IL BACIO DELLA MEDUSA

The words that describe generally Il bacio della medusa's debut are energy and passion with the band delivering in a very dynamic Hard/Psych Prog style with many retro influences from the classic period of Italian Prog.The sound is based around the powerful guitar work of Brozzetti, featuring hard lead guitars and soulful soloing, and Cecchini's incredibly theatrical and sharp voice, perfect for the band's overall style, not unlike bands like IBIS or OSAGE TRIBE.These guitar-based crescendos are supported by a number of nice breaks with romantic acoustic passages and also the delicate flute interludes of Eva Morelli, as the sound reaches the legendary approach of PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI.The composition are full of guitar/flute interplays and shifting moods between soft acoustic textures and attacking guitar parts, showing a wide range in the decibel scale.''Il Vino'' shows even a great Mediterrenean-inspired attempt by the group to explore more traditional paths with accordion and acoustic guitars in evidence, a fantastic offering indeed.

A very good debut by a group with a bright future.Passionate Italian Prog, where straight-to-your-face rock music has plenty to offer among the proggier moments.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Well well, our friends of Il Bacio Della Medusa are back with their follow-up to "Discesa agl'inferi d'un giovane amante", the album which stunned the 2008 Collaborators poll by finishing 2nd and nearly upsetting Opeth. Following an album like "Discesa" is a tall order and I was pretty certain there was no way I could like the next one better. Well I'm happy to report that you need not be afraid to test your expectation. "Deus Lo Vult" is a punchy spitfire of an album that finds BDM in no mood to rest on past success. There have been changes for many folk's favorite post-2000 RPI band and it sounds like there are out to prove themselves all over again. They sound ferocious and battle-ready so the sword on the cover is appropriate.

The first change you might notice is that they have severed ties with Black Widow Records. They have also parted ways with violinist Daniele Rinchi, more on that later. And then there is the length which my good friend Paul discussed in his review. "Deus Lo Vult" is only 34 minutes long, almost unthinkable in today's world of unending CDs and digis. But I personally LOVE the fact that they did this! First, it harkens back to the classic 1970s RPI tradition of incredibly short albums when the 30-35 minute range was common and even quite a few that dipped below 30 minutes. This made for pure excitement because most of the bands were putting everything they had into that window of time. The same is true here. The band is succinct and putting every bit of gut they can into a short, sweet listening experience. There is never a second of boredom, this thing is alive and kickin' front to back. While there are times when I want a long drawn out affair, these days especially I value the approach taken here.

The material here, composed by Petrini and Cecchini, is as good as before and the performances have improved. While there are undeniably beautiful passages on Discesa which I have on my RPI brain loop, Deus has just as many while being more economical. There is a nice balance of intense, heavy rocking with poetic pastoral RPI, and a few of those quirky surprises as well. Sometimes there is a medieval feel, and this time around they flirt with prog-metal in a few spots. Not intentionally perhaps, but in these sections the speed and aggression are kicked up several notches. The band have all improved as performers as well. I sense a tighter core band seemingly more in tune with each other's musical dialogue, creating some very nice interplay, while Cecchini's vocals are fantastic. I love Diego's keyboard choices and aggressive drumming. Everyone is robust, passionate, and just kicking ass. I will say though that I miss Rinchi's presence on the album and that loss of an independent strings man is noticeable and not for the better. Coming from the world's biggest QVL fan this should not be surprising. But that is really my only criticism of Deus. Though the upside would be that it leaves more room for Eva Morelli who does not disappoint here, great flute and sax just like on Ornithos.

"Invocazione alle Muse" is such a stunningly beautiful opener, pure RPI, grandiose, majestic, romantic, with the first of many Eva flute solos. "Urbano II bandisce la Prima Crociata" has a patriotic march feel with Eva playing piccolo over these gregarious group vocals, you can almost see the guys with their arms around each other belting it out as if a pub sing-along! "Simplicio" is the change-up, an inspiring ballad with Cecchini and Morelli just breaking your heart, so damn beautiful is the vocal and flute with great guitar leads as well. The title track is amazing and powerful, great timeless riffs and memorable melodies. The other tracks are just as impressive and feature more of the heavy prog/symphonic/rockin' side of the band whose influences feel like Purple and Tull yet filtered through the RPI experience with highly theatrical vocals and loads of drama. Don't worry about comparing the album to its predecessor or to Ornithos. Both this album and Ornithos should be on your list if you enjoyed the previous BDM album. It comes in a nice book styled digipak with lyrics, photos, and artwork.

