DELIRIUM

"L'era della menzogna" is the second studio album by Delirium I.P.G. after their come back in 2003 and it's the mature work of a band that's still alive and kicking and full of vitality despite the personnel changes. It was released in 2015 on the independent Black Widow Records label with a renewed line up featuring Ettore Vigo (keyboards, backing vocals), Martin Grice (saxophones, flute, backing vocals), Fabio Chighini (bass, ukulele, backing vocals), Alessandro Corvaglia (lead vocals - best known for his work with La Maschera di Cera), Michele Cusato (guitar) and Alfredo Vandresi (drums, percussion, synth) plus some guests such as Roberto Solinas (acoustic guitar), Andrea Anzaldi (acoustic guitar), Fiorella Zito (triangle, backing vocals), Serena Vandresi (backing vocals), Adriana Rombolò (backing vocals) and Alice Vigo (vocals). Delirum's historic collaborator Mauro La Luce took charge of the lyrics, all dealing with the contemporary climate of social and political decay, while the artwork by Silvana Zago gives a visual form to the musical and lyrical content...

The threatening opener "L'inganno del potere" (The deception of power) tries to depict in music and words the revolutionary rage of people full of hope, projects and fiery ideas that try to change the world. They're ready to throw stones and break windows, they're ready to take off for a metaphoric flight in the wind. After a calm, reflective middle section comes a sarcastic rant against the men of power so able to play their dirty tricks making vain promises and reassuring speeches drawing on old formulas to maintain the status quo...

The reflective "Il nodo" (The knot) evokes the incertitude of a present where you risk to feel always out of place, with a slipknot on your neck. It's a slipknot that you have to untie with the help of someone who can still think independently, speak up and stand out from the crowd. You have to believe in yourself and in your dreams to find the courage and boldness to imagine a better future and try to make your dreams come true...

"L'angelo del fango" (The angel of the mud) is a melodic ballad full of hope. The music and lyrics evoke the image of someone emerging from the mud in the East, like a king. Around you there's nothing but rain, wind and mud but with him everything can change, he's an angel that can free us from false myths and cowardice and let us live in a better world without suffering unwanted choices...

"Fuorilegge" (Outlaw) is a lively, ironic piece that every now and again could recall PFM with Fabrizio De Andrè. The music and lyrics give voice to a man who's fed up with an incompetent, dishonest political class that leaves him with only one right: to starve! Anyone who opposes the men of power or feels outraged by their behaviour is labelled mad or outlaw but the rage is growing and sooner or later it will overthrow the ruling scoundrels...

The dreamy, evocative instrumental "La deriva" (The drift) leads to the title track, "L'era della menzogna" (The era of lies), that expresses the sense of confusion and distraughtness of men who can't distinguish the true from the false any more, surrounded by occult persuaders and sneaky influencers who steal, eat and soil the world with their lies and fake news. The only hope is rally and fight together for values such as dignity and loyalty...

"La voce dell'anima" (The voice of the soul) is a beautiful song that every now and again might recall a Delirum's single from the early seventies entitled Jesahel. The music and words invite you to heed the call of your soul to understand the world and give a sense to life. Man has everything he needs inside himself but because of boredom or pain he just doesn't listen to the inner voice screaming inside his heart. The protagonist of the song wants his voice back to shout and freely express himself...

The apocalyptic "Basta" (That's enough) is another sarcastic piece that deals with a sense of saturation and bewilderment, loss and suffocated rage. The protagonist is disgusted by the behaviour of a hypnotized crowd blindly following the rites of their corrupted leaders. Dark shadows and bad omens loom large on the time to come...

The long, complex "Il castello del Mago Merlino" (The castle of Merlin the wizard) starts softly, then goes through many changes in rhythm and atmosphere. The music and lyrics evoke the need of a shelter from the evil you can find in the world and from the fear of the future, a shield to protect your dreams. Maybe it's just an illusion, the sap of your dreams. Nonetheless, if you look deep into your heart you'll find a burning fire and all your fears will vanish. What you are looking for is a comfortable place where everything seems to come to life again, where time stands still and your soul can find peace and freedom, an enchanted castle where you can feel safe...

