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IL VELO DEI RIFLESSI

Quel Che Disse Il Tuono

Rock Progressivo Italiano


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Quel Che Disse Il Tuono Il Velo Dei Riflessi album cover
3.77 | 77 ratings | 5 reviews | 29% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2020

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Il Paradigma Dello Specchio (Primo Specchio) (9:13)
2. Figlio Dell'Uomo (Secondo Specchio) (9:23)
3. Chi Ti Cammina Accanto? (Terzo Specchio) (5:43)
4. Il Bastone e Il Serpente (Quarto Specchio) (10:36)
5. Loro Sono Me (Catarsi) (13:45)

Total Time 48:40

Line-up / Musicians

- Francesca Zanetta / guitars
- Niccolò Gallani / keyboards, flute
- Roberto Bernasconi / bass, lead vocals
- Alessio Del Ben / drums, keyboards

Releases information

CD, Digital, LP released on AMS Records March 20, 2020.

Thanks to rdtprog for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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QUEL CHE DISSE IL TUONO Il Velo Dei Riflessi ratings distribution


3.77
(77 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(29%)
29%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(36%)
36%
Good, but non-essential (19%)
19%
Collectors/fans only (9%)
9%
Poor. Only for completionists (7%)
7%

QUEL CHE DISSE IL TUONO Il Velo Dei Riflessi reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by memowakeman
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Review originally posted at www.therocktologist.com

Since I was a young prog rock neophyte, I have crossed with statements such as 'prog rock is dead' 'there is no good 00's prog' and other strange thoughts from people who got stuck in the 70's. Of course, we all know and love old school prog and will always thank them for seeding the roots, however, there is a huge amount of new projects that incorporate that history to brand new compositions and concepts, such as new Italian outfit Quel Che Disse Il Tuono.

I have always been a big RPI lover, its symphonic driven music, its pastoral sounds, its theatrical compositions, its cultural inspirations, and a long etc. Fortunately, in this 21st century I have witnessed the born of new talented bands that clearly deserve attention, such as Unreal City or Cellar Noise, which I mention on purpose because members from those bands are featured in this new project.

Well, last March the band released its first baby entitled 'Il Velo dei Riflessi', just after one year the band formed. It is a concept album in which themes like schizophrenia and acceptances are pointed out. It comprises 5 tracks, the first four are mirrors and the last one is a catharsis. It opens with 'Il paradigma dello specchio (primo specchio)' -if you know RPI, then you are aware of the importance of track number 1 in its history- a great track that has that vintage feeling produced by keyboards and that typical Italian voice. Lush keyboards, mellotron, a dynamic guitar, instrumental passages that change from minute to minute creating a diversity of emotions, from chaos to tranquility.

Impossible not to move the head with 'Figlio de'll Uomo (secondo specchio)', its rhythm got stuck on my head and since the first listen it entered deep in my veins. It is like one minute and a half until it stops and becomes a ballad- like track for a minute, just before it explodes with a guitar solo first and then a moog solo that could be featured in any 70's RPI record or even in a 00'S Ayreon record. I like the mood changes on the song, the band knows how squeeze their capacities, which is why it sounds so natural and creative. Just before reaching the 7th minute, I thought the band would make a kind of tribute to Le Orme (maybe the did, I don't know) but it was probably just my mind's association.

'Chi ti cammina accanto (terzo specchio)' is a beautiful song, the shortest of the album and why not, the catchiest. The mood is so soft, relaxing and even introspective. I love the sound of the flute at minute two, just before Bernasconi's voice enters. Later Zanetta's vocals join and the two of them create a brief but heartfelt passage. The las minute is incredible deep, Gallani's colorful keyboards produce countless emotions, while Del Ben's drums create nice figures that complement the music.