"Requiem Per I Condannati A Morte" kicks in with heavy stoner riffs, reminding a heavier incarnation of early Black Widow's line-up heard on "Return to The Sabbath". The horror themed vintage heavy prog with supporting female vocals and acoustic tender middle parts contain both fine instrumentations and powerful moods, following the Italian melodic traditions. Powerful bass supports this fine compositional approach culminating in intelligent arrangements and rhythmic changes, yet not confusing the listening experience or revealing attempts of adding unnecessary tricks for virtuosity displays.

"Orienteoccidente"'s ethereal psyhcedelic soundscape intro leads then to bluesy turmoil, reminding old rockers like Ten Years After and Agnus Strange, concluding to really heavy guitar storm. "Scorticamento Di Marsia", a small suite divided to several parts, is built from contrasting themes; Oppressig spacey ambiences, lovely caresses of flute-driven bucolic scenes, and bluesy progressions leading to more hectic acid rock guitar sequences. Appreciated here especially guitar's and flutes melodic dialogues. The later moments reveal some anxious sadder motives, then redeemed with more vital notes from the flautist, last rock passages leading to the bluesy beginning themes with sax solo in style of good old Colosseum records.

"Il Vino" opens trough soundscapes, and appeared to me as a traditional Italian folk's music sounding minor drinking song, shimmering with powerful passion though the vocal interpretation. After drinking, the sleeping time arrives with lullaby of flutes beautiful melodies on "Cantico Del Poeta Errante". A really lovely ballad gaining power from alterations of key shifts for "De Luxuria, Et De Ludo, Et De Taberna", preparing for the end of the album with doomy guitars descending in a form of andalusian-sounding wild dancing. Composition visit also calmer acoustic phases, and the developments of the dominant themes conclude to a short circus scenario, closing this fabulous record.

Songs form dramatically pleasant flowing album entity, reaching much from their own tonal language's potential. I liked the quality of overall production, fine compositions and powerful male and female vocal duo presence. The record offered for me fine both artistic sensation and experience of rock&roll power, and it is certainly recommended. If you like more symphonic art rock requiring focus in listening, then the following "Discesa agl'inferi d'un giovane amante" album might be even yet more suitable for your tastes.

Let me elaborate. Deus Lo Vult features some stunning music, as good as their last much of the time. There is a problem however and that is that the album is so damn short. Seven tracks lasting less than thirty four minutes, which even back in the days when vinyl ruled would have been considered short. That aside, apart from the disposable Urbano II Bandisce La Prima Crociata, which comes across as a 19th century military style piece for want of a better analogy, it's all good. The classic 70's comparisons are inevitable but there's no doubt that Il Bacio Della Medusa add elements that mark them clearly as a band of our time by injecting a healthy dose of modern sounding metal. Despite mellow moments like opener Invocazione Alle Muse they have much in common with the wilder excesses of RPI bands like Osanna and vocalist Simone Cecchini brings to mind Jumbo's Alvaro Fella with a raw and emotional delivery at times, though capable, which he often demonstrates of a far greater range. There's a theatrical approach here too bringing to mind the little known outside Italian prog circles Officina Meccanica. Prominent is Eva Morelli's sax and flute, an indispensable part of the band's sound, giving the obvious Van Der Graaf Generator and occasional Jethro Tull comparison's and they certainly share the wilder excesses of the former. The band rock out in fine style with some blistering instrumental sections too, making it an exhilarating, if short ride.

So there you have it, Deus Lo Vult doesn't disappoint, apart from its short length, but I can forgive them that as half the band have already delivered an excellent album this year as Ornithos. Il Bacio Della Medusa have reinforced their position as one of the most important Italian prog bands of the last twenty years.

Progressive rock from Italy is alive and as good as ever!

One of my favorite (if not my favorite) countries regarding progressive rock has to be Italy, I love their style, their language, their theatrical music, that unique sound they produce, well, a lot of things, and I really love how their scene is alive and kicking asses with old and new bands, creating a fantastic combo. One of the bands that lately has come to the air, and caught lot of attention is Il Bacio della Medusa, and especially this album entitled "Discesa agl'inferi d'un giovane amante".

Released on 2008, the album has been praised by the prog rock fans, and when you listen to it, you understand why. It is so refreshing that newer bands offer such great, complex, challenging albums utilizing elements of the old RPI school with the addition of newer sounds, an extraordinary combination. This album consists on twelve tracks which together make 55 minutes of excellent music.

It kicks off with "Preludio: Il Trapasso" a track that starts slowly with some wind noises which then lead to the entrance of piano, flute, voice, violin and other instruments. The sound is pretty charm and gentle, beautiful since the beginning. Next to it is "Confessione d'un amante" which continues with that gentle sound of piano and strings. When the vocals enter the music makes a slight change, so one can be aware that this is a different track. The voice is also beautiful, and accompanied by those instruments, believe me, a wonderful atmosphere is created. There is some nostalgia in this track and moments where you can lie down in your bed and let the music do the rest.

