LEVIATHAN

If you're looking for some good old classic progressive rock you can't miss this Leviathan album. Born in the mid-80s in Rome, they were among the first bands in Italy to join the new wave of Prog Rock. Originally recorded in 1988, Heartquake is the reissue of the band's debut album of the same name. Of the original lineup, only the vocalist, Alex Brunori and percussionist Andrea Monetta remained, to whom were added Andrea Amici (keyboards, in the band since 1990), the guitarist Fabio Serra and the Sienese bassist Andrea Castelli fresh from the experience with Il Rovescio della Medaglia, one of the most iconic bands of the prog rock scene made in Italy. The result is an album with a classic sound but extremely original. From the first song we understand the solidity of the band which manages to perfectly calibrate virtuosity and groove. The references to Genesis' style are evident without losing originality and freshness. The second piece is extremely interesting and brings to mind bands like Cressida or Camel. The title track is also excellent in which the band's chemistry is evident. An excellent album, well recorded and worthy of five stars. My hope is to be able to hear a new work from the Italian band soon. FabArt

Italy's first neo-prog band, LEVIATHAN, formed all the way back in 1985 in Rome and released its debut album HEARTQUAKE in 1988 alongside classic neo-prog bands like Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Pallas and Twelfth Night and then released a couple more albums in the 90s but after the band's third album "Volume" in 1998 just disappeared from the scene and hasn't been heard from since. It's been 26 years since the band's last album and at long last in 2024 the band has come out of hiding and delivers a new release in 2024.

HEARTQUAKE / REDUX isn't exactly a new album but rather a reinterpreted re-recording of the debut HEARTQUAKE that first appeared 34 years ago. Obviously many changes have occurred in that time. For starters the only members to have spanned all four decades are vocalist Alex Brunori and percussionist Andrea Monetta with Andrea Amici (keyboards) joining LEVIATHAN in on the 1990 second release "Bee Yourself" and bassist Andrea Castelli and guitarist Fabio Serra only joining in for this newly recorded version of the debut.

The album features all the same tracks as the debut with the exception that the seventh track "There's Only Watershade" is missing as well as not including the bonus track "In the Dream of Up We Quake!" which appeared on the 1994 CD from Musea. This newer rendition clocks in at 41 minutes and features a completely different album cover. While it may seem strange that a band waits so long to release another album and then it happens to be a remake of its debut, apparently this is only a teaser for the new album "Testudo" that will show the band adapting to the brave new world of neo-prog in the 2020s.


As far as this HEARTQUAKE / REDUX album goes, it's pretty much a faithful restoration of the original without really bringing it up to date musically but rather focuses on all the production tricks that a modern sheen mixing job can bring to the table. Still sounding very much like that dated neo-prog style from the 80s, LEVIATHAN basically is letting the prog world know that it's still alive and well with every intent to continue but honestly after listening to this one after the original debut first, i can't say there are a lot of improvements here other than the obvious production. Personally i would've expected some stylistic shifts to update it into the new millennium but apparently the band found it fit to simply keep it as authentically retro as possible.

It's a decent representation of 80s neo-prog with that Marillion inspired bass groove and of course the Steve Hackett guitar sweeps along with the usual saturation of symphonic keyboard attacks. The musicians are all competent but honestly this remake doesn't really take things as far as i'd hoped considering the band's debut was a fairly average sounding release for 1988 long after the bigwigs of neo-prog had gotten underway. Once again the band sounds totally British without any clues of its Italian heritage. This is one of those albums i really don't get what all the fuss is about. It's pleasant. It gets the job done but doesn't beg a return visit like pretty much every modern album from Arena, IQ, Pendragon or Galahad. A good album but not really much more than that. A decent comeback but some brand new fresh material would have been more interesting.

An unusual entry in the Italian 80s prog scene, the Rome based LEVIATHAN didn't look back to its homeland's 70s wealth of symphonic prog for inspiration but rather looked to the burgeoning neo-prog scene in the UK for its primary plan of attack. This band was formed all the way back in 1985 by Alex Brunon (vocals), Franco Pezzella (keyboards) and Andrea Monetta (drums) and released its first demo "7% Solution" which came out the same year. Suffering the fate of most underground bands the demo received little attention.

