LA CRUDELTÀ DI APRILE

A delightful album of new music in the vein of the best musics of the prog rockers of the 1970s except with the energy, awareness and instruments and recording acumen of the 21st Century. As I listen to this collection of melodic, wonderfully constructed and performed songs I am reminded of two of my favorite albums from the past five years: 2009's Preda by Italy's MAD CRAYON and last year's 's Espectro by Brazil's VIOLETA DE OUTONO--the latter which remains my favorite album from 2012 due in large part to the amazing KHAN Space Shanty (my all-time favorite Canterbury album) sounds and feel that no one else, in my opinion, has ever managed to capture and convey so well. Powerful, emotional vocals with the usual Italian flare for bombast and very interesting instrumental mixes.

1. "Dell'innocenza perduta" (7:31) starts with two minutes of uptempo instrumental before a dramatic shift makes way for the listeners treat: an Aldo Tagliapietra (LE ORME)-like vocal set to some gorgeous music. At 5:00 the song shifts again, heading more into a vaudeville- blues rock section--a more rag-time-jazzy almost country rock instrumental section--which eventually includes some wonderful violin playing by guest Fabio Biale. Great ending to an unusual and interesting song. (9/10)

2. "Atlantis (Conferendis pecuniis)" (9:51) reminds me so much of C.A.P. (CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE)'s amazing "Sulle ali del sogno Odissea" from 2005's Odyssey: The Greatest Tale. It has that epic operatic kind of feel to it. (10/10)

3. "Catabasi (Descensio ad Inferos)" (8:00) opens with some powerful church organ accompanied by awesome drum, tubular bells and, later, mellotron and vocal work. At the three minute mark a cello ushers us into an uptempo section which quickly (and unexpectedly) evolves into a kind of SOUIXIE AND THE BANSHEES-performs-The Rocky Horror Picture Show's "Time Warp" section. A very fun song with great performances-- especially the vocal and organ. (9/10)

4. "Dove la luce e piu intensa" (7:03) is another very dramatic song with great piano/keyboard and vocal performances. (9/10)

5. "Ecate (Walpurgisnacht)" (9:00) is full of some very fun Broadway/French cabaret/early BILLY JOEL schmaltz. Very playful, catchy and yet, at the same time, unpredictable. The heavier drum-and-electric-guitar section beginning in the sixth minute culminating in the punk-BOWIE-like rockin' shift at the 7-minute mark is quite sobering--and powerful. (9/10)

6. "Horror vacui" (17:53) uses production/engineering treatments on the vocals which I do not enjoy, and just generally just misses on one cylinder or another throughout its epic length. (8/10)

4.5 stars for this well-crafted, well-performed album of entertaining mini-dramas. Keyboard- vocalist Emanuele Tarasconi has one of my favorite singing voices ever.