On the whole, an excellent work and a must have for every Italianprog fan.

This is the Delirium album many point to as the one to have, but I would not readily agree. Lead vocalist Ivano Fossati has now been gone for two years, and the band is still working on finding an identity.

Opening track Il Dono starts with syrupy string arrangements that elicited an audible 'uh oh' from this reviewer the first time I heard the album. Title track has some nice sax work from Martin Grice (not as prevalent as the previous album) but is hampered by a shrill chorus. It settles into a nice piano jam with first album style vocalizations and flute that give the first indication that this is still Delirium. Some cautious sax echoes of Bloomdido style Gong riffs are in there too. Side one ends with Dio Del Silenzio, an acoustic guitar driven song that fully sounds like older Delirium, with cadence and melody hearkening back to the Fossatti era, hampered only by unnecessary strings and an indifferent sax solo. Some flute on this one would have been a better choice.

Side two begins with a delicate 12 string guitar and synthesizer before the string arrangements overwhelm the proceedings. (La Battaglia Degli Eterni Piani). Once the strings cut out, a flute and guitar jam takes over but soon the strings are back creating a slight Starsky and Hutch vibe that isn't what they'd hoped for.

A nice nod towards subtle Gentle Giant vocalizations are a treat on side two before strings, wah guitar and sax create an unintentional prog homage to Shaft. (the drums through a ring modulator is a nice touch). Thunder crashes, rain comes down and the syrupy strings take us into the finale, Ancora Un'alba, an inconsequential 'orchestra with band accompaniment' denouement to side two.

Overall, this is a fairly dark album, like a richer but creepier version of Van der Graaf Generator, which is a decent comparison. They are a more complex version but perhaps not for the better, as some more of the specialness of Delirium has faded. But it feels like the band is unsure what direction to head in, so they tried several things to see what works. My original notes i just found said "Proto string infused doom riffs with Shaft soundtrack meets Hatfield and the North." Hmmm. Perhaps this is their version of their King Crimson Red album. They've hit 1974, been through a ton of change, and are looking forward and backward at the same time. But the strings really get in the way of the whole proceedings and generally hinder rather than enhance any songs they are on (most of the album). Not a bad album by any means, but my least favorite of the first three. In a word: Uneven.

3 stars

— First review of this album —

The followup to the huge hit Jesahel, Delirium opt to go towards a more commercial angle this time. They let their more pop sensibilities have the floor here, as they try to capitalize on their newfound fame. Unfortunately, Haum! lacks the magic of Jesahel, despite nods to that song with some call and response with the multi person chorus and the repetitive 'Ha--oom' chants throughout. It tries to capture the lightning in a bottle once again, but it's clear they are going after a different audience on this side. It opens with a catchy flute intro. Overall a nice follow up trying to balance their cool side with pop requirements. Will grow on you.

Side two is Movemento II (Dubbio) that starts with simple solo piano and recorder under Fossati's vocal. Harpsichord, acoustic guitars and an overwrought string outro flesh out a low key song from Dolce Acqua lp.

Anything with Fossati on it is worth getting for his unique vocal power and gifted flute technique. For Delirium fans, you probably need this. For non RPI fans, merely a curiosity.

3 stars for RPI fans, 2 stars for other prog fans.

— First review of this album —

The single that broke the band from modestly successful to huge stars in Italy and Europe. They made the finals of the Sanremo festival in 1972 with this song, and it was partly the springboard that made the RPI scene take off from the heads and freaks and become better accepted into the houses of normal folks. This song hit number one in Italian charts in 1972, with the heavy flute and distinctive vocals of frontman Ivano Fossati.

There are some who call this out of character for the band, but in reality the essence of what made them what they were is contained in under four minutes here. Simple, catchy with acoustic guitar, repetitive and trance inducing chanting touches on almost liturgical moods. I've played this song for several people who have no idea who they are, and a common reaction is along the lines of "this is powerful and I don't know why but I like it" and "I feel like I am in church getting changed" It will get inside your head and not leave.