After a couple years of crafting a sound that was based on Genesis, Marillion and Pendragon, LEVIATHAN recruited Sabdro Widerk (bass) and Giorgio Carana (guitar) in 1987 and released its debut album HEARTQUAKE in 1988 which was considered to be the very first Italian neo-prog album. The band immediately embarked upon a long lasting tour that found quite a bit of interest and even extended beyond Italy's borders. Initially only released on the DMN label, the album found its first CD release in 1994 on the Musea label. It has currently found a complete re-recording in 2024 with several new band members under the title "Heartquake / Redux."

HEARTQUAKE sounds very much like many of the 80s neo-prog bands before the style really got slick in the 1990s. While the style is primarily associated with British bands such as Marillion, Pendragon, IQ and back in the 80s Twelfth Night and Pallas, neo-prog actually attracted interest in many nations from the very beginning however bands such as the Dutch Arkus, the German bands Paradox, Zarathustra and Antares, the Swiss Flame Dream and the French band Step Ahead, who all released albums in 1982 or prior have been largely forgotten. LEVIATHAN was a bit more fortunate to have waited until the end of the 80s after bands like Marilliion had popularized the "comeback prog" scene and benefited from excellent musicians and a praise from both fans and the critics.

The original HEARTQUAKE featured only six tracks and clocked in at about 40 minutes and pretty much eschewed any connection to the Italian scene whatsoever thus sounding completely British in its musical approach and lyrical delivery. Singer Alex Brunori somehow convincingly delivered an accent-free lyrical performance with well developed English lyrics that don't feel stilted in the least. The sounds like typical 80s neo-prog with the usual symphonic approach based on catchy pop melodies, Genesis inspired keyboard work and a rather easy listening approach that focuses on lyrics over prog technical workouts. I can't help shaking though that Brunori's vocals remind me of 80s pop star George Michael at times!

Probably not an album i would've checked out if not for the fact the band released a re-recorded version in 2024 and i figured if i was going to review that album then i should have some context in how it compares to the original recording. The output of 80s neo-prog bands can sound pretty cheesy as the style hadn't quite gelled into the cohesiveness that Marillion would launch with its successful Fish-era run and in many ways HEARTQUAKE sounds like some of the earliest albums of neo-prog before the Marillion ear despite it emerging after. Overall it's not a bad set of songs that deliver a staunch British feel in the heart of Italy but would hardly qualify as one of the best albums the era had to deliver. Competent and totally listenable, HEARTQUAKE was a rather average album to have come from the first wave of the nascent world of neo-prog.

While I was looking for new things on the web, I saw a name appear in a list: Leviathan . As I read diagonally, I don't print the information directly and it's by rereading the page that I end up wondering. This is a name that reminds me of something... Well, everyone knows that there is more than one donkey called Martin, and moreover the name Leviathan is claimed by a considerable number of music groups... Yes, but there is an album title, Heartquake / Redux ... It finally clicks in my mind, and this suddenly takes me back a few decades, when I discovered the first album of this Italian group, reissued here by Musea : a sumptuous record of English inspiration (and sung in English), but with an Italian flavor with its superb melodies and excellent keyboards. In short, one of those albums that I've been listening to regularly and that I know almost by heart. A little step back is in order. The group was formed in 1985 by three very young Italian musicians: Alex Brunori (vocals), Andrea Moneta (drums), and Franco Pezzella (keyboards). Later the latter left the group and was replaced on the white and black keys by Andrea Amici . You add Fabio Serra on guitar and Andrea Castelli on bass, and you have the line-up which is in operation at the start of 2024. Two years after Heartquake released in 1988, Be Yourself is in the same musical vein and is reveals just as excellent. In 1997, it was Volume , this time sung in Italian, not bad but less musically convincing than its predecessors. In the first half of the 2000s, 2 long, absolutely remarkable musical suites, sung in Italian, were released as part of the Finnish collective projects Colossus (also published by Musea ). And then nothing more... Hence my disbelief in finding them without warning in 2024! Rather than embarking on a new album, Leviathan therefore chooses to revisit the music of its beginnings, to give it a major dusting and modern production. Ah what a joy to hear again "The Waterproof Grave" , its memorable theme, and Alex Brunori declaiming his Have you ever wonder why at night you have bad dreams ? This is neo prog like IQ , with added Italian exuberance! After this strong beat, it's time for a more melodic prog. "Hellishade of Hevenue" gently and nostalgically features superb harmonies, like this transition to 4'15, which follows the sung section and a very expressive guitar solo. It is also the guitar which takes care of the melodic line until the end. Leviathan/Heartquake (1988) "Only Visiting This Planet" alternates between a playful and playful tone, and grandiose passages, all set to inventive music. The piece ends in a certain cacophony, the sound of a rocket taking off? It's difficult to resist the deliberate and pounding rhythm of "Up We Go!" » , conquering music and grandiose keyboard harmonies do the job. "Dream Of The Cocoon" is once again endowed with a melodic line of which the Italians have the secret. The chorus is simply memorable. I feel like I'm going to have these funny feelings (if I'm not mistaken about what I'm hearing) in my head for a while. A little gem for sure! The title track which closes the album summarizes in a single piece the art and musical intentions of the group. IQ , Pendragon and Fish 's Marillion are not far away, but it is Leviathan who leaves his mark and his style in this grandiose finale, and by extension in this revisited first album. If the mythical biblical monster represents chaos and destruction, its Italian version presents a perfectly constructed musical world, of melodic and harmonic richness of rare inventiveness, alternating power and gentleness with equal success. What a good idea for the Romans to return to the stage with this magnificent version of an album that is probably little known and which fully deserves to be highlighted. I have no doubt that Heartquake / Redux (*) marks the return of Leviathan through the big door, and that it will not close anytime soon since a new studio album is planned and which should be released soon. title Testudo ! Pierre/ProgCritique

