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Mirage - Frammenti CD (album) cover

FRAMMENTI

Mirage

Rock Progressivo Italiano


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ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A one shot work for this Italian band. I must say that this album sounds very original. It has all the ingredients that we all like in the Italian symph prog, plus a special flavour I must say.

The band shows some aggressive aspects in some songs (like the opener for instance). Vocals are very good (but this is another feature of the genre). The use of flute adds of course lightness in the compositions and you'll hear quite a lot of it here. Since, I really like this instrument, I can only applaude.

One has to recognize that even if most song are shortly formatted (only one song over seven minutes while the other ones are around five), they are usually complex, with several theme changes for most of them. Just listen to "Prisma" to be convinced. From soft to rock to soft again. Extremely pleasant.

But the nice journey through brilliant music goes on and on. Some classical moments are mixed to the most beautiful guitar riffs and the explosion of rhythms can then take place. So is "Il Suono del Tempo" : another very powerful song which will seduce the listener very easily. "L'Eco dei Sorrisi" is more straight-forward, almost poppish and catchy.

"Il Giardino del Re Giullare" is more difficult to approach.The longest song of this album is not as powerful as the other ones. Weird vocals and somewhat improv style. Fortunately, "La Cose del Nulla" will bring Mirage on track with their beautiful music again. Splendid and so delicate keyboards. Another highlight. So pure. Sensational, really.

"Illusione" is a sad moment. It is already the last number of this great album. A soft acoustic one featuring some nice ... Spanish-like guitar. Very quiet song to say goodbye to "Mirage". It is now time for you to ask yourself : was it real or was it just a mirage ?

There is only one thing I have to lament about : the lenght of the album. Less than forty minutes ! When an album is over-extended and stuffed with useless material, I am the first one to say : "cut, cut, cut". But when such maestria is featured, such creativity showned I just want more.

There is even a bigger regret : this is their sole album. How much I would like to get some more from "Mirage". A pure jewel, really. Highly recommended. Not only to Italian symph fans; but to any beautiful and sensitive music lover.

Four stars.

Report this review (#132203)
Posted Tuesday, August 7, 2007 | Review Permalink
seventhsojourn
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars There are several bands called Mirage in the ProgArchives database. This review concerns the Italian symphonic band of this name that in 1994, and in the best traditions of fellow Italian predecessors from the seventies, released just the one album before disbanding. One of the band's keyboards players (two keyboardists and two percussionists feature here), Guiseppe Iamperi, has subsequently worked on a number of projects under the name of ''Mistheria'', including guest appearances on albums by Bruce Dickinson and Swedish power metal band Winterlong. Information on what became of the other members of Mirage is at best sketchy.

The music on ''Frammenti'' has shades of UK prog giants like Genesis and Jethro Tull, and of countrymen Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. In fact, there's a dedication to Banco in the album's sleeve notes and guitarist Rodolfo Maltese even makes a guest appearance on ''Il Suono Del Tempo''. There also seems to be a bit of a Spanish influence here and there on the album, like the acoustic guitar work on ''Il Giardino Del Re Giullare''. Overall though, Mirage sound like their RPI contemporaries Malibran, especially on opening track ''Madre Dei Pensieri''. Like Malibran, these guys rely quite heavily on flute, and fans of the instrument are well catered for here thanks to Walter Cimoroni. He's also the lead vocalist and sounds a little like PFM's Bernardo Lanzetti, though his voice isn't nearly as gruff.

''Frammenti'' is a thoroughly decent album, fairly light and melodic, although I realise that comment will put many readers off. It also seems to be quite an obscure album given that this is only its second review here. I guess it will appeal mainly to RPI fans that have already delved deeply into the subgenre, so it's likely to remain quite obscure. A very solid 3-star album nonetheless.

Report this review (#339977)
Posted Wednesday, December 1, 2010 | Review Permalink
andrea
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars "Frammenti" is the first (and, for now, the last) album by Mirage, a band active in the early nineties and based in Genzano, a town near Rome. It was released in 1994 on the Mellow Records label with a line up featuring Marco Di Benedetto (piano, keyboards), Giuseppe Iampieri (piano, synth), Roberto Cesaroni (bass), Stefano Cupellini (drums) and Walter Cimoroni (vocals, flute) plus the guests Massimo Frittella (vocals, backing vocals), Diego Confortini (drums), Paolo Mari (guitar) and Rodolfo Maltese (guitar). Their style was mainly influenced by bands such as Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and the other progressive rock masters from the seventies...

The opener "Madre dei pensieri" (Mother of thoughts) might occasionally recall Jethro Tull and takes you on an inner journey across dark, cold landscapes. As in a dream, on the raging waters of an unknown sea, the protagonist longs for a harbour where he can feel safe and put the pieces of his broken personality together. Finally he finds the right place and he can listen to some strange songs during an evening celebration. There he asks the priestess to shout up his name while she sings his fate...

The dreamy "Prisma" (Prism) evokes a precious gift falling from the sky, the end of the winter and the return of spring. In the night the protagonist can already see the light of dawn and, as in a kind of trance, he can breathe his own thoughts as if they were nothing but air. Now, outside every form of reality, he feels happy...

The complex "Il suono del tempo" (The sound of time) depicts with notes and hermetic lyrics the relationship between man and time, the desire to be reborn after death and the search for the truth behind useless appearances. As the protagonist unsuccessfully tries to stop the movement of the golden pendulum that marks the rhythm of life, infinity gathers his thoughts...

"L'eco dei sorrisi" (The echo of smiles) opens softly with vocals on a church like organ background evoking a game of memories, then the rhythm rises dragging you into a vortex of visions... It leads to the epic "Il giardino del re giullare" (The garden of the Jester King) that depicts in music and words a surreal, timeless inner shelter where you heal your wounded pride and recover your dignity, shout for your joy and cry for your pains without fear, aware of all your mistakes and doubts...

"Le cose del nulla" (The things of nothingness) starts by a short bass solo and tells about an otherworldly and cathartic experience, a hypothetical meeting with Cerberus and an infernal journey to find where the fears and all the things that never arrived are hidden... Then the dreamy, acoustic "Illusione" (Illusion) ends the album with an ethereal atmosphere.

On the whole, an interesting work that deserves a try.

Report this review (#2980202)
Posted Saturday, January 6, 2024 | Review Permalink

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