APPUNTI DI VIAGGIO

Appunti di Viaggio is the title of the album, but also the entirely instrumental piece with which the CD begins: a suite of about ten minutes, in which the initial sound of the sea opens the way to strings, synthesizers, 12-string guitars and mellotron, which alternate between frequent rhythmic changes and sonorities with typical prog-rock features, sometimes psychedelic. Classic sounds and aggressive rock features merge in Cielo Nero and Notte. In the three songs in English With the strength of my voice, Trust and Your war, our war: the band travels to different places in the world, moving from Syria, the scene of frequent human tragedies, to Colombia, perhaps on the road to lasting peace. The songs in Italian dialect Vaije (Vado) and Ne journe, n'anne (One day, one year) the Sfaratthons make a fusion between jazz/rock and folk/ethnic music with the presence of a folkloric choir which is particularly unusual in rock music. In recent years ProgRock has become again popular worldwide, it is very nice to see that even in Italy there are several groups that still manage to let us experience the beauty of this music. The CD is inside a spectacular 35 pages booklet, where there are the texts, a fair tail and fabulous paintings.

"Appunti di viaggio" is the second album by the Sfaratthons, a band from Abruzzo whose roots date back to the seventies. It was recorded by a consolidated line up featuring Cecilio Luciano (drums), Giovanni Di Nunzio (lead vocals, guitar), Luca Di Nunzio (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Giovanni Casciato (electric guitar) and Mario Di Nunzio (bass) with the contribute of some guest musicians such as Geoff Warren (flute), Alessandro Saponaro (guitar), Giovanni Ferrari (sax) and the choir Chorale Trebula from Quadri, a little town in the province of Chieti. It was self-released in 2019 with a wonderful packaging in form of book, enriched by some paintings, extended liner notes and a short story by their friend and former bandmate Luca Luciano. It confirms all the good qualities of their 2016 debut work "La bestia umana" and goes even further, showcasing great song-writing skills and an improved sound quality...'

The wonderful opener 'Appunti di viaggio' (Travel notes) is a long, complex instrumental piece that invites the listener to follow the band all along their musical journey around the world. It starts softly by the sound of the sea waves and goes through many changes in rhythm and atmosphere accompanying you through dreamy marine landscapes under the moonlight. It leads to the following 'Vela' (Sail) with its marching beat and epic keyboards passage incipit where soaring flute arabesques conjure up the image of a surreal sail flying over the sea in a deep sky evoking bitter and sweet feelings. There's joy, delirium and pain in the blowing wind that draws you away at dawn along with that sail...

The excellent 'Cielo nero' (Black sky) describes in music and words the feelings of a timeless lover on the day before the meeting with his beloved woman. On a black night dotted with just a few stars he longs for his young bride and can't sleep until the morning comes. It's a restless wait full of dreams, expectations and hope...

'Notte' (Night) depicts a dark night in a big city where every shadow seems threatening and scary. Fear rules on the streets, on every step you take you can perceive the danger, every sound tears your heart apart, there is no room for peace and rest. Under the lamplights homeless, hungry people are walking in search for justice but they're losing their faith while waiting for a new dawn and a better day...

The melancholic 'Your War, Our War' starts by a sound of shots in the background and a voice taken from a radio broadcast speaking in French and commenting a picture with the image a dead little child on a beach. It's the image of Aylan Kurdi... Then the rhythm rises while English vocals evoke an eternal emergency and a land ravaged by a war that nobody wants to see. There's a sense of impending disaster and dark, grim omens for a hopeless future...

'Ne journe, n'anne' (A day, a year) is sung in Abruzzese dialect and deals with the relativity of time and space. The piece starts with a carefree flute pattern and a soft pace, then the music and words conjure up a dreamy atmosphere and a carousel of stars and moon while the choir might recall a kind of Christmas carol. Day after day time seems to stand still when you are surrounded by love and beauty, a year has passed by and you have the impression it lasted a single day...

'With All The Strength Of My Voice' opens with threatening keyboards waves and Latin rhythms. The music and the English lyrics depict the image of weapons and guns in a country filled by hatred where people desperately try to run away searching for a way out. Then there's the ceasefire and peace comes back, the war is over and a new beginning is possible... The final part features voices in the background speaking in Spanish and a bold marching beat. According to liner notes, this piece was inspired by the peace agreement reached in Colombia between president Juan Manuel Santos and the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group involved in the long Colombian conflict started in 1964. On 23 June 2016 the accord was signed in Havana, Cuba...

'Vaije' (I keep on going) is another piece sung in Abruzzese dialect that describes in music and words the stubborn obstinacy of a man who never stops in his search for love and continues to travel around the world in the hope of filling the void in his heart. In his storming heart there's rain and snow but he keeps on going following the route of the sun...

The lively 'Trust' deals with environmental issues and ends the album with a message of hope. The pace is fast and the rhythm every now and again could recall The Pogues. The music and lyrics try to urge everyone to fix the damages that man behaviours have inflicted to our planet. There's still time to save the Earth, but we've better hurry up...

On the whole, an excellent work and a really a must have for Italianprog collectors!