MYTH OF THE CHRYSAVIDES

One of the best symphonic albums in the late eighties, coming from the Italian progressive scene. This is the reply from my country to the last symphonic issues by the early GENESIS, because you can find as many theatrical elements within this romantic progressive album by the present Italian group (featuring also Aldo Tagliapietra from Le ORME as a guest star), as those ones making the progressive rock music so fascinating in the late seventies!! Nowadays, thanks to such lesson, another Italian progressive band like AUFKLARUNG have produced a small masterpiece "De' la Tempesta...L'Oscuro Piacere" in the recent times (1992).

But talking about EZRA WINSTON, afterwards they produced another jewel - entitled "Ancient Afternoons" - which is to me a bit inferior than their debut album, but anyway it stands alone as one of the best Italian productions of the nineties!!

4.5 stars really...

EZRA WINSTON may place themselves among the legends of the new wave of Italian progrssive rock of mid- to late 80's.At the darkest age of progressive rock,the band came to life in 1984 and responsible for this were singer/keyboardist/bassist Mauro Di Donato and guitarist Fabio Palmieri,who later added keyboardist Mario Bianchi in the line-up.This trio started composing the material for the band's first album,whose recordings started in summer of 87',after they were joined by flutist Paolo Lucini and drummer Daniele Iacono.

March 1988 finds EZRA WINSTON releasing their debut ''Myth of chrysavides'',an entirely self-produced LP.Following the steps of classic prog bands,EZRA WINSTON's debut is a weird concept album around butterflies,born from cocoons on a mountain,looking for their meaning of existence,while travelling their way home.Notice that the whole story is written in English.

Musically speaking the album is an absolute winner!From the short opener,regarding the butterflies' birth,the band sets the listener in its pastoral mood.Mellow acoustic guitars and warm flutes lead to an electric outburst,surrounded by excellent moog synths.''The journey in the world above'' is the other composition of side A,a great 16-min. opus.Sort of a cross between PFM,GENESIS and early MARILLION,this track passes through different soundscapes all the time.From a pastoral and medieval acoustic atmosphere to PFM-like flute-driven passages and from elaborated GENESIS-influenced electric moments to vocal-led dark moments with an intense MARILLION-esque taste.A true prog classic!

Side B opens with another grand opus,the 18-min. ''The journey in the world below''.This time things seems to be less darker but a lot more complex than the previous track.In fact the first minutes of the track contain complex interplays with nice guitar/organ/synth battles,while flutes come in a little later.The light electric guitars of Palmieri are now closer to STEVE ROTHERY's style,while the moog synths are again so dreamy and atmospheric.You will have to wait for more than ten minutes before acoustic guitars return in their heaviest form and you can't ask for more listening to the classical inspired keyboard-based ending section.''The waiting and the knowledge'' closes the album in a nice,almost spacey way with good interplays,fantastic drumming and obscure synth effects,while the last minutes will remind you again of the great PFM (beautiful flutes,bass and organ).What a great listening is all I can say...

Not much more to be written.How this album hasn't find its way for a CD re-issue by a major prog label is a matter of discussion.This is one of the best Italian symphonic prog albums of the second generation and a monumental prog file next to the best of NUOVA ERA,ERIS PLUVIA,SITHONIA and MALIBRAN.

2.5 stars would be more adequate

Many people see the 80's as the lost decade, I used to think like this until a few years when I discovered some excellent bands from the era, but in general terms, we are talking about my least favorite decade. But once in a while I find a great band that breaks the rules, avoiding the exclusivity of GENESIS or PINK FLOYD references behind and creating a new fusion of sounds of styles that sound fresh and kept our hopes of a rebirth alive. Sadly EZRA WINSTON is one not of them.

Their debut Myth of the Chrysavides is a very uneven album, with excellent moments but most of their tracks are terribly predictable and even boring. It's obvious for me that they try to escape from the Neo Prog parameters and even when the vocals and some keyboard solos sound very close to Pendragon, their style is much richer, they constantly use dissonances, plus some Jazz Fusion touches, make the band unusual for any Italian group, normally more focussed in the gentle melodies and pastoral passages, sadly, they are not able top keep the high level for long periods of time.

Myth of the Chrysavides. is divided in four tracks:

"The Bird and the First Flight" works as an introduction for the two epics that occupy 80% of the album, this track begins soft and melodic mainly with flute and keyboards, somehow reminds me of ANTHONY PHILLIP'S, even when gets faster and with lush keyboards as the time passes, it's obvious we are before an introductory track.

"The Journey in the world Above" misleads at the start with a soft and even pastoral entrance, but as soon as the keyboards join, it's obvious this band tries to do something different, the Jazz elements are notorious, the problem begins with the vocals that are too bland for my taste not forgetting the fact that Italian bands and English language, don't make a good combination. To make it worst, all the rich blend of the start morphs into a soporiferous ballad.

The second epic "The Journey in the World Bellow" has some amazing passages, but again suffers of the same problem as the other songs, it's too uneven, after vivid passages with amazing synth solos supported by a solid rhythm section and a beautiful classic guitar, they return to the narcotic ballads that induce to a good sleep. Even when the acoustic guitar and the GENESIS inspired passages are quite nice, the song is completely inconsistent.

To summarize, "The Journey in the World Bellow" has more or less 9 minutes of brilliance and 9 minutes of boredom, which is sad, because we are talking about very capable musicians.

The album ends with the most solid track "The Waiting and the Knowledge", which despite being a bit repetitive, has the most brilliant passages of the record, a good closer for an average album.

As usual I suffer with the rating, and Myth of the Chrysavides places me before a real problem, they don't deserve less than 2.5 stars, but Prog Archives only admits full stars, so I have to decide the less unfair rating. Being that I gave three stars to much better albums like the ELP debut or Going for the One by YES, I have to go with two stars, recognizing that EZRA WINSTON deserve a bit more.

Just hope that their second release "Ancient Afternoons" which I recently bought is more consistent and keeps the level high all along the album.