ROAD TO PLANET CIRCUS

Hey, now here we are on the 'Road To Planet Circus', with a whole lotta groove on board. Without exaggeration I can say that MAD FELLAZ from Italy are belonging to my favourite contemporary bands. This due to the offered sophisticated songwriting skills, either resulting in a rather complex eclectic attitude, however also being highly melodic and catchy in the same way. Also, what you can rely on, they are not repeating themselves with every new album. All in all, on this occasion they are tending to the more accessible side, which is including proper Jazz, Pop and Funk imprints, However, hereby they never ever will completely leave the main orientation, the progressive rock paths. The band's line up hasn't significantly changed compared to their previous third album from 2019. And so the album sees a core of seven musicians this time, additionally supported by a bunch of guest appearances. That also includes excellent news, because lead singer Luca Brighi is involved again. His voice has evolved to a real trademark in the meanwhile, eh, I dare to say, just in the way it exemplarily was with David Longdon for Big Big Train. Where all the lyrics are in English language completely, as usual.

The Animal Spell kick-off comes with a prog typical repetitve motif, at some point Luca Brighi enters the scene with his accent-free vocal appearance. Free As A Dog then is tending to a pop rock appeal featuring some calypso touch, but also fantastic guitar solo activity everywhere around. Jokepot was the first track to be offered prior to the album release, rather wind instrument dominated, and provided with nice straightforward grooves, still a favourite of mine. And then somebody has formed a spendid a capella ensemble, just for letting it Rise Again, very touching! Finally Tennouheika No Sakura looks like a contribution for or from Japan, but I couldn't detect any translation for that. This album offers eleven exciting new songs again, great vocal arrangements, skillfull instrumental presence. So much potential available regarding those MAD FELLAZ, still! Now I'm eagerly waiting for the day to see them live in Melle-Buer.

Italian Progressive Rock...a separate category! A genre that was born in the early 70s whose emblematic references are LE ORME, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI (PFM) and BANCO DEL MUOTO SOCCORSO. A style that often approaches the category of Prog eclecticism, sung fluently in the original language with English taking a more prominent place nowadays. It is most often characterized by the priority given to keyboards, by the care given to the quality of the melodies, and also by a marked preference for solo singing over choral singing and carried by folk, neo-classical or jazz. , depending on the group. MAD FELLAZ is no exception to the rule by taking up these standards to merge them into a sophisticated sonic pot where almost all genres simmer with an elegant lightness. These transalpines from the city of Bassano del Grappa (Venetia) present their fourth opus with a summary of 11 titles, the longest of which barely exceeds six minutes.

Originally this group was a trio which became a septet surrounded by many guests; we can well imagine the strength of the troops and the quality offered during the concerts! With this new draft, MAD FELLAZ made profound changes in the structure of their compositions, and some friends tell me they were a little disconcerted when they first listened to this new album. I can't wait to let you know my impressions!

China invites itself in "The Animal Spell" with its xylophone and its whirling and repetitive guitar. This haunting declension will be offered to us until the arrival of Luca BRIGHI's vocals with his particular and bewitching timbre. This groovy and warm voice will take us on a journey from Chinatown to Harlem under jazz/funky tinsel with a touch of gospel. A passage will make you think of YES for its legendary choirs. Short walk in Manhattan, but oh so contrasting and tasty (8.5/10). "Free as a Dog" is surely a snub for the famous Beatles song... "Free as a bird". This piece merges in joy and good humor, but also in musical genres. The tempo changes are frequent and pass cheerfully from funky to Latino by well-paced instrumental sections, but always accompanied by this expressive voice and guitars infiltrated in the right places singing the wah wah as if to remind us that this group also likes rock ( 8/10).

"Jokepot" immediately makes us tap our feet by alternating funky and acid jazz on tunes ' la JAMIROQUAI. Lively atmosphere and dancing pop, luminous saxophones, trendy choir under infusion of YES nectar as on the 90125 album, guitars set back but perfectly inserted and precise, all under the cover of surprisingly prog arrangements, and this, despite this impression to be under a disco ball! (9/10).

With "Sips of Confidence" you take all the ingredients mentioned above, you add a James BROWN throat ending, a pop and rhythmic chorus, jazz that merges with everything that moves, a song as diverse as the he proposed instrumental, scores that go off in all directions with incredible velocity and dexterity, in short, an exciting piece that shakes up all genres with its multicolored palette (9.5/10). "Rise and Shine" is a soft and fresh pop piece played with acoustic, banjo and electric guitars. A few keyboard melodies come to accompany a choir without words, the orchestration develops and intensifies to become definitively electrified (8.5/10). "Tuareg's Dance" is a patchwork piece with Afro tendencies with its wooden tubes and wind instruments with Saharan reflections. But the essential is not there... we will once again note the performance of Luca BRIGHI with his decisive voice for the coherence within the orchestration. It coordinates perfectly with a classy piano, sharp saxes and a guitar that plays well-tempered jazz/rock tunes (8/10).

