear the essence of the country's best in just one song. "Storia Di Una Foglia" brings things back down to earth. It's a soft, fragile track with a jazzrock backbone, reminding of the lightest moments on P.F.M.'s 'Storia Di Un Minuto'. But it's not a great piece and the album would've been stronger without it. Next is "Nato Adesso", which starts out like something from Genesis' 'Selling England By The Pound', building toward a several-minutes long guitar solo. This is an absolutely hypnotic section, as the guitar snakes and slithers it's way around the simplistic rhythm backing. Informed by key electric jazz guitarists, the solo is bright and eventful, loose and free-form for its duration. Next track, "C'e Troppa Guerra", is another highlight, and one of the heaviest tracks to come out of the Italian prog movement. Based on riff that drips rawness, akin to early Led Zeppelin meets early Black Sabbath, it branches off into several parts that give the song some lighter shading before crashing back into these utterly metallic riffs. Pure genius, and not one dip in excitement level throughout its 10 minutes. After this, things have to mellow, and they do with the dreamlike "Paolo E Francesca". Final track "Chi Mi Puo Capire" begins with some church organ, easing into melancholy drama and some beautiful vocal peaks. A great way to end this eventful listen. Clearly an album of multiple mood changes, all communicated effectively with expert playing and some expressive vocal work.

If you're already well acquainted with early P.F.M., Banco and Il Balletto Di Bronzo, but haven't yet made friends with New Trolls, this is the album with which to make your introduction.