NOUS

A musical trip on turbulent seas

The cover art does not lie. Nodo Gordiano are one Italian prog rock band that I'm unfamiliar with despite the fact they have been around for twenty years now, albeit with a different line-up for each album. The one constant is multi-instrumentalist Andrea De Luca who for this fourth album is joined by guitarist Fabrizio Santoro (from Vu Meters) and percussionist Carlo Fattorini who has been around since the Alea album. Released in March 2014 from AMS/BTF, Nodo Gordiano sound enthusiastic and psyched for exploration. NG are not your typical RPI band by any means and could be just as easily be described (at various times) as psych-prog, eclectic, possibly even heavy-prog. There are long instrumental sections throughout the album with that eclectic spirit and that certain spark I've heard time and again in modern Italian bands. Adventure, mystery, and a willingness to dive down any possible rabbit hole with a big hearted grin. If prog-rock is about fun and adventure and you don't mind forgoing the "easily accessible" on occasion, then you're likely to enjoy this one.

The first thing you will notice is the wide variety of sounds choices, moods, and interplay. Sometimes passages are going to be somewhat abrasive and sometimes very mellow, even relaxing, but rarely will you be allowed to settle in for long. Changes are pretty constant, the ideas come and go at a good clip. We can go from gentle acoustic guitars over dreamy synthesizers, the occasional hand percussion, then quickly things can build into absolute frenzy with chaotic, wild lead guitar screaming. And then back to a subdued space. In the slower and more thoughtful passages there is great attention paid to mood and storytelling instrumentally, not always easy! I like instrumental music that still feels like storytelling, as opposed to random shred. While we have seven different tracks here this is very much the experience of listening to different movements of one long track for me. Too much going on to get into the details of every track but the closer Stella Maris is my favorite. Just amazing. Dreamy piano, waves-literally!, guitars like seagulls, electronic burst, mean riff, break, then a wonderful "sailing away" represented with wordless female vocals.

In his review of their previous work, our friend Assaf Vestin described the band as such, and his works ring true of the new album as well:

"I have a hard time trying to describe what they sound like, but I can say that they have a variety of influences and an eclectic palate. This plethora of musical taste buds doesn't lead to an incoherent album. They take all those ingredients and mix them in a superb and magnificent manner. However, the album may very well seem thick and too hard to digest at first, necessitating multiple listens until the listener manages to get ahold of the entire album in its size and splendor." -A. Vestin, Hanging Sounds blog

Oh I like this album very much. It is a busy album and some people will disliked their approach but I think adventurous music fans will approve. Bravo! And an awesome album cover proving yet again that simplicity and the human touch trump all those big budget covers that look like video game advertisements. Looking something like a map of a "Middle Earth" type location in a fantasy novel, it is a great representation of how the music itself feels to me. I'm in the 3-4 star space but I round up here without much hesitation.

Things are getting quite bubbly and intense in RPI land, as another slew of majestic releases are being foisted on us unsuspecting reviewers. And as per the tradition of constantly stretching the boundaries of sound and substance, here is one that got me hooked like some blue marlin biting into lethal bait. Nodo Gordiano (Gordian Knot in Italian) has published a third album of impressive atmospheric originals that confound and seduce with stellar authority. Everything about this jewel will keep the prissy prog fan breathless, as this trio of incredible talents summon their collective spirits in complete harmony and disciplined execution. I have always had a massive respect for 1999's one shot wonder Sunscape, a psychedelic/space rock self-titled Italian masterpiece that few have latched onto (my good, their bad), considering it to be a timeless classic that may never be challenged! Well, never say never!

