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The one and only album, until now (not including the unfinished Dietro U'Ragano) from Italian's Alphataurus, released in 1973 is one of the classics of the RPI genre. At the heavier end of the RPI spectrum it held a captivating amalgamation of bluesy heavy rock and trippy prog. Now almost 40 years later, after releasing earlier this year the excellent Live in Bloom, they are back with a new studio album, AttosecondO. Not surprisingly, it's not the complete original line-up but Pietro Pellegrini (keyboard's) and Guido Wassermann (guitar) are here from the seventies incarnation. Reformation's of old bands often fall flat and disappoint but bolstered by the standard of playing on Live In Bloom I had high hopes for this.

Despite being a new studio album, a large proportion of AttosecondO comprises of reworking's of the unfinished Dietro U'Ragano, now presented presumably how they were intended to sound in the first place. I'm pleased to say it's an unmitigated success. The sound of AttosecondO is not surprisingly slicker than their 40 year old debut, better played too. They still retain a few of the hard rock edges in places but in truth AttosecondO could be the work of an entirely different band. This is not meant in any way as a criticism - it would be ridiculous to expect a band to return after such a length and sound the same. It's much more symphonic in sound than the original band, more complex too. Those who've enjoyed the comeback album's over recent years by Delirium and Latte E Miele are certainly advised to check this out but Alphataurus rock harder than either and despite my fondness for the former two bands better for it. There's the obligatory nod to the classic seventies band's here but in truth the new Alphataurus have more in common with, though not necessarily sounding like the new breed of RPI such as Il Tempio Delle Clessidre, La Coscienza Di Zeno and Ubi Maior to name a few.

This is a great album from start to finish - only five tracks with only one under eight minutes giving them plenty of opportunity to stretch out, the powerful rhythm section laying the foundation's for some impressive instrumental work, including some great organ which shifts through many changes as this sort of prog should. Always put off by the fact that Dietro U'Ragano was unfinished I never got it or heard it but would have welcomed the chance to compare these songs.

While AttosecondO may not have the originality of their eponymous debut and lacks its quirky warts and all charm, it is nevertheless one of the better RPI albums of this and even recent years. A great success.

'AttosecondO' - Alphataurus (8/10)

Almost forty years ago, a little-known band called Alphataurus released their self-titled debut to the world. Although they are still arguably little-known (largely due to the fact that they called it quits after an half and a half), "Alphataurus" is one of the wonderful gems of the Italian progressive rock scene. Alphataurus essentially perfected their sound on their first try, and with that in mind, it's an even bigger shame that they split up so soon after. While it's conceivable Alphataurus would have come out with several more great albums throughout the 70's, the band is now making up for lost time. Just earlier this year, they released "Live in Bloom", a remarkable and charismatic concert recording taken from their Progvention appearance. If that wasn't enough to indicate Alphataurus are back on their feet, they have done something that quite a few RPI fans had hoped for ages. Keeping in mind that the work-in-progress "Dietro l'Uragano" isn't considered a proper album to begin with, "Alphataurus" finally has a successor worthy of its name. "AttosecondO" may not add much upon the sound of the original, but for a scene that's still largely trying to recreate the magic that the original Italian progressive legends such as they kindled, Alphataurus sound as strong as ever.

Stylewise, it's as if Alphataurus have been frozen in time. Although the production standard enjoys the conveniences of modern technology and a lifetime of experience, Alphataurus are in essence the band they were when they left the public ear decades ago. While the stagnation of style would normally mean artistic death for a band, Alphataurus sound ear and enthusiastic. The music is a feast of vintage synths, quirky time signatures and phonic exploitation of the rich Italian language. Although the debut sounded more experimental in its context, "AttosecondO" sounds just as thoughtful. Claudio Falcone's vocals add a wonderful touch to the fleshy arrangements. Although not as theatrical a performance as some of the other Italian prog coming out these days, he has a powerful resonance to his voice. As is the case for most Italian prog, Anglophones will be left in the dark as far as lyrics go, although the emotion is certainly there.

Although Alphataurus enjoy a well-rounded sound and one of the most professional mixes I've heard in progressive rock this year, "AttosecondO" is most definitely a keyboard-oriented album. Considering that the band sports two keyboardists (Andre Guizzetti and Pietro Pellegrini) with a third on call (guitarist Guido Wassermann), this shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Alphataurus still manages to sound rich and even heavy by RPI standards however, the synth and organ textures they choose are always a joy to hear. The organs tend to add texture to the rhythm and understated guitar riffs, whereas the moog-ish synths play some bright lead work. Although the dramatic, symphonic RPI staple sound is ubiquitous throughout "AttosecondO", Alphataurus use this well-worn formula to traverse an impressive span of emotional ground. "Progressiva-Mente" kicks off the album on an upbeat, enthusiastic note, but by the time "Claudette" rolls around, Alphataurus have fallen to a melancholic depth, and though I cannot understand the Italian lyrics, the mood and mournful tone of the voice sounds like the speaker has lost someone dear to them.

Alphataurus tend to stick to the predetermined instruments and tricks of Italian prog, and they're able to do this while keeping the emotions fresh and evocative. It builds proudly upon an already-excellent Italian progressive tradition, and while it may never have the same far- reaching influence within the scene as the eponymous debut, "AttosecondO" still rates as one of the strongest RPI records to come out in a while. Their age regardless, Alphataurus have proven that their sound- and by extension, the sound of Italian progressive rock- is timeless, and that is quite an accomplishment in of itself.