'Il bastone e il serpente (quarto specchio)' starts with a bass slap and then guitar and drums join. Honestly, I didn't like the start of this track, it sounds a bit raw and dirty, maybe it was a matter of the production. After one minute the passage get more interesting, with a wonderful moog solo first and then Hammond, mellotron and piano creating countless textures. When vocals enter a theatrical mood appears, working as a fishhook for the listeners. There are several cool passages on this track, to be honest, but this time I tended to enjoy the most the one at minute 7, so soft and emotional, beautifully crafted by piano and vocals, and then amazingly complemented by mellotron and guitar. But wait, that's not the end, later there is an explosive ending.

The album finishes with its most ambitious track: 'Loro sono me (Catarsi)', a 14-minute rollercoaster of sounds and emotions. Here we will be taken to a trip to different points of the 70s, the names of King Crimson, PFM, or Museo Rosenbach might spring on your mind. It is in fact a cathartic track full of nuances, an immersion of the senses. The band did a great job in this particular track, an example that they started with the right foot and are on the right direction. Seems they get along so positively, and since their first child was a challenging album, I am sure they will give us more news in the future.

Is prog rock dead? Never!

Review by nick_h_nz
COLLABORATOR Prog Metal / Heavy Prog Team
5 stars [Originally published at The Progressive Aspect]

There is always a danger when one has been anticipating a release for a long time, and it felt like a long time waiting for the debut release from Quel Che Disse Il Tuono. Actually, the album was put together in a very short space of time, as the band was founded only a year ago. However, the enormously talented Francesca Zanetta (a founder of Unreal City) was a founder of Quel Che Disse Il Tuono, and that alone had me impatient to hear what the band could muster. As she and the band teased their progress on a regular basis, it was hard not to be impatient to hear the end result. And, at the same time, a little worrying. Would the end product live up to the hype?

The short answer, if you don't wish to read the rest of the review, is yes. Go out and buy Il Velo Dei Riflessi. You won't be disappointed. This is a truly magnificent album, taking all that was great about the classic years of Rock Progressivo Italiano, and propelling it forward into today. It has all the retro charm you could wish for, with the production values classic RPI usually lacked. Now, I'm biased, because I've long been a lover of RPI. But for those less enthused, let me add that this album is also extremely reminiscent of vintage keyboard led Scandinavian bands such as Anekdoten, Nordagust and Mater Thallium (to name but three).

I'm reminded of so many of the RPI bands of the '70s that I love, but this sounds so much better. A lot of this is down to the production, which is just wonderful. But there's no getting away from the talent the band displays, and the use of so many gorgeous vintage keyboards. Having three talented keyboard players surely helps, with Francesca Zanetta and Alessio Del Ben adding additional keyboard flourishes to main keys player, Niccol' Gallani. Gallani himself shows his multi-instrumental prowess too, with some absolutely beautiful flute playing. And the vocals! Oh, the vocals! Roberto Berna Bernasconi could not be more perfect, belting out the style of vocals (stereo)typical of RPI. Bold, highly emotional, almost operatic, and sung in Italian. Does that last matter? Well, personally I'd say yes. Whether it is Banco, PFM, Maxophone, or any other RPI band who released English language versions of their songs, these were always inferior to the Italian sung versions. The Italian language is one of the most musical in the world, and much of the magic in RPI is in the vocals. Bernasconi scores highly in this regard.

But let's be honest, every member of Quel Che Disse Il Tuono scores highly. After listening through the album the first time, I wondered if this might be my most favourite RPI release ever. Such hyperbole is not uncommon when I first hear something new that I instantly am enamoured with, so I ignored this feeling. And yet? And yet, after having listened to the album dozens of times now, I can't help but still feel this way. This is a simply magnificent album, which encapsulates all that I love from the classic years of RPI, and makes it greater!

The album begins with the thunder implied by the band's name, before taking us through a metaphorical storm of the mind. A mind split, and viewed through four mirrors (the first four tracks), as the individual suffering this mental disorder works to accept these deviations are who he is, this final catharsis worked out through the final track. Would I have known that if I did not have the electronic press kit that came with the album? Probably not, but nor does it really matter. I don't understand the lyrics, but I could use Google to translate them if I felt the need - and I do not. I'll be honest, I don't pay a great attention to the lyrics when they are sung in English, so I'm not going to go out of my way when they're not. For me, the voice is merely another instrument, and a wonderful one in this band. It is possible, however, to hear the resolution of the final song in the music. And equally, the conflict within the first four. (The heavy melancholy of second mirror, Figlio Dell'Uomo, for example, is palpable, and depressingly beautiful.)