'Nous' is a clever concoction of adventurous explorations, somewhat devoid of puerile formulas and immediate thrills. Thick, dense, articulate and highly detail-oriented, the trio of Andrea de Luca (bass, guitar, keys, voice), Fabrizio Santoro (guitars, bass, keys) and drummer Carlo Fattorini unite their considerable techniques in forging eclectic canvases of delightful RPI-tinged, psychedelic crossover prog. Now comparisons or benchmarks will be a hard slog but let's just say a heady mix of King Crimson Mark III (the Bruford era), some bold space rock flavourings (Eloy, Mappe Nootiche, Colorstar) and a decidedly heavy-prog approach. Nothing to make one nod off (sorry for the pun), constantly imaginative, petulant and bombastic, the material will keep you on your collective Defcon III, alert and ready for the next onslaught. All 7 tracks flow like some celestial river, meandering, cascading into occasional pools of serene karma and then splashing forward, unrelenting. The bass guitar seems to be the prime motivator, the devilishly reptilian conductor taking charge and forging ahead, unafraid. Lots of electric guitar phrasings in both rhythmic and in soloing presentations, incessant baking colorations that defy mundane facility. There is a definite Djam Karet-like vibe as well as a wink to that Sunscape album, definitely soundtrack music for the travelling mind.

Things start out pretty simply, acoustic guitar and male vocal with rifling yet gentle drum fills, "Portonovo" sets the proper mind-altering mood to get the prog brain nicely anesthetized and fit for cosmic interplanetary voyaging. The neurotic and effect-laden guitar shrieks will get your attention, perhaps even eliciting a few smiles of unbridled jealousy. Like some plastic doll floating in some swanky swimming pool, the cottony contrasts will confound and disturb. "I think the patient is ready, dottore!" 9

The propulsive "Aion" is a highlight track, the serpent-like bass corkscrewing deeply into the rhythmic pulse, shimmering guitars collapsing behind the forward motion and a foreboding sense of doom and sweat-laced fear. It then gets Floydian heavy, escorted by a binary muscle beat and searing axe phrasings, repetitive and merciless. This is space prog at its unpredictable finest. 10+

The vocally-pushed "Apologia del Nolano" is a weirder creature, an odd cocktail of the psychotic and the bizarre, where a strained voice, vibraphone and devious synth whispers combine to shatter a few illusions. A hint of Gentle Giant, pastoral psychedelia and unsettling angst, these are the unexpected ingredients served up by the crew. 8

The sumptuous title track is where the mood gets really hypnotic, a seemingly familiar theme is carved out from the bare-bones introduction, a screaming guitar and intense keyboard assault suddenly take hold, almost like a Hawkwind instrumental blow-out but the seductive bass work really impresses immediately. Both axemen really lather on the sweaty riffs and the swift licks, once again a wink to Djam Karet-like explorations. This one will take you far into the deepest realms of the cosmos and drop you off exhausted at the nearest space station for some needed R&R. Spectacular sounds, amazing themes. 10+

Some respite? Hell no! Massive mellotron squalls will tumble ahead with "Officina", keeping the pedal firmly on the Ferrari pedal, an astro-lullaby of the highest order, deeply Pink Floydian and a complicated vocal. A classic organ-led foray moves the piece into more playful confines, bass humming along and stark mellotron waves. The main melodic theme will get a smile on any face. 9

Effects-laden and slightly medieval like the stunning black and white artwork, "Arturiana" is a fine example of their consummate craftsmanship, a jungle of lush mellotron and guitar interplays, brooding bass sinews and bashing drums. Bombastic, overblown and colossal are just three words that come to mind, but I can add cool, confident and utterly brilliant too. Material such as this can be enjoyed in various everyday situations, from the bedroom to the kitchen, to the sunny patio and the living room. Will it offend the neighborly Nickelback fan? I certainly hope so! 10+

As with Finnforest's epic review, "Stella Maris" is one hell of a finale, a fitting end to a gloriously intense album, chock full of unforeseen themes, devious twists and turns and numbing excitement. The female wailing is beyond beautiful, a tinge of Celtic/gothic sensibilities, hand percussion notwithstanding. 10

A simple design makes this package very desirable, a thrilling release that should fascinate, titillate and enchant the most blasé prog fan. Instrumentally spectacular and melodically highly enticing, this is another sure contender for the 2014 list of masterpieces.

