THE CINEMA SHOW

The Cinema Show are an RPI band from Lombardy with two albums under their belt, and they've also performed live, covers and originals, since their 2011 inception. While I'm not a fan of the band's name choice, that's the only thing I didn't like. This is an exceptionally strong release of modern prog with nods to the vintage era as well. Their sound is fresh and energetic with plenty of catchy hooks ("Il Ritorno"). They will fire you up pretty early. Some songs like "Guarda Pure Ma Non Toccare" and "Cinema Muto" have a very eclectic RPI approach that reminded me instantly of I Pennelli di Vermeer. I couldn't believe it. "Huriya!" with its bold male/female vocals and feisty energy, you could easily be fooled into thinking it was latter-day Pennelli di Vermeer. That said, they can drop effortlessly back into pure vintage RPI mode with lush songwriting, slow, romantic, and pastoral ("Il Mio Nome "). They even employ my favorite icing to the cake, some lovely melody on piano ("Ulisse").

Finally, they also save plenty of gas for a dramatic ending in the form of two 12-plus-minute prog epics showcasing very solid playing, beautifully layered vocals on the title track, "L'errante," and consistently satisfying songwriting. The album can both rock out and go soothingly mellow for a balanced listen. Both of their studio albums were remixed in 2022, and their Bandcamp "liner notes" indicate they have taken extra care not to compress their music or take part in the "loudness wars." You can hear the extra care they took recording this album, and that will be appreciated by many. For a band I admittedly knew nothing about, I think they surely have another great album in them if they choose to make it. We hope they will! RPI fans both classic and contemporary will want to check out The Cinema Show. Bravo, lads, from an American fan.