BAROQUE

''La Fiaba Della Buonanotte'' is propably what a modern Prog fan looks for.Energetic, powerful, tricky and intelligent rock music all the way with a discreet blink towards the 70's.Thirteen short tracks with rockin' guitars, powerful organ and piano moves, theatrical vocals and a fair amount of multi-vocal harmonies result a very fresh work with compressed themes packaged in just four or five minutes pieces of music art.But there is also room for some clever synths, interesting loops and vintage harsichord in their music menu.The main wheel of the group seems to be the contemporary Heavy Rock carriage, which is constantly surrounded by wider inspirations, such as Classical interludes, Funk-like rhythms, Psychedelic Rock colors or even Indie Rock/Punk nuances.But these guys turn all this stuff into a tremendously tight mix of solid Art Rock sounds, which sound catchy and demanding at the same time.

The approach of Baroque with all these different inspirations might sound a bit risky, but the overall result is simply great.This is a band with talent, showing how contemporary Prog should sound like.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

The opener "Cardiopasto" (Cardio-meal) features some powerful organ passages and some heavy electric guitar riffs. The lyrics depict the surreal confession of a terrible crime: a man murdered his girlfriend, then ate her heart... "Officer, I tried hard to repress my instinct, to forget her whining / But it was my fate / I had to do it / Even Saturn was against me... It's not my fault if I drink blood / It's not my fault if I eat heart...". The atmosphere of the following "La festa dell'alloro" (The laurel party) is lighter and carefree. It's a funny, lively anthem against sadness and melancholy... "It's a kind of magic / Lively little words, a wriggle that drives me away / It makes cheerfulness come back / It has an addictive effect...".

"Karatechismo" is a caustic piece that deals with the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church about the use of anti-contraceptives. Next comes the short, ironic "Parlapetalo" that conjures up a sixty "beat" parody to portray a merciless, mean bank manager. "Mio fratello si droga" (My brother is a junky) features two guests musicians, Federico Bocchi (percussion and Alessandro Calindro (sax) who add more colours to the band's palette. It recalls the Italian "cantautore" Giorgio Gaber and his "teatro-canzone" - but with a heavier, sharper edge - and contains a strong criticism against the lack of ideals of an old-fashioned way of life. Then comes "For You", sung in English, that features a bitter-sweet, romantic mood and a retro atmosphere while the following "Il camaleonte" (The chameleon) recalls the Beatles and portrays an "ever-changing" man who deceives everyone to escape from his responsibilities.

"Il pesce" (The fish) and "Gli avvoltoi hanno fame" (The vultures are hungry) are linked together and form a complex mini suite inspired by the gospels. The visionary lyrics are sharp like dagger blades. A man betrayed by the kiss of a false friend asks: - What's left of all this years of hard work? The answer is bitter, almost cruel... "I will be the balm, I will become the spear and then the stone that will touch your head / The vultures are gliding on us / Their wings are light years long / Try to come down from your cross now, if you can / If I think back / These years have been years of hard work / What's left?... What's left?...".

"Scherzo n°2 in mi minore" is sung in English and depicts a kind of ghastly dance around the grave of a suicidal humankind who raped mother Earth in the name of a "super libidinous, brand new god"... "I've been digging a hole / Down along the cove of black cold / Where they buried the world / Hellaluja!". The following "L'antipatico" (Unpleasant) is an ironic, swinging track that depicts a man who wishes all the possible bad luck to his enemy but then has to admit with a pinch of cynicism that, all in all they are not so different. The last track, "Soup de la maison", is sung partially in English and partially in Italian and draws an apocalyptic, psychedelic vision where a human rain falls down on the seabed for Neptune's banquet. While Jim Morrison and Freddy Mercury seem to smile in the background, "let the ocean carry you away...".

There's even some punk thrown in along the way, if you want to describe the Stranglers as punk. The bass and organ on ''Batracomiomachia'' has strong shades of the men in black, along with passionate vocals that recall Ange's Christian Décamps. If any listeners wonder about the intermittent frog croak effects on this track (which obviously seemed like a good idea at the time), the song is a parody of the differences between men and women using Homer's ''The Battle of Frogs and Mice'' as its inspiration. By the way, the album's vocals are a mix of Italian and English, sometimes within the same song.

''Operetta No 1 La Demoniaca'' has a Muse-like grandiosity to it, but Baroque's over the top theatrics and tongue in cheek operatic pretensions make them sound like an up-to-date version of the daddy of all highfalutin rockers. From the vaudevillian ''Scherzo No 1 in Re- Minore'' to the raucous rock of ''La Regina Nera'' and ''La Carie'', replete with Brian May-styled guitar solos, the Queen influence debouches out of this album's very pores. ''La Fiaba Della Buonanotte'' is available as a download for under $9, less than seven quid in real money, which makes this particular misshapen pearl as cheap as chips and a sure fire winner for RPI fans.

The first track "Overture" is a short instrumental introduction that could be used as a soundtrack for a horror film... Nonetheless it melts in "Batracomiomachia", a funny piece about the eternal war between men and women. The title was inspired by a parody based on the Iliad that tells the war between frogs and mice...

Next track "(me)Mento" is a straightforward rock track about lies. You can lie to everyone even to yourself and get lost into your own circus of lies... "Nera" is a "shining black" ballad, black like a lost souvenir... "Sea, in the night cradle me away / Don't throw me again against the shore"...

"Scherzo n°1 in RE min" begins with a baroque harpsichord and solemn marching beat, then the rhythm section brings curious and light "British waves". This track is sung in English and every now and again it could vaguely remind of The Beatles...

Next track "La corte degli scontenti" starts with a rhythm pattern that could remind of The Knack's My Sharona. It's a straightforward and ironic rock song where the band mock people who are never satisfied.

"Santa pazienza" is a beautiful instrumental where classical piano patterns are intertwined with guitar riffs on joyful changing rhythms. One of my favourite tracks on this album. Next comes "Cenere", a delicate ballad featuring piano and acoustic guitar, where love dreams burn and become nothing but ashes...

"Operetta n°1 - La demoniaca" try to describe the fight against your own demons. It's a track full of joyful and positive energy where ironic operatic vocals sing "I will use a machete against your sharp tongues / You won't laugh at me anymore...".

"La regina nera" is introduced by a classical piano pattern. It features sarcastic lyrics about the cruelty of a black queen and amazing vocal parts. It's a nice blend of hard rock and operetta. Next comes "La carie", a funny and complex mix of styles from honky-tonk to hard rock, operetta and melody featuring lyrics inspired by a toothache...

"Oniricausto" is another funny and dreamy musical delirium while the bonus track "Boris Bestiarius" sounds like a last joke between black metal and nursery rhymes.

On the whole a very interesting and unconventional prog album.

The 12 tracks on this production - 13 if you count in the hidden last one - takes on a musical style that is pretty innovative, with some compelling moods, atmospheres and compositions to boot. The foundation of these excursions are harsh, slightly gritty guitars and a distinct bass line. Verse segments slightly more mellow in approach; but in general a punk and indie-rock flavour is a key element in this band's sound; placed in ever evolving, quirky compositions that rarely are predictable and always stay fascinating and intriguing - both due to the high energy songs as well as the pretty distinct moods they create.

Operatic and theatrical elements aplenty further enriches this venture - and although perhaps a tad too harsh sounding to the generic prog and rock fan this stuff is well worth checking out. Highly recommended of course.