4.5 French maps

Cosmic atmospheres and psychedelic strangeness is woven throughout `Nous', the fourth studio album in twenty years from Italian band Nodo Gordiano. An assortment of seven eclectic arrangements, the group deliver a mix of drowsy vocal passages with lengthy and varied spacey instrumental sections. Although predominantly a spacerock album, the band still work in classic vintage RPI/Italian prog traits, psych flavours and progressive-electronic traditions, driven by raging electric and ragged acoustic guitar, droning electronics and plentiful use of the mighty Mellotron! With cover art that suggests exploration and uncharted courses of an earthly kind, what the band really delivers aims straight for the furthest reaches of deep space.

Despite what's to come on the album, the band open with a frayed piece that has all the qualities associated with the best 70's RPI works. Powered by repetitive rolling percussion that takes on a hypnotic mantra-like quality, `Portonovo' has stirring acoustic guitar over hypnotic rising and falling synth washes, with out-of-place little drum-fills that trail off in all different directions. Just when you start to ease into comfort, molten eruptions of jagged King Crimson/Adrian Belew-like electric guitar violations burst fourth and retreat back and forth in a deliciously twisted and addictive manner. `Aion' is a pulsing spacerock instrumental that groans like a siren klaxon, chiming electric guitars glisten amongst a howling electronic vacuum, the piece constantly building in maddening tension but with a reassuring soothing ambient finale. More spiky RPI twists spliced with a snapping Hawkwind heaviness and coolish New Wave 80's guitar sheen in `Apologia del Nolano', fat bass bounces with up-tempo urgency, meditative treated vocals moan, and there's even a loopy vibraphone spasm!

The near-ten minute title track `Nous' is another spectacular instrumental spacerocker, the ambient moments of shimmering synths recalling Sensations' Fix, the heavier blasts again hitting like Hawkwind topped off with the improvised colour of the Oresund Space Collective. Jangling percussion with bashing aggressive drumming, 70's acid rock electric guitar wailing and mud-thick bass splattering liquid grooves all around pierce oppressive Mellotron-fueled intimidation. `Officina' offers a little respite, if still a melancholic and confronting Mellotron soaked drifter. Soaring guitar work, moody organ, technicolour bleeding synths and sweeping yet restrained cinematic strings means pure space music bliss, a mix of dreamy Pink Floyd spaciness, the wasted coarse vocals of Novalis, with a rollicking symphonic fanfare ala PFM and Genesis to close on. Relentless snaking bass darts through `Arturiana' with brief Black Sabbath creeping riffs before the track turns more mysterious and psychedelic, plus ponderous slow-burn floating electric guitar ruminations and endless reflective, delicate scratchy Mellotron. There's perhaps even a wicked little taste of Universal Totem Orchestra sci-fi menace to the hissing synths in a few spots as well. Thoughtful instrumental album closer `Stella Maris' opens with lethargic synth washes and tip-toeing electric piano flitting amongst of backdrop of waves at sea, and after some eerie menacing robotic drum loops, angelic female harmonies sigh in contemplation, bringing a sense of peace and finality to the album.

Of particular note throughout the entire album is a very sparse production, which will come as a relief to progressive music fans who don't like the slick and polished production that is found on many modern albums. At times I even wondered "Are they using an old 4 track recorder?". That simple and restrained production gives it the more authentic feel of endless 70's works, as well as the above mentioned unpredictable and wild reckless musical outbursts that aligns little parts of it with vintage RPI. But thrilling murky spacerock is mostly the order of the day here, schizophrenic, yet still tasteful and subtle where needed. Hopefully` Nous', a little album that could, doesn't slip too far under the radar compared to other more high profile Italian Prog works of 2014. Nodo Gordiano sound like nobody else with this work, and their distinctive sound and musical talent deserve to be rewarded with more praise and exposure.

Four stars.

Nous is the fourth album by Nodo Gordiano, an Italian prog band based in Rome whose roots date back to 1994. It was released in 2014 on the independent label AMS/Btf with a renewed line up featuring founder member Andrea De Luca (bass, guitar, synthesizers) along with Carlo Fattorini (drums, percussion, vibraphone, glockenspiel) and Fabrizio Santoro (electric guitar, synthesizers, bass). Some guest musicians such as Silvia Scozzi (vocals), Gianluca Cottarelli (electric piano) and Valerio Di Giovanni (guitar) took part to the recording sessions and helped the band to enrich their sound. The result is this excellent concept album sui generis where the musicians managed to shape a very personal blend of tradition and new ideas. The artwork, music and lyrics draw dreamy landscapes and beckon you to embark on a voyage for fair unknown shores...