Two of the founding members of this Italian band, vocalist Alex Brunori and drummer Andrea Monetta, found the inspiration, time, and money to do a total remake of the band's 1988 debut album. While the new album's sound and production benefit from 21st Century technological advances and the songs benefit from the wisdom and maturity of 35 years of retrospection, and I certainly can support and condone the re-releasing of old albums--maybe even re-mixing or re-mastering--I cannot say that I can condone the treatment an album of all remakes as a new studio release; perhaps it should be entered under the "Boxset/Compilation" pages or even the "Fan Club and Promo" page. (It's the same issue I have with Mike Oldfield's constant remakes of old albums. I mean, do we really have the time and desire to hear what the older Hermann Hesse would do with Siddhartha in his 70s? or 80-year old Picasso's version of "Harlequin's Family with a Monkey"? or how Wright would have designed Taliesin East when he was living in Arizona in his 80s?) At the same time, some of you will argue that the before-and-later items will be two completely different things. This is not the case with Heartquake / Redux.

3.5 stars; good but only essential if you want to play it next to the original.

Now again "Leviathan"! And it is immediately a plunge into the 1980s, years of the "renaissance" of progressive rock music, made up of searches for new records reviewed in self-produced fanzines sold in record stores or sent in the mail. The CD looks good right away, with a revamped graphic design and an original, well-edited booklet containing lyrics, much appreciated in times of liquid music. It starts with "The waterproof grave" with big synthesizers, guitar riffs and tight rhythm. "Hellishade of avenue" follows, with melancholic intro and "Wind & Wuthering" atmospheres, moog brushstrokes, a big central guitar solo followed by an appreciable rhythmic phrasing on which the guitar grafts again. The ironic "Only Visiting This Planet" tells us of an alien visit and a warning to humankind, in a continuous web of musical surprises. "Up we go!" is my favorite, great 80s new prog, callbacks to Pallas and Pendragon, with continuous tempo changes, great bass work and the reapparence of the beloved moog. "Dream of the coccon" is a return to quieter, dreamier atmospheres with great class. The title track is the longest track, musically encapsulating all the ideas and atmospheres of the album, with theatrical and engaging singing and all the musicians at their best. The operation ultimately represents a very appreciable work of modernism, which makes us all remain in eager anticipation of the new "Testudo"?. that is coming.

In the early '80s, a turmoil crossed the British Isles: a handful of niche bands, led by Marillion, committed themselves to reviving progressive rock, a genre that post-'77 seemed swept away by punk and new-wave. However, in Italy, a similar phenomenon seemed destined not to materialize: in those same early '80s, the biggest names of the Italian progressive scene like Pfm, Banco, Orme, New Trolls, drastically shifted towards more catchy melodies, shorter song durations, simpler structures, and memorable "pop gatherings" of the early '70s gave way to appearances at Sanremo and Festivalbar.

Yet, starting from 1987-88, even in Italy, the unexpected happened: albeit at a very "underground" level, a real army of neo-prog bands formed across the regions of our nation. The sound was much different from that of the previous decade, often sung in English, with sonorities indebted to what had been happening for some years in Britain. Yet, this phenomenon triggered new fermentations: specialized magazines, from those focused on new-wave to those of the metal audience, began talking about this musical scene; inspired by this, fanzines dedicated to the genre were born, photocopied and sold by mail; and even some brave individuals ventured to organize small festivals to gather these artists on stage.

