BARROCK

You know how fantasy band sounds like ? Well, it's exactly how Barrock sounds. It' hard to describe, I spend many hours (when I was growing up) by playing games and this music (Overture is beginning, then more prominently in Re Artu and further in next songs) simply reminds me game music.

Instruments doesn't seem strong at all, I dare to say that they sounds little bit like MIDI music. Maybe it's because of continuing curse of unfortunate decade 80's. Strange choice of synthesizers with weak drums (I had to equalize a lot to even hear them). There's also strong medieval feeling.

4(-), I wanted to give worse, but except bad feelings that I had first minutes, there's nothing so bad. It's quite a lot electronized album, but RPI influence is strong here.

BARROCK were an Italian act,formed in 1982 by members with strong classical studies and background.Their open minds led them to explore the progressive rock field and in 1985 they released a cassette with satisfying success.BARROCK kept working on new material and at the end of the 80's they were signed by the Japanese label ''Spring Song Co.'',through which they published worldwide their debut album ''L'Alchimista''.As their name indicates,BARROCK's debut is filled with baroque/medieval tunes through the fantastic keyboard work of Giuseppe Vendramin and Valter Poles.Their sound is characterized by the combination of alternating delightful baroque organ/grandiose synthesizers,the classical-inspired Italian vocals of the two female singers and the numerous keyboard/guitar interplays.I find their work quite inventive and original and I recommend it strongly not only for progressive rock fans,but also for admirers of classical/rennaisance/baroque music.A rare yet tasteful work from early 90's!

Barrock is another of those lesser known and underappreciated Italian prog bands from the 90's and recorded 3 fine albums before disappearing into the mist. As the moniker unsubtly implies , the general theme is a robust combination of baroque and rock with massive amounts of keyboards (organ, piano, synthesizers, string machines) as well as guitar , bass and rather mechanical drums , mostly played by the Poles family, with some occasional female vocals and some guest musicians. "Nell'antro della Strega" is an introductory instrumental that sets the basic symphonic parameters that will illuminate the rest of this album. In fact, the next piece, the 10 minute + "La Mutazione" is quite an atmospheric promenade with a grandiose mid-section loaded with waves of orchestrations courtesy of Mauro Martin , an extended and superb electric guitar run from Valter Poles. Paola Polese does a fine operatic aria, elevating the magnificent main melody, really giving the piece some coloring and pomp. As mentioned by another reviewer, the drums are a bit rudimentary (a somewhat rare occurrence in ISP as Italian drummers are generally very inventive). "Super Flumina" is a Valter Poles synthesizer adaptation of a classical motet by noted XVI century Italian composer Palestrina, a swirling electronic reverie that is both clever and creative, though sounding very much like a 90s production , which of course it is. The brief "Il Giullare" is an almost ELP-like trio workout with Valter on both keys and guitar, with brothers Giampaolo on bass and Maurizio on drums. The pace is fast, furious and somewhat in your face. "Solo Con le Ali" is another Poles keyboard piece with violin/cello synths flirting openly with a Rossano Palù guitar sortie. The choir mellotrons are particularly effective here but the drum machine really ruins it a bit. It's okay but nothing earthshaking. "La Preda" prefers leaving the spotlight on the grand piano, with some synth backscapes before morphing into a more atmospheric section and then suddenly reverting to a full organ-led blowout. "In Sogno" is a dream-like interlude with lots of orchestrations and various keyboard patterns, with some tubular bells for effect. "Romanza" revives the magical "La Mutazione" theme, with a fantastic flute intervention and the rippling Paola Polese operatics, the grandiose piano adding to the angst and building to an explosive climax, very nice indeed. The final "Orient Express" is a tune from guest keyboardist Giuseppe Vendramin and offers really nothing more than a brief technical romp. A good album but not indispensible and at 37 minutes, a bit too brief for my liking. 3.5 Poles

A pleasantly understated album with appealing symphonic structures throughout; accented but not overpowered by dual female vocalists; and quite sparse guitar accompaniment. There are definite folk leanings on the vocal tracks, but overall this just feels like a bit of a throwback album despite its recording date in the early nineties.

Barrock has been mentioned alongside Renaissance, and I can see the reasons for that, but I also wouldn’t shy away from comparisons to bands like Mostly Autumn and even Stream of Passion, particularly on the first few tracks. This would have been more convincing as a folk album were there more use of ethnic percussion, or maybe some exotic acoustic instrumentation. Or I’d be more inclined to regard it as a solid symphonic album were there layers of strings or even brass employed, but that doesn’t happen either. This is a keyboard fan’s delight, but very unsophisticated as a symphonic prog work.

“Re Artu” and the title track comprise more than half this rather short album, with the bulk of the other tracks being instrumentals steeped in keyboards. The rhythms on this album are mostly rather simple, with a resulting impression of classically-inspired mood music. Of the five instrumentals, “Regina della a luna” has the most modern feel, while the two closing tracks “Al pari degli dei” and “Tarantella” are quite mellow, one- dimensional on keyboards, and frankly rather unambitious.

One comment – the female vocalists on the title track bear a striking resemblance to the Spanish duo Azucar Moreno. Or maybe that’s just me, but I can’t shake the impression they sound just like the Salazar sisters. The instrumental parts are nowhere near that though, so no other comparisons are appropriate, and I'm probably the only one who finds this humorous.

This is a decent album, but I really can’t bring myself to find anything in it to call great, and certainly not essential. Three stars is where this belongs and worth listening to, but probably not worth going out of your way to find.

peace

Excellent album, plenty of beautiful melodies and sensitive soundscapes. BARROCK left behind the medieval influences found on "Oxian", keeping the classical and refined colours on this almost instrumental production.

My only complaint is the "plastic" sound of drums, but it isn't a big trouble because most of music is in the atmospherical vein, standing out keyboards and guitars. Artificial drumming is used just on some rythmical changes, but the whole instrumentation -as well as delicated tunes- makes easy to forget this negative point.

All tracks are very enjoyable. Sadly, "La Strega" is too short (only 37 minutes), but it guarantees the lack of uneven filler stuff. Another recommended Italian album.

Wowwww!!!!! what a masterpiece, man. This is outstanding italian prog rock, the guitar the female vocals, only in 2 and 8, and specially the keyboards are extremly beautiful. The melodies are so beautiful. You MUST listen to this album, you don't regret it, for sure it is the best album by barrock, at least for me ;)

A record full of classical and medieval influeces. Their softer and more melodic side works somehow better than when they go bombastic, due to the so-so quiality of the orchestral synthesized sounds, never as good as, for example, The Enid's.

BARROCK is a family band from Italy. "Oxian" is a very delicated album, never bombastic, full of medieval feeling. Altough mostly instrumental (standing out the keyboards), there are two female singers with very nice and almost operatic voices. It seems to be influences from the most melodic Italian prog bands (elegance and sudden rythmical changes) and, sometimes, a little bit of RENAISSANCE.

The medieval atmosphere becames dense and even gloomy at some tracks ("Il Tempio" and "Il Mondo Di Oxian"), but sweetness and beauty are the main tunes along the whole album. "Il Vampiro" is my favorite and the last song, "Guerra!", the most energetic -but even melodic-. Very good album, indeed.