The opener "Portonovo" begins by a calm, dreamy acoustic passage that reminds me of Francesco Guccini's L'isola non trovata. Soaring vocals conjure up the image of a ship and invite you to casting off and set sail at dawn. You fatherland is over there and your fantasy is already gliding on the sea. Then the rhythm rises, the wind begins to blow and you're carried away by the waves... Well, in some way this track makes me think of a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, The White Ship..."Out of the South it was that the White Ship used to come when the moon was full and high in the heavens. Out of the South it would glide very smoothly and silently over the sea. And whether the sea was rough or calm, and whether the wind was friendly or adverse, it would always glide smoothly and silently, its sails distant and its long strange tiers of oars moving rhythmically...".

"Aion" is a beautiful instrumental track that every now and again recalls Pink Floyd. The image chosen to describe it in the booklet is an ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail that usually symbolizes something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return. It features spacey, psychedelic atmospheres and dark energies running like hell all along the band's particular wall of sound. Then comes "Apologia del Nolano", a celebration of musical freedom that reminds me slightly of bands such as Area and BMS. The music and lyrics here evoke infinite spaces, nomadic songs breaking free from their prisons, kingdoms of unreachable echoes, uncountable worlds and distant lands where the people speak different languages that you can't understand and where the free breath of your soul can shine brightly.

The ethereal "Nous" is a long, complex instrumental piece full of psychedelic nuances. The image the band chose to describe it in the booklet represents an old, surreal world map... It leads to the dreamy "Officina" where you get lost at dawn on the limit between reveries and reality. Then you enter into a strange, magic workshop where you can exercise your crafts... Next comes the beautiful, alchemical "Arturiana", a charming instrumental track with a mysterious atmosphere described with the image of a sword in a circle and where you can almost perceive the ghosts of King Arthur and his knights of the round table riding through clouds and enchanted woods.

The closer "Stella Maris" is depicted by a ship sailing across a storming sea. It's another beautiful instrumental piece where the female vocals of Siliva Schiozzi are used as an instrument and seem to evoke the hypnotic singing of a mermaid... "I walked out over the waters to the White Ship on a bridge of moonbeams. The man who had beckoned now spoke a welcome to me in a soft language I seemed to know well, and the hours were filled with soft songs of the oarsmen as we glided away into a mysterious South, golden with the glow of that full, mellow moon..." (H.P. Lovecraft, The White Ship).

On the whole, I think that this is a very good album, an essential one for every Italianprog collector!

Nodo Gordiano ? Nous

A truly wonderful album!

Five years after their excellent "Flektogon", Nodo Gordiano released their fourth studio album this 2014, offering once again a first class record with its obvious Italian flavor, but with a pretty original, yet unclassified musical style within the progressive rock realm; here one can enjoy a seven-track album full of textures, atmospheres, symphonic passages, eclectic melodies and much more. So if you have time, sit, relax and enjoy "Nous".

I loved their latest album, the quality of the compositions let me speechless, I remember at that time it was one of my main surprises, and because I liked it a lot, I thought it would be difficult for them to make a new record with the same tremendous quality, but now with Nous they did not let me down. It is worth mentioning that this time the band changed a bit in the lineup. It starts with "Portonovo", the eclecticism of this band can be easily perceived since the very first seconds due to its synth atmospheres, the oriental drums and the soft acoustic guitar, deliciously accompanied by Italian vocals. The music flows and before reaching the fourth minute, a moment of tension begins, the rhythm changes and guitar produces a quite nervous sound. It is like a day's soundtrack, I imagined several things. Great introductory track!

