DORACOR

The music is mainly instrumental, keyboard-dominated Neo/Symphonic Prog with E.L.P. and ARENA vibes.Extremely bombastic with flashy solos, impressive pyrotechnics and decent melodies.Drum programming sounds again quite mediocre, but the compositions are rich, energetic and grandiose, full of nice twists, symphonic arrangements and Classical interludes.While most of the album runs over a powerful atmosphere, there are plenty of dreamy breaks around to calm things down and offer a more romantic atmosphere.The guitars are again a supporting instrument, but they are also the reason the album knocks on heavier terrotories quite often.All tracks are long, interesting and tightly arranged, if not only some plastic-sounding orchestrations could be delivered in a more natural way.Otherwise ''Segni premonitori'' has plenty to offer to the starving fan of Symphonic Rock.It contains a fair dose of virtuosity, there are surprising chant-like themes to be found and the changes between ethereal tunes and monster symphonic lines are more than welcome.Vocals give Doracor's style a new perspective and they should be present more frequently, even so this new entry in the music of Sardella makes this album even more interesting and accomplished.

Great follow-up to ''The long pathway''.Bombastic Symphonic Rock with both dramatic and dreamy atmospheres, built around Sardella's amazing keyboard flights.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

After listening to the album for the first time my initial thoughts were, "well it doesn't exactly change much does it." It's a shame because the musicianship is tight and the musicians (though mostly Sardella) sounds extremely well formed and complete. I really enjoy Toti's emotive vocals and the production is great. My issue with the album however is that it grows stale the more you listen to it, take the previously mentioned song and expand it into an hour long album and that's how this feels when listening to it.

Another major issue I have with this album is that it sounds exactly like the first album and I can't help but feel when listening to this that Sardella seems to be suffering from a lack of musical ideas, it reminds me of the Pink Floyd method of extending 5 minute songs in half hour tracks in order to fill gig time.

I don't hate the album, it works extremely well as background music and contains a pleasant sound that is sure to please any symphonic prog fan, but on the whole this album does not reward the listener for trying to focus in on and engage with the music.

2/5 stars, Doracor will release better albums in time.

The first album was keyboards drenched symph prog. And there is not much change here either. The same style as on the debut album. Although with some more electric guitars this time. And the last song has some good vocals too.

I understand that keyboards is a good instrument. And the debut album had a some good melodies. But it feels like Corrado Sardella has run a bit empty on this album. No real good melodies and not many interesting details either. The progression I expected from the debut album is actually a step backwards. Which is a pity, really. This album is much more muzak than symph prog. And this muzak album is nothing more than a decent album, I am sorry to report. I hope for a better third album.

2.5 stars

This album is entirely built on keyboards. Corrado Sardella's keyboards that is. But when listening a bit more careful, there are also some other instruments present. A guitar hook here and there. Both drums and bass is rumbling in the background. There are also some vocals here. But the keyboards is the dominant factor here. Doracor and this album has been compared to ELP. I disagree a lot with that comparison. This album is much more in the direction of instrumental RPI and Camel. There is also a lot of new-age and ambient fusion/jazz here.

The overall quality is surprisingly good in my view. Yes, some of the material is a bit too dull. But it is obvious Corrado Sardella is onto something good here. The opening track Scenes from elsewhere for example. This is an album between two and three stars. But I drag it up to three stars.

3 stars

STYLE: Being entirely instrumental,this effort follows the paths of grandiose Symphonic Rock with plenty of keyboards and additional support by the other instruments.Every song offers double keys attacks,partly in melodic lines,partly delivering complex and bombastic musicianship.The compositions are well-crafted ranging from impressive symph passages to darker and mellower moments.Guitars aren't used often and when they are,they are a bit low in the mix.The general style ends up to be in a Neo/Symphonic mood.