Does it have the swirling prog attributes of symphonic Italian rock? No. Would it fit perfectly on their Dolce Acqua album? Absolutely. Like the Beatles, Delirium hid some of their magical stuff on 45.

The b-side, King's Road, will please more prog fans-instrumental and complicated, it shows where they can go as musicians if they aren't constrained by pop expectations. String section and piano introduction lead to an energetic ELP-ish piano/bass/drums jazz workout with an extended flute solo and then mellotron led outro. Similar to some early instrumental Focus. When you say Delirium in Italy, Jesahel is the one song that people remember.

Highly recommended. 5 stars.

A band in transition. After losing frontman and lead singer/flautist Ivano Fossati, it would appear to many that the departure of so large a personality might cause the band to pack it in. Delirium luckily did not make this mistake, and adding Martin Grice on sax and flute, shifted gears towards a more symphonic prog sound. Lead vocals were now shared a la PFM with no real defined lead singer and frontman.

Opening song Villaggio is one of the stronger pieces, but as an instrumental, it noticeably avoids the sea change within the band without Fossati. Some attempts at sounding like the first album like the catchy Mia Pazzia sound like an unused song from their debut: it could have been a good follow up to Jesahel and Haum for their pop followers. It has the catchiness of Fossati's style captured well. Sogno attempts to capture the same vibe, but less successfully so-starting off perilously close to 70's era muzak, but culminating in a nice Crimson Islands era jazz breakdown.

Some of this is disjointed in feel and some pieces seem like they are patchworked bits they had kicking around that they wove into a suite. Drums step up, and the injection of sax gives them a new developing sophistication that isn't quite there yet. It still sounds like Delirium, but something is missing. It sounds like they know it too. Album closer Pernsiero per un Abbandono ties the proceedings together in the first really well done synthesis of their former and currently developing style. Sonically, the recording doesn't have the dynamics of the first album, and is lacking in low end oomph overall with the bass nearly non existent.

Gatefold vinyl wrapped in a nice acid doodle cover.

Reference points: This time it is a bit easier to compare what they are up to: Van der Graaf Generator style horns are prominent, a new sound for them. Blasts of horns from Wake of Poseidon or LIzard from Crimson are also in there. The first PFM album creeps in as an influence in the second half. A work in progress. Closer to 4 stars than 3.5.

Although many people point to Delirium III as the one to grab, I need to point out that there is something very important missing from Delirium's second and third album: frontman, lead vocalist and flautist extraordinaire Ivano Fossati.

One cannot underestimate how much of Fossati's personality and talent went into this band. In two short years he brought them to the top of the charts in the Italian scene on the back of their monster hit 'Jesahel', a finalist in the Sanremo Music Festival in 1972. Furry freaks on national TV entered into an establishment music festival/contest? What?

His departure (drafted, perhaps intentionally, into the army) on the cusp of national and European fame threw a large monkey wrench into the plans, as Delirium was starting to blow up big. Them surviving at all was in doubt, like Genesis continuing after Gabriel quit-unthinkable they'd survive.....hmm.

Which left us with their only album with Fossati, the excellent Dolce Acqua. Acoustic guitars, heavy use of flute and Fossati's remarkable ability to construct memorable melodic hooks make this an essential album for any RPI collection. Like Jesahel, some of this stuff gets inside your head and runs on repeat it is so catchy. What makes this record so satisfying is the unifying cohesiveness contained within, something lacking in their second and third releases. A warmth surrounds every song, like the band had been playing these songs hundreds of times in many settings. This stuff just makes you feel good in a way that their later albums can only hint at. Fossati's vocals (in Italian of course) are some of my favorite in the whole scene, distinctive, impassioned without overwhelming. Some might hesitate at sixties era tinges in backing vocals, but that is all part of the charm of this album.

Reference points would be wide and varied-acoustic folk with jazz tinges and Italian classical leanings? Donovan sits in with Genesis in 1971? Hard to pin down, this one is an original.

Highly recommended. Five stars and a foundation album of the whole RPI scene, pre dating PFM. Get the triple gatefold lp if you can find one for the period piece artwork. The CD usually contains Jesahel, but the lp does not as it was a 45 only release.

