IL LABIRINTO DI ALICE

Hailing from the province of Treviso, Il Labirinto di Alice took shape in 2017 between the towns of Asolo and Montebelluna with a line up featuring Christian "Gino" Agostinetto (vocals), Daniele Forner (guitar), Daniele "Lele" Petrin (guitar), Matteo "Ford" Favero (keyboards, synth), Andrea "Simba" Basso (bass) and Enrico "Maestro" Pasetti (drums). Soon after the birth of the band they started performing live on the local scene honing their skills and had the chance to share the stage with other emerging prog bands such as Basta! or Endless Season. In 2018 the band self- released an interesting debut album entitled (Ri)Passi featuring four long, elaborate pieces where they showcase good musicianship and creativity blending vintage sounds and fresh ideas. Although every now and again their music could recall Le Orme or other historic bands from the seventies, the operatic, theatrical vocals and some heavier moments remind me of newer bands such as Absenthia, Le Porte Non Aperte or Panda Fight Club...

The opener 'Il vicolo losco' (The sinister alley) if full of classical inspired passages and echoes from the seventies. The music and lyrics conjure up the image of a mysterious, silent woman. Blinded and betrayed, she speaks in an ancient language that nowadays nobody can understand, she's lost in time, old fashioned and haunted by scoundrels who insult, plagiarize and hurt her. She feels crumbling down, falling to pieces carried away by the wind while nobody seems to care for her. Who is that woman? Well, she's the Music Herself, she's dying but still breathing and could still be saved and revitalized by the passion of some brave, daring people who would get rid of the stereotypes and of the market laws...

The following 'Il mercante del suono' (The sound merchant) is about the role of the musician and begins by heavy electric guitar riffs and organ waves backed by a nervous rhythm section. Then a calmer part follows where the music and lyrics describe a rising sound that slowly finds harmonies and chords, metamorphosed by emotions and feelings' A new burst of energy sweeps off the dreamy atmosphere. The sound can't be stopped just by shutting off a mouth, you can't catch it with your fingers, you can't shoot it down' The mood become tense as the rising sound now veers back to the instruments that gave it birth and personality because it does not forget the skins and woods where it comes from thanks to hits of the merchant' Who is the merchant of sound? A magician or just a skilful musician?

'Malessere cronico di una mente impotente' (Chronic illness of a powerless mind) is a sarcastic track telling about an apathetic life regulated through a glass from where you can drink drops of fake smiles, disorder and endless lies. Here nothing is sure but pain. So, you get addicted to the glass and fall down to relax in the enchanted garden of memories' Listen to the silence and remember who you are to get free of your chains!

Then comes 'Lo specchio di Ilda' (Ilda's mirror), a beautiful track dealing with virtual reality and manipulation, loss of identity, madness and rage that ends the album with an emotional crescendo.

Despite the title, ' '(Ri)Passi' refers to the words rehearsal and steps and could evoke the idea of a poor demo ' in my opinion this is an excellent debut work for a very promising band!