With "Exodus" we migrate towards South America, to hear salsa tunes, a voice that speaks to us of the beaches and the Brazilian sun, a nostalgic Argentinian accordion, a trumpet that flies in the wind, an electric here and there. It's well done but not really prog nor really transcendent... (6/10). From the beginning of "Candy Store" I have this sudden impression of listening to one after the other... Frank ZAPPA, JAMIROQUAI and THE BLACK CROWES. Then follow banjo keys played like in New Orleans, a minimoog over which flies a flute agitated. But the highlight of the show will come from a memorable drum solo cut by powerful and surly guitar riffs (8.5/10).

"Babylon" starts like a Broadway musical with a large panel of wind instruments, overinflated by a big, well- paced bass. A pretty repetitive melody of five notes will be interpreted instrumentally then and/or in the manner of Steven Wilson. A kind of enjoyable and organized cacophony will end this very particular title... why not?! (8.5/10) What about "Rise Again"...? Voices, a maracasse, a bass drum and that's it! On the other hand, the singing is magnificent, this is a polyphonic and superimposed production with the added bonus of a female intervention coming to fit into this myriad of perfectly synchronized voices, it's well done and engaging! (8/10). With this last title, "Tennouheika No Sakura" offers us beautiful melodies with classic prog arrangements, guitar solos with this feeling of listening to AL DIMEOLA skillfully merging jazz and rock, or a Jeff BECK torturing his neck to extract all the quintessence. Surely the track that most resembles what we have already heard on the previous album "III" (9/10).

The watchword for this fourth livery: evolution! An itinerary that is refined from album to album with a clearly audible style progressing openly in an integral fusion. With "Road to Planet Cyrcus" MAD FELLAZ has changed to take on a new skin, and take a new direction that suits him well! I have the feeling that this group has just taken a new turn and really enjoys composing innovative blends, new nuances in terms of fusion that go all over the place, modeling careful and successful experiments. First-time fans may be disconcerted at first listen, but you will have to persist and ignore your beliefs about this band. The voices are warm and expressive, the musicians play their score perfectly, the realization is a success and the production is of high quality... but what are you waiting for to rush to your record store?

"Road To Planet Circus" is the fourth album by Mad Fellaz and was self-released in 2022 with a renewed line up featuring Paolo Busatto (electric and acoustic guitar), Andrea Cecchetto (drums, percussion), Ruggero Burigo (guitars), Carlo Passuello (bass), Enrico Brunelli (keyboards, synthesizers), Rudy Zilio (flute, clarinet, synthesizers), and Luca Brighi (lead and backing vocals) plus some guests such as Giovanni Forestan (sax), Davide Baratto (guitar, backing vocals), Evridika Cuder (backing vocals), Fabio Trentini (backing vocals), Giancarlo Romano (trumpet) and Marcello Sambataro (additional keyboards). As on the previous album, during the recording sessions they were helped by producer Fabio Trentini (Moonbound, Le Orme) and shaped their compositions with a strong focus on the "groove" in a nice blend of prog, jazz-rock, fusion, funk, afro and even a bit of soul. The beautiful artwork by Antonio Carrara tries to depict the musical content...

The opener "The Animal Spell" features hypnotic atmospheres and exotic flavours that might recall the imaginary landscapes of Roger Dean. The music and lyrics in some way invite you to close your eyes and take off from the ground jumping up to the sky where life beats hard and you can find beautiful, deep colours and paint your dreams with them...

The lively, carefree "Free As A Dog" portrays a man walking on a street as free as he can be in a bright sunny day. He can run wherever he likes and no chain can stop him, all he needs is the light of the sun shining through the rain and its warming effect on his skin to feel good. The music every now and again reminds me slightly of PFM...

"Jokepot" is a funny piece inspired by the character and the story of Giancarlo Pelosini, an Italian TV quiz show contestant who answered by a suggestive joke to an ambiguous question about the warlike qualities of the legendary Amazons. He lost a huge sum of money but became famous... Next comes the lively "Sips Of Confidence", a warning against the charming, false promises of modern barkers who draw your attention to sell you illusory remedies to soothe your pains...

"Rise And Shine" starts by a soft, acoustic intro. Here the vocals are used just like an instrument to add a touch of colour. When the rhythm rises the dreaming atmosphere does not vanish and the music shines like the sun upon the desert producing mirages... The following "Tuareg's Dance" evokes in music and words a long caravan of tired men and women that, step after step is crossing a hot, sunny desert. The falling rain is like a blessing for them, an injection of hope for their hard journey towards the sea... Then, "Exodus" describes their feelings, the silent cries they left behind and the difficult choices they had to made leaving their homeland to reach the shore from where diving into the unknown...

On the notes of the sarcastic "Candy Store" you disembark on a greedy world where you have to keep calm and maintain your self-control because all what you can see is deceiving and dangerous. Real happiness lies on a magic land where there's no crime nor lies, a paradise where you can find love everywhere... A place that doesn't exist! Next comes "Babylon" where there are some passages that might recall Gentle Giant blended with Oriental flavours. The music and words convey a sense of dramatic awareness about all what's going around you. It's written in your eyes that you want back your liberty...

The following "Rise Again" begins a cappella and the influence of Gentle Giant is stronger than ever when the vocals evoke the sense of freedom that can experience children plying games and climbing trees... Eventually, the long, beautiful instrumental "Tennouheika No Sakura" (Cherry Blossoms of His Majesty the Emperor) closes the album with a surreal, dreamy atmosphere...

On the whole, a very good work that is worth listening to.