"Aion" is a beautiful composition, the band managed to create a top-notch track whose constant changes in tempo and mood produce a mesmerizing sound. First the bass creating dark atmospheres, later drums and electric guitar join and create new nuances, together they build up a progressive rock structure that might not be bombastic, but in my opinion, is very clever, so one can perceive their compositional skills. There is a part I love and comes after four minutes with a spacey passage that lasts some seconds just before the song returns to its main form. "Apologia del nolano" starts with acoustic guitar, seconds later bass and drums join and then the music makes an explosion, more intensity is added, the bass sound is strong, so the energy is spread. Male vocals appear later and within almost six minutes Nodo Gordiano is capable of offering a vast mixture of sounds, with slices of oriental and Spanish cultures in its sound. What I love about them, is that they do not sound as the classic RPI band, in spite of its roots and influences.

"Nous" is the longest composition with almost ten minutes of a great psychedelic / symphonic prog carousel. Some reminiscences of Pink Floyd are in this track, mostly in the softest moments. The music naturally flows, there are no weak moments so it is easy to enjoy the 10 minutes and its different stages, which means that Nodo Gordiano has found the way of capturing the listener's attention. "Officina" is a enigmatic track whose synthesizer work is fabulous, because it superb atmospheric backgrounds while vocals and strings do their job. After three minutes it changes and the symphonic side of Nodo Gordiano appears, reminding me of Camel or PFM just to name an example.

"Arturiana" is an instrumental track that might also work as a film soundtrack, in moments its atmosphere is dark, tense, like for a horror score, but in others it might even be used in a sci-fi one, so go figure the eclecticism of the music here. Like a lot the bass sound here, it is hypnotic. Drums are always constant while guitars experiment a lot, producing a diversity of textures. The last song is "Stella Maris" is a gem, a great way of closing the album. A tender beginning with piano and the sound of the ocean; a couple of minutes later the mood changes, some electronic drums enter making a strange but interesting sound. Then it returns to its original form, but now with the addition of sweet female voices.

It is an excellent album, one of a kind, the sound is unique, something that should make Nodo Gordiano proud. Congratulations!

Enjoy it!

Italian band NODO GORDIANO have a history that goes back to the early 1990's, and since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 they have a grand total of four full length studio productions to their name. "Nous" is the most recent of these, and was issued through Italian label AMS Records in 2014.

Just where to place this band in a progressive rock context is something of a conundrum. This is a band that is undeniably progressive rock, they do have quite the eclectic approach to their game as well, but their variety of eclecticism is one geared towards being approachable and fairly compelling, rather than being of the more challenging variety more common among artists often described as being of an eclectic nature.

Keyboard arrangements is a key element throughout, with plenty of room for regular keyboards just as much as organ and Mellotron, and those fond of more futuristic sounds and the occasional cosmic laden effect will also encounter material to their liking here. While being a key element it is not the sole, as the alternating acoustic and electric guitars are just as important, where wandering acoustic motifs and darker toned, dampened riffs underscore nicely and effectively throughout, with a full range of guitar solo runs ranging from atmospheric dream-laden Camel style and a more haunting Floydian tinged expression and onwards to eerier Frippian-tinged excursions and occasional dips into some textured guitar displays of the kind that in a different context might have been described as post rock oriented. A firm bass guitar with tendencies towards a beefier, dominant sound is also a mainstay, as are drum patterns ranging from delicate rhythm details to more expressive in a Rush-like manner as wel as occasional forays into slightly more jazz-tinged maneuvers.

Fans of bands like Camel, Rush and King Crimson will all find recognizable elements within one or more of the compositions at hand, and fairly often with some subtly psychedelic flavorings brought to the table as well. The songs as such flow quite nicely along, easy on the ears and the mind throughot, and while not lacking in quirky details and unexpected developments this isn't a challenging production as such. Still, as instrumental sections dominate this production and the lead vocals used are Italian this will make the main audience for this album somewhat confined I guess. A well made effort that merits a spin by those with an interest in mainly instrumental progressive rock of a relatively accessible yet also an eclectic nature.

NODO GORDIANO are from Italy and they began life in the mid-nineties doing covers of songs from bands like KING CRIMSON, GENESIS and PINK FLOYD. The influence of each of these bands can be heard on this their latest album called "Nous". I first became aware of this band through their previous album "Flektogon" which really impressed me, so when I heard about this latest offering I picked it up as soon as I could. It's hard to believe this is a trio because they create so much sound. Effects and synths certainly help with that as they conjure up a lot of atmosphere at times.