But surprise, you are still in that gentle mood when all of a sudden the music changes, so you are now in the third track entitled "La bestia e il delirio", a rockier piece with great keyboard work on it, a constant and excellent drumming and then some nice guitar solos. I imagine some kind of pursuit while listening to this song (to the rockier part of it), because after a couple of minutes it changes again, creating a pastoral mood with flute and some slaps that start slow but gradually turns faster. This is a fascinating and adventurous instrumental track.

"Recitativo" is a nice piece. If I follow the story I create on my mind, in this track seems that things have calm down a little bit, and the main character of the story is walking carefully and seeing what is around him. The music keeps that tension while a voice is narrating something (shame on me I can't fully understand Italian). This track leads to "Ricordi del Supplizio" that truly reminds me to some 70s bands that surely inspired this group. The guitars are rockier again, the keyboard sound stronger and the vocals raw but great, there is also a cool flute adding its grain of sand all over the track.

After that heavier track, once again that pastoral and charming sound returns at the beginning of "Nostalgia, pentimento e rabbia". This very interesting song gradually progresses; while the seconds pass you will identify new musical elements on it. The flute is pretty important again, it is easy to recognize what it is playing and difficult to take it off your head. At the final part, that repetitive rhythm is also made by guitars, not only by the flute, which is great.

Now attention, because when you listen to a saxophone then you'll realize it is a new track called "Sudorazione a freddo sotto il chiaro di luna". It is full of cadence first and then a sensation of leadership and power appears for a minute, before it calms down. A new passage appears with acoustic guitar and soft dreamy music. However, the song changes again and again, which is pretty interesting due to the richness of sounds, colors and textures it shares.

"Melencolia" as the name suggests, it has to be a calm song with a gentle sound. The song is beautiful, though I have to recognize it is not one of my favorite pieces. However, you can feel relaxed and thoughtful while listening to it. That flute sound at the end is simply hypnotic. When that flute stops, you are now on "E fu allora". The sax returns here and creates that charismatic (even sensual) sound. Later it is alternate with guitar solos, and together take the leadership of the song.

So, that was an instrumental track, when vocals appear it is a new one, entitled "Nosce te ipsum". This track has hypnotic keyboard sound, while a disarming violin is playing. It also has great time and tempo changes that help building different structures gathered into only one, I hope you understand what I mean. This track brings again to my memory to some older bands, if you don't know you are listening to Il Bacio, then you might believe a 70s band is playing.

"Corale per messa da requiem" sounds actually as a requiem, as the name suggests. The violin is very delicate and creates a beautiful atmosphere accompanied by the piano and some choral voices. What an extraordinary piece, the end is near, I can feel it, and that, along with the music moves me a lot, that it even brought me to tears. Now we are in the final track, "Epilogo della discesa agl'inferi d'un giovane amante", a short instrumental piece that follows the same path as the previous track. A beautiful end for this beautiful album!

This album is highly recommendable for any progressive rock fan, and especially for those who love the scene from Italy. My grade, five stars!

Enjoy it!

I love the first 2 tracks, and my favorite has to be "Melencolia" and the instrumental passages that follow (tracks 8 to 12).

Bring on the next album, I can hardly wait!

This is one of those albums.

The key factor here is how great the production is: you can hear the subtle vibrato of each string and guitar note, and the vocal harmonies ring so clear that in terms of production it seems that Discesa can hardly be considered the same genre as its predecessors. Musically and compositionally, on the other hand, Il Bacio are clearly on par with the best that Italian prog has to offer. What the band may lack in pure creativity is more than made up for by a wonderful, often achingly beautiful, sound.

What sets this band apart most are the non-rock parts, which prominently open and close the album, in which the band channels the best of Italian music (and not just prog). Light percussion, some violin and flute countermelodies, some nice piano to keep the tempo brisk, and sparse but effective vocals: it doesn't seem that complicated, but I've rarely heard it sound more beautiful than it does here. Other highlights for me include the pensive (and again beautiful, particularly with the haunting 12 string) Meloncholia, and the playful Nosce te Ipsum.

Maybe in 10 years I'll see this as a masterpiece, but for now I view it as a very solid excellent addition to any music collection. Things are just a bit too inconsistent toward the middle, and quality of the rockier sections just a bit too inconsistent, for me to call it a masterpiece, but it sure it close. I very much look forward to investing in future work by the band.