AS THE YEARS GO BY

90's Symphonic progressive rock band who cross both neo and classic prog genres in this excellent album. I remember 5 years ago when this album first came out contacting the band as I was so impressed with their 90's symph - prog effort. Now here I am 5 years later finally getting around to a brief synopsis of this tasty little Italian gem. With sculptured and pastel keyboard landscapes, guitar and bass are juxtaposed with rich emotion and energy. Songs are generally on the longer side of life (7-11 mins) and are well written and recorded. In many ways this band have a similar approach to bands like FANCY FLUID and FINISTERRE to give some context. Overall an album which I have really enjoyed "as the years go by".

Circle of Fairies is one of the forgotten and unnoticed symphonic/neo prog bands from Italy from the'90's. With one album rleased in 1995 named As the years go by issued by Vinyl Magic, this band captures the revival of prog in the '90's, bringing a good album, but overall something is missing. Is someting between symphonic prog in some parts melted with neo prog arrangements very much in same cathegory lets say with another italians band from hte '90's Fancyfluid or Secret Cinema. The album has some long pieces who are the best from here the last two The troubled wake and the title track clocking around 12 min with nice passages and quite good druming of female Elisa Pilotti. The album overall has some energic moments with keybords and guitars who are quite ok but in places is to much talking moments and less instrumental passages. The voice of Carlo Biorcio is ok, but I think is not on par with the rest of the musicins. All in all a good one, but far from being something of a real intrest, the album is produced by omni present italian musician Beppe Crovella, who is responsable for helping another dozens bands from that period like Secret Cinema, Romantic Warriors, Mosaic, Tower , maybe this band as same sound as these bands. 3 stars. Nice cover art btw. They disbanded a year later gone into oblivion.

A complicated story surrounds this band from Torino, which started in 1992 when longtime friends and bandmates Luigi Ametta (guitars) and Carlo Biorcio (vocals) decided to form a Progressive Rock group.They were surrounded by keyboardist Gianfranco Milone, drummer Roberto Marongiu and bassist Massimo Molinaro and released the demo ''Twilight'' in 1993, including tracks of Hop Frog, an earlier project of Ametta and Biorcio.Soon Marongiu and Molinaro left to be replaced by Elisa Pilotti and Piero Pedicini.The band was signed by Vinyl Magic and recorded the debut ''As the Years Go By'' at Synergy Studios in Torino between September and December of 94' under the guidance of Beppe Crovella, eventually released in March 95'.

Drawing influences from the Neo and Symphonic Progressive Rock legends of the time, Circle of Fairies produced an album of melodic and atmospheric soundscapes and with an intense lyricism at moments along with an alternation between romantic and dark atmospheres.Actually the first half of the album is very good with hints of MARILLION and ASGARD displayed all over the compositions, which are pretty nice, filled with fiery synths to go along with great vocal work and ROTHERY/HACKETT-ish guitar textures.Some beautiful piano parts and lush organ/Mellotron waves give the arrangements a vintage feeling.The later two compositions, which are also the longer ones, both clocking at 11 minutes, contain some nice moments, but sound quite overstretched with some extended ideas and a smoother mood overall.Still they remain at a decent level with plenty of symphonic-oriented themes, shifting moods and a good vocal performance by a singer, who recalls the style of FISH.

Unfortunately the next year Circle of Fairies disbanded, leaving behind a Fan Club live tape entitled ''Dancing in circle'' and the promo cassette ''Postcards from the asylum'', containing some demo songs.Luigi Ametta went on to form a solo project under the name Castalia in 1998.

''As the Years Go By'' is a good example of 90's Neo/Symphonic Prog by a band with a talent to transform their ideas into atmospheric and challenging music, but lacking the God-sent inspiration of the biggest names of the genre.Recommended overall.