"Dolce Acqua" is for me one of the best works of the Italian Prog scene. Back in '71, Delirium, led bt the famous singer Ivano Fossati, released this as their first LP, and the following year the album was reprinted with Delirium's new hit, "Jesahel", a very enjoyable song, even if it belongs to the beat/pop universe of those years, and not strictly to prog. Every track is very beautiful, and the ensamble creates an unique work. "Preludio (Paura)", "Movimento I" and "Movimento II" open the album with some good examples of what prog could offer even without suites and long tracks: deep lyrics, with the flute and the special voice of Fossati, elaborated musics, with Vigo's piano and Di Santo's drumming, and the chorus, that contribute to the atmosphere. "To Satchmo, Bird and other unforgettable friends (Dolore)" and Sequenza I e II (Ipocrisia-Verità) change the style and bring us to some very enjoyable jazz-rock sonorities, with the flute leading the tracks with elaborated melodies. "Johnnie Sayre (II perdono)" and "Favola o storia del lago di Kriss" focus on the lyrics: the first one translates a poem from Edgar Lee Masters's "Spoon River Anthology", while the second one has a very deep meaning. The LP ends with "Dolce Acqua" ("Sweet Water" in English), a short instrumental track (expect for the end of the song) which really absorbs you (or, at least, so does with me!).

As an Italian, I do really appreciate the lyrics, and I suggest to read the translations while listening to the album: even if I believe that an album can be very beautiful without good lyrics, but not viceversa, I think that, in this case, understanding the words make the tracks even more interesting.

"Jesahel - Un viaggio lungo 20 anni" should probably be considered an official studio album by Delirium but reading the book by Mauro La Luce that is dedicated to the history of the band (Il lungo viaggio, Zona Music Books, 2018) I noticed that he even omitted to name it. It's not because of inaccuracy, the omission was deliberated. It's a fact that many prog sites do not list it at all or consider this work just a compilation album... Of course, it's not an essential album for a progressive rock fan, but why deny its existence? Why the band disown it?

The album was originally released in 1996 on NAR Records and later re-released with a different cover and a different title (Delirium, 2004, NAR International 11404-2). The line up here features three historic members of the band: Rino Dimopoli (vocals, keyboards), Pino Di Santo (vocals, drums) and Marcello Reale (vocals, bass). During the recording sessions they were helped by Alberto Radius (guitars), Stefano Previsti (keyboards), Andrea Bianchi (sax), Claudio Alifranchini (flute) and Alfredo Golino (drums). Together they re-recorded, with the new arrangements by Alberto Radius and Stefano Previsti, five tracks from the early seventies: two from the debut album "Dolce acqua" ("Dolce acqua" and "Favola o storia del lago di Kriss") and three from singles of the same period ("Jesahel", "Haum" and "Canto di Osanna"). The other pieces are brand new songs, four signed by Dimopoli - Di Santo - Reale ("Jerico", "Signora della notte", "Musicalità" and "Più tempo per sognare") and one by Dimopoli - Cassella ("Sola"). The focus is all on the pop side of Delirium's repertoire and prog fans would be deeply disappointed by the result. The new versions of the old tracks miss the charm of Ivano Fossati's vocals and the energy of the originals while the new tracks are just melodic pop songs...

Probably the release of this album in 1996 was just an attempt to put the band together after many years of inactivity and a way to try to have a new go but the project was ephemeral and this line up did not last long. As I said before, despite the great competence of the musicians involved, this is not a great album and for sure is not a progressive rock one. Nonetheless, it exists and apparently there would be no reason to disown it. Well, probably the problem is that its existence originated the ground for future painful legal issues.

In fact, in 2001, on the initiative of Pino Di Santo, came to life another incarnation of the band, the one that signed a deal with Black Widow Records and released some excellent prog albums such as "Il nome del vento" or "L'era della menzogna". Meanwhile Rino Dimopoli and Marcello Reale persisted in carrying on the melodic flag of the repertoire with new musicians. The branch with Pino Di Santo and other