One of the most convincing names within this phenomenon is that of Leviathan. Compared to many of their contemporaries, they seem less "children" of British New-Prog Rock and more closely tied to a lineage from Genesis and Yes. In 1988, they debuted with an already profound, intelligent, and complete album: "Heartquake". The title is a play on words: a earthquake of the heart of sorts. In short: Leviathan are ready to tell us in music about those "heartquakes" that we would commonly call "emotions".

Two years after this already excellent album, the even more mature and convincing "Bee yourself" was released. Another title, another play on words between "be yourself' and the bees. In the long eponymous suite, indeed, as in an Orwellian metaphor (think "Animal Farm"), the concept of the beehive is used as a symbol of our society, which massifies, standardizes, and homogenizes everything. Until a non-conformist bee arrives to awaken the listener.

In those years, the non-conformist bee was physically interpreted live by the singer Alex Brunori, complete with striped bodice and luminous antennae. Leviathan, indeed, benefited from the lessons of Genesis and Marillion also from the standpoint of live performances, always very cared for in theatrical terms, as in the song "The devil in the cathedral", performed with a timid angel and a sexy she-devil on stage. After these albums, Leviathan's activity became increasingly rare: a third album only seven years later, titled "Volume" (1997), in which they rediscovered the Italian language with a new singer, and sporadic appearances in compilations and collective tribute albums, spread over decades.

Today, to properly celebrate 35 years of the debut album's history, Leviathan releases "Heartquake Redux". The cover, curated by singer Alex Brunori, who rejoined the band, is updated to current aesthetic and graphic standards. But above all, the intent of this project is clear: the band's will is to ensure that the tracks written at the time can "express" themselves at their best thanks to the beauty and quality of sound granted by today's recording technologies. And to achieve this, they turned to a lifelong friend who, incidentally, is also one of the best sound engineers today on the international progressive rock scene. We are talking about Fabio Serra... And for those who fell in love with the powerful sound of the two albums by Røsenkreütz (a band in which Serra is a composer, artistic producer, guitarist, initially also a keyboardist, and occasionally a singer) no further explanations are needed.

Back to the late '80s and early '90s lineup, in this "Redux" we find Alex Brunori (vocals), Andrea Amici (keyboards), and Andrea Moneta (drums); the guitars are now played by Fabio Serra himself, who at this point is not just sitting behind the mixing console but becomes an actual member of the group. To complete the new lineup, a truly experienced bassist: Andrea Castelli. His curriculum in Italian progressive rock is vast, but one name among all those he has collaborated with is enough: Il Rovescio della Medaglia. The original "Heartquake" was born with six medium-long tracks, giving each side of the record a fairly precise duration of 20 minutes per side. Later it was reprinted on CD with two "bonus cuts" left out from the "Bee yourself" sessions. Today, however, for this "Redux", Leviathan choose to take up the original version, the six-track one. And that's right. Forcibly inserting rarities, unreleased tracks, alternative versions, or other material would have denatured a record born with a strong and clear identity from the start.

And we start immediately with the very "stunning" cut of "The Waterproof grave", a track with a more melodic approach, direct and with a more concise structure. It is perhaps the moment of greatest concession to the "eighties" atmospheres of the period in which the album was conceived, between AOR, new-prog, Genesis of the "Duke" period, and Yes of "90125". An intense and theatrical singing is supported by a great melodic work based on interweaving riffs of synthesizers and guitars. In four minutes, the band immediately demonstrates what it is capable of, keeping the listener on the edge of the razor with a ruthless "drive".

Much more delicate is "Hellishade of avenue": the introduction is entrusted to minimal touches of piano, fretless bass embroideries, and electronic pads, onto which guitar arpeggios gradually insert. The duration increases to double that of the previous track, the vocal melody, and the enrichments of the Minimoog cannot but remind of Genesis, again in the period from "A trick of the tail" onwards. A poignant guitar solo is made even more emotional by the powerful support of bass pedals. After a long keyboard-only verse, the guitar-led recovery, supported by ostinatos of the rhythm section, has a Hackett-like quality. Everything leads to a poignant final crescendo where a "lyrical" synthesizer under the guitar reminds of "Entangled".

"Only visiting this planet" has the "light" pace of Genesis's more "vaudeville" moments, those that started from "Harold the barrel" and went up to "All in a mouse's night" and "The lady lies", but with a touch of Marillion's "Market square heroes" and "Incommunicado". The track is a forge of surprises, with continuous stop-and-go in unison, finesse of the rhythm section, unexpected entrances now and then of guitars or keyboards that give the right "seasoning" to a singing rich in emphasis and theatricality. And again, after the fourth minute, when everything seems over, here is a poignant coda to give further intensity to the track.

