PERCORSI

Italian band PLURIMA MUNDI first appeared some eight years ago when they released their initial EP "Atto I". In the years that have passed it would appear that the band have been through some changes, seeing that half of the band has been replaced since then. "Percorsi" is their full length debut album, and was self released in the spring of 2017.

How much to say about an album and the music of a band will always be a key issue for any writer. In this case the key aspects of this album are fairy easy to identify however, despite this production being rather expressive. Vintage era progressive rock is the name of this particular game, in this case art rock with a liberal amount of impulses from classical music in particular and quite a few from jazz as well. Explored within a progressive rock context, with the violin as the key and dominant instrument. An album to seek out for those who find such a description to be intriguing.

"Percorsi" is Plurima Mundi's second studio work (and their first full length album) and was self-released in 2017 with a renewed line up featuring Massimiliano Monopoli (electric violin), Grazia Maremonti (vocals), Massimo Bozza (bass), Silvio Silvestre (guitar), Gianmarco Franchini (drums) and Lorenzo Semeraro (piano). It maintains all the good promises of the 2009 EP entitled "Atto I" with its excellent mix of classical influences, progressive rock and world music...

The excellent opener "Eurasia" is a long, complex instrumental piece that starts with a drum solo part, then the sound of the violin lead us from Venice to Asia and back through the Silk Road. You can hear strong classical influences with the shadow of Vivaldi looming large, but this particular journey goes through many changes in rhythm and atmosphere and all you have to do is set your imagination free and let the music drive...

The following "E mi vedrai... Per te" (And you'll see me... For you) every now and again reminds me slightly of Opus Avantra and tells in music and words of a burning, sensual passion and of a lost love that the protagonist would like to take back. A dream that could turn to nightmare. In fact, in my opinion, the operatic, theatrical vocals of Grazia Maremonti conjure up the image of a crazy, hysterical, dangerous woman...

The disquieting "L. ...Tu per sempre" (L. ...You forever) tells of another tormented love story. The atmosphere is dark, the music is closer to Goblin's horror soundtracks than to dreamy emotional landscapes. Here the music and lyrics evoke a love that burns like a raging fire in the heart of the protagonist, but her lover is missing. She runs to the border of the night, her lover now is like a haunting ghost with an icy look. The wind is blowing, time passes by but in the darkness the memory of a lost summer dream shines on...

"Male interiore (La mia età)" (Inner disease - My age) starts softly, by an acoustic guitar arpeggio, the atmosphere is hypnotic and tense. The hermetic lyrics and operatic vocals express the need to open your heart to the universe and follow the rhythm of its notes while the music takes rough trails with sudden accelerations and unexpected turnarounds... Then a shortened version of "L. ...Tu per sempre" closes the album.

On the whole, an interesting work that is really worth listening to.