"Portonovo" opens in a spacey manner with strummed guitar as reserved vocals join in around a minute in. This is all so laid back and we get percussion helping out as well. A change before 4 minutes as flute-like sounds join in and then it picks up before turning fuller with some aggressive guitar coming and going. A curious choice for the opening number I must say. "Aion" is a very FLOYD-like track circa "The Wall". Atmosphere and guitar brings PINK FLOYD and RIVERSIDE to mind. It kicks into gear after a minute followed by some prominant bass. Another atmospheric calm follows before 3 minutes then the guitar starts to make some noise as it builds. Another calm after 6 minutes but this is very spacey right to the end.

"Apologia Del Nolano" is a top three track for me. A dark beauty with out-front bass as the guitar comes in followed by these deep male vocals that have character. I really enjoy the drumming here. Glockenpiel to the fore after 2 minutes then a calm arrives before 4 minutes with laid back vocals. It stays this way until it ends although we get some organ late. "Nous" is another top three tune. A spacey intro goes on for some time then the guitar starts to solo and it all turns fuller before 3 minutes. I like how dark and powerful this becomes and check out the Hendrix-like guitar that echoes sort of like on "All Along The Watchtower'", a very similar tone. Love this stuff. A calm arrives 6 1/2 minutes in as it becomes atmospheric and dark. It then starts to build until it breaks out with power. "Officina" is my other top three and after a spacey opening with the guitar soloing over top it changes 3 minutes in to a GENESIS-like sound, especially with the pulsating organ but there's more to it than that. This ends before 5 minutes when it returns to a similar sound they started with on this track.

"Arthriana" opens with the sounds of birds which are replaced by glockenspiel and more then it turns powerful just before a minute. The guitar is crying out over top. A calm with more glockenspiel and bass before it builds. Boy this one changes moods a lot. It turns dark with bass before 4 minutes as the drums impress. Some nice guitar expressions as well. Samples after 6 minutes of horses and also people talking. More glockenspiel then it builds. Dark and powerful but restrained is how i'd describe the conclusion which is uplifting. "Stella Mary" opens with the sounds of waves rolling in as piano joins in reminding me of CHROMA KEY. Guitar expressions help out then there's a change before 2 minutes as it picks up. A dark calm before 3 1/2 minutes along with water sounds. The female vocal melodies before 5 minutes are a nice touch as this continues to the end.

Another solid 4 star album from these Italians who continue to impress the heck out of me.

Same process than their previous album. A message to download their labum, and a promise from my side to review it on ProgArchives (although it took me a long time to do so for personal reasons).

The opening number is rather sweet and melodic (which is not the trademark of this band, more heavy oriented). « Portanovo » holds melancholic vocals, flute and very soft instrumental parts. It only becomes a little more in the band's style towards the end. A fine start though.

« Aion » which follows, is rather different. More in line with their previos works : dark, intricate, difficult to access for half ot it. And then, all of a sudden, it turns as a good old « Floyd » tune ! The end being even atmospheric and totally spacey. Another good track at the end of the day.

I have to say that with the following number, the good feelings are quite dropping. Mellow vocals (it could have been an all instrumental actually) and average instrumental parts make this track the weakest so far.

The title track, which is the longest of this offering (it clocks at almost 10 minutes), builds on a crecsendo theme which I love as you might know. It starts a bit mysterious a la Floyd of the very early days (ASOS) and speeds up little by little to reach a splendid guitar part which is really excellent and catchy as well. It evolves towards a more heavier part. Probably the highlight of this work.

The daunting ''Arturiana'' is fully in line with their Crimsonesque influences. It starts heavy, powerful and obscure. The structure (if any) of this track is difficult to understand and it flows more as an organized jam with different sections than anything else. Still, quite enjoyable, I have to say.

We might well be in front of their best work so far. I have to admit that I quite like these melodic lines like we've heard so far and the story goes on with the the sweet and closing number ''Stella Maris'' which ends up as a truely scary number.

Four stars for this good work . Their best so far IMHHO.