A feature of RPI is that the music often sounds like classical music within a rock setting, rather than rock music utilising classical elements. From the first track forward, this is immediately the impression one gets, and it sweeps me away from the beginning. The interplay of the instruments, along with the textures and timbres the varying vintage keyboards provide, is more symphonic than most symphonic prog bands. And yet, Francesca Zanetta's guitar adds an edge that was often lacking in classic RPI. If you loved her playing in Unreal City, you will here, too. It doesn't sound at all the same (although, as Zanetta herself proclaims, it is recognisably played by the same fingers), but it sounds just as good. While most classic symphonic RPI bands, especially given how keyboard- centric they were, tended to take after ELP, Quel Che Disse Il Tuono seem to take more from King Crimson - which is perhaps why I hear the resemblance to the aforementioned Scandinavian bands, who are also influenced by King Crimson.

But, as I've tried to stress, no matter their roots and influences, Quel Che Disse Il Tuono sound entirely modern. The band themselves have said, 'We are fully aware of resting on the shoulders of giants, we know our background and we are aware of the great influences that derive from it. Nonetheless, it is our firm intention not to be a derivative group: we work constantly to outline a distinctive and modern character.' I certainly believe that the band have managed just that, and it is a harder won victory than you might think. There are many bands that become so entrenched in their attempts to recreate the sound and feel of the classic period of prog that they are plain boring. In fact, I dislike far more retro prog bands than I like. But this, I love.

And like that, the album ends as it began, with the sound of thunder. It's been just under an hour, but it feels no longer than quarter of that - the approximate length of the final song, in fact. There are some albums that feel far too long, but this one is over far too soon. The only thing to do is put it straight back on, and listen again. This could easily have been a disappointment, especially for someone like me who has such a love for classic RPI. Instead, it's a contender for my favourite album of the year. And it's only a debut! Let's hope Quel Che Disse Il Tuono don't go the way of so many great RPI bands of the '70s and be one and done.

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
3 stars Quel Che Disse Il Tuono ("What The Thunder Said") are an Italian symphonic progressive rock band from Milan. Their debut album came out earlier this year, but somewhat surprisingly they only formed in 2019 when Francesca Zanetta (guitar, keyboards, ex-Unreal City), Roberto "Berna" Bernasconi (bass, lead vocals), Niccolò Gallani (keyboards, flute, vocals, Cellar Noise) and Alessio Del Ben (drums, keyboards, vocals) came together. These guys are very much an RPI act, with lots of dated keyboard sounds and long instrumental passages. The 49 minute long album only contains five songs, so it gives them plenty of room to spread out, and listening to this as a promo download seems wrong as it feels as if this is something which should only ever be played on vinyl, such is its age.

As one would expect from an RPI band, even though their website is in English all lyrics are in Italian (the title itself means 'The Veil of Reflections'), but I don't have any issue with that as it would have been just wrong if it was in anything else. Given how long they have been together, I wonder how much time they had to work on these songs before they went into the studio, as while there are sections when it is absolutely sublime there are others where it just doesn't gel quite as it should. The vocals are not always quite as powerful as they could have been, yet there are others when they are very good indeed and a real highlight. This makes me think the band were in quite a rush to get this out for some reason. I would also have liked to have heard more of Francesca's guitar as she often provides an edge which is sadly lacking when she is more in the background, and she uses a range of sounds moving from clean to distortion which provides additional layers. While it would be easy to compare them to the likes of PFM, there are also elements of The Moody Blues (especially with the way they use Mellotron), King Crimson and even ELP.

However, if they are producing music of this quality after such a very short time together, what are they doing to be doing in five years' time? This is RPI which is going to make a lot of old proggers very happy indeed.