"Up we go!", another track with a quick and energetic demeanor, in its pace and its time changes even recalls Gentle Giant, with its alternation of baroque "embroideries" and almost hard-rock guitar/organ riffs. This is also reflected in the singing, heir to the theatricality of Gabriel as much as that of the Shulman brothers (and why not? Even with a pinch of Roger "Chappo" Chapman). In the economies of the track, keyboards dominate the entire second part of the track, with powerful Moog crescendos and Mellotron choirs, but never lacking in guitar finesse. All obviously supported by great work from the rhythm section.

"Dream of the cocoon" is again a more intimate pianistic ballad to which a splendidly highlighted fretless bass even adds an elegant "fusion" touch. The constructs generated by the intertwining of guitars and keyboards are of rare elegance, the drumming that underlines every single passage, on cymbals or with long and precise rolls, is impeccable, the singing obviously is no less. The final guitar solo is moving. A test of great class. In five and a half minutes, the band condenses the excellence of its abilities with grit and cohesion.

And we say goodbye with the title track... And here already from the intro, one cannot help but think of the already mentioned "All in a mouse's night", or other Genesis moments like "One for the vine". The entry of guitar-bass-drums in unison on the keyboard riff is nothing short of majestic, the singing always capable of infusing the right dramatic intensity to everything, the changes of pace and atmosphere disconcerting according to the best lessons of prog. A worthy conclusion to an impeccable work from the first note to the last.

In conclusion: an album that was already surprising for its richness of ideas, substance, maturity, at the time it was released, but which objectively needed these "new clothes". Everything now sounds more "open", brighter, the sounds are more "unfolded", a certain use of reverb typical of the era has been smoothed, every frequency has found its place, especially in the basses, full and vibrant, while the keyboards are richer and more powerful and the guitars more "substantial", less "thin". Those who grew up in that generation and loved that lively historical moment, which marked the rebirth of Italian prog, will not be able to help falling in love with this "Heartquake Redux".

And now we just have to wait for the mysterious "Testudo", the Leviathan album that has been hidden in a drawer for over thirty years, which this new formation seems to be taking up again.

And it will certainly be delicious.

27 years after their 3rd album, the latest one comes out, and covers their 1st album which dates back 36 years! We're going to see the sound in what state it's in and dive back into neo prog far from the typical Italian RPI in fact. The album includes the first 6 tracks of the original album, the original group remains Alex Brunori for vocals, Andrea Monetta on percussion and Andrea Amici on keyboards. The sound goes directly into the neo-prog or even prog-rock ambiance; we still feel the influences of GENESIS for the first title in a significant way. For the rest, the atmosphere shifts to IQ and ARAGON, less to MARILLION from the 80s. The rhythm is energetic, with melodic prog corridors; the breaks occur gradually without a clear break. As you listen, the orchestration also returns to the work of PENDRAGON and especially PFM with a more symphonic side. The question why not have taken up the last title, my question of the day! Well, a good throwback which offered a good album when FISH left the MARILLION, but which is vintage today and in fact not evolving. For those who didn't know and remain in the 80's era.

Definitely a very good surprise, an international high end production with great quality both in the songwriting and in the arrangements. With this new/updated version of Heartquake the Italian band shows its quality and skills; Leviathan can be easily compared to great prog bands of the past as Genesis, Marillion, just to name two.. Great musicians who express themselves excellently both as individuals and as a group. The sound in general is modern and at the same time reminds the atmospheres of masterpieces of the past, especially Marillion, perhaps for the voice of the singer or the guitar sound and taste. Keys play a fundamental role in the entire work and give a 80/90s touch with perfect sound choices and arrangements. It would be great to have the chance to see them live!

I didn't know Leviathan's original Heartquake album until I found this new album, Heartquake Redux. So, I listened to it without any expectation or the need to compare the two records. Said that, what a great prog rock album. I could spend some time to find all possible inspirations that are embedded within the songs, but I really appreciated how different Leviathan's latest effort on CD sounds in the progressive rock contemporary domain. My preferred songs are the opening track' The Waterproof Grave', such a powerful statement to start with, 'Up We Go!' and the beautiful jewel of 'Hellishade of Heavenue', a pop/rock ballad which turns into a prog epic instrumental.