INFLUENCES/SOUNDS LIKE: The mass of twists and breaks are definitely of the E.L.P. school of prog,but the bands that come straight to mind are an instrumental version of IQ and ARENA,especially CLIVE NOLAN's influence is more than obvious throughout the listening.

PLUS: A musician with incredible talent,Sardella amazes with his compositional skills and great virtuosic playing.He also uses a variety of keys to give the songs some alternating possibilities.Most of the album is quite melodic and he manages to deliver a good memorable dose of them.A good first step in the fields of symphonic-oriented progressive music.

MINUS: Too-much keyboard-based ''The long pathway'' lacks in different moods and ends up to be quite monotonous after a few listenings,with the tracks being quite similar.The rhythm section seems to be a little buried in the mix,while the sound of drums is too plastic.The presence of a vocalist propably would save the album from falling down.

WILL APPEAL TO: Obviously fans of Symphonic Rock with a love to endless keyboard sounds and even fans of electronic prog...for all the others,I would recommend trying some samples first.

CONCLUSION/RATING: A solid 3 star rating for nice album overall by a very talented musician,which fails to impress due to the lack of different moods.A big disease for all the one-man bands.However still the album comes recommended by my side.

As the title implies, "Lady Roma" is meant as a tribute to the Eternal City of Rome (Sardella's home town, as well as my own), represented on the cover as a beautiful woman. In spite of that, I find that it does not sound as distinctively Italian as other recent releases from Italian bands. Rather than the legendary Italian prog outfits of the Seventies, the main sources of inspiration here seem to be bands like Genesis, Camel and Marillion. Obviously, the trademark Mediterranean lushness can be perceived at times, and there are other (though few) elements that anchor the album to the Italian musical tradition: the Italian-language lyrics, as well as Riccardo Mastantuono's occasional use of the mandolin (one of the mainstays of Italian folk music).

Since Corrado Sardella is first and foremost a keyboardist, it will not come as a surprise that the album is quite strongly keyboard-oriented. However, all the instruments involved in the recording of the album work together smoothly and seamlessly, as reflected in the open, airy nature of the music. Nothing here sounds jarring or overly complicated, and the tracks blend into each other with a pleasing, natural flow, at times uplifting, at others somehow tinged with sadness for things that have gone forever - an impression compounded the autumnal beauty of the pictures featured in the booklet, such as the breathtaking, lavender-hued shot of St Peter's Basilica at the twilight hour.

The album's title-track, a mini-suite in four movements, is introduced by a passage recited by the soothingly deep voice of Daniele Si Nasce (known in Italy for his activity as a one-man tribute to Roman-born singer-songwriter and showman Renato Zero). The lyrics, written in the Roman vernacular, are a nostalgic paean to 'vanished Rome'; the combination of Mastantuono's lilting mandolin and Sardella's tinkling piano lends an endearingly folksy quality to the tune. The rest of the suite is more along vintage symphonic prog lines, with clean-sounding guitar and broad keyboard sweeps in classic Genesis mould, and excellent vocals by Milton Damia. The vocalist shows more of his considerable range and expertise in the atmospheric, sax-infused, blues-tinged ballad "Vento dell'Est". The somewhat darker, spacey instrumental "Roma dei Misteri" opens with faint mandolin strains, then turns into a pulsing synth riff lifted out of Rush's "Subdivisions"; while the short "Imperium", featuring Marillion's Ian Mosley on drums, is a heavier, synth- and guitar-driven piece with a solemn organ introduction. On the other hand, the neo-prog influence is quite evident in the romantic, keyboard-led mid-tempos "Testimone la Luna" and "Questo Folle Girotondo".

As a whole, "Lady Roma" is a classy package, further enhanced by Milton Damia's stunning vocal performance. Though it does not offer any really ground-breaking ideas, it is nonetheless a well-rounded, well-crafted offering, which fans of classic symphonic prog, as well as neo-prog, will not fail to appreciate. Hopefully Corrado Sardella will manage to keep this group of top-notch musicians together for his next recording efforts.