Review by andrea
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Quel Che Disse Il Tuono came to life in 2019 in Milan, Italy on the initiative of Francesca Zanetta (guitar, keyboards - founder member of Unreal City), Roberto Bernasconi (bass, lead vocals) and Alessio Del Ben (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), soon joined by Niccolò Gallani (keyboards, flute, backing vocals - also member of Cellar Noise). The name of the band means "what the thunder said" and is a tribute to the poetry of T.S. Elliot. Their main sources of inspiration come from the Italian prog masters of the seventies but they blend vintage sounds with their modern, original sensitivity without trying to reproduce the past. The band's first album, entitled "Il velo dei riflessi", was released in 2020 on the independent label AMS Records and is a complex conceptual work dealing in a metaphorical way with the problem of schizophrenia and mental illness.

In fact, according to the band, the music and lyrics tell the story of a man who finds himself alone in an unknown room, surrounded by large cracked mirrors. A human figure is trapped in each mirror, which turns out to be the personification of a hidden, repressed personality trait of the protagonist himself. Each pathological personality trait is like a separate entity that wants to get out of the mirror to reunite with the protagonist who has to accept this new reality. Eventually, the protagonist realizes that all these ghostly, decadent subjects have always been a part of him. What follows is a mutual recognition, the breaking of the mirrors and the full affirmation of a human being aware of his complexity and now lost in a vortex of multiple consciences, no longer able to recognize and distinguish what is real from what is not.

To be honest, the thread of the concept is not easy to follow and the lyrics are more like brush strokes of colour depicting impressionistic images than narrative instruments... The opener "Il paradigma dello specchio (Primo specchio)" (The paradigm of the mirror - First mirror) sets the atmosphere. There's a thunder, the mood is dark... The protagonist observes his dark reflected image in a mirror and falls under its spell while time stands still. Then the rhythm rises and, preceded by a martial marching beat, the ethereal image of a young soldier in a white armour appears, his eyes are dull, a mask of clay with a scarlet knife look at the helpless body of his father...

It's the turn of "Figlio dell'uomo (Secondo specchio)" (Son of man - Second mirror) that begins by a disquieting instrumental part. Then, on a strummed acoustic guitar passage, soaring vocals evoke dark omens of impending madness and a raging inner conflict through a magical symbolism... When the rhythm takes off the singing unveils hidden poems lost in oblivion, like spirits without memory and identity. There are some changes in mood and rhythm, then a glance towards the sky allows you to see the vision of a man in his Eden who is running away from a place where daylight erases his dreams, where time is merciless and the faces he can see are nothing but opaque mirrors...

"Chi ti cammina accanto? (Terzo specchio)" (Who walks beside you? - Third mirror) starts softly, the atmosphere is eerie while the seducing words of a myriad of shadows coming out from the dark slowly draw the protagonist into a Dionysian vertigo that blurs the differences between dream and reality, leading him into a delirium of power where he feels like a god in an artificial paradise...

Next comes "Il bastone e il serpente (Quarto specchio)" (The club and the snake - Fourth mirror) where the music and words conjure up an alien world crowded with nightmares where fairies dance in the fire and a dark soul haunts a night made of nothing. Ruler of an empty kingdom, the protagonist experiences the illusion of being eternal as the rhythm takes off and soaring keyboards evoke the flight of a glider in a sky full of counterpoints...

The long, complex final track "Loro sono me (Catarsi)" (They are me - Catharsis) mixes hard rock and operatic influences for an epilogue that is in the same time a dirge and a soothing breeze of consolation. Many distant voices of archangels and sirens, symbolizing the different personalities of the protagonist, come together and blend into a solemn choir to claim their freedom... Eventually, another thunder ends an album that is really worth listening to.

On the whole, an excellent work!

Latest members reviews

4 stars "FIRST REVIEW OF THIS ALBUM" Recently I was surfing on the Background Magazine Facebook page, I stumbled upon a post from a member of Quel Che Disse Il Tuono about their debut album, read the very positive words and decided to contact that band member on Facebook. During a one hour chat it turned ... (read more)

Report this review (#2344266) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Sunday, March 22, 2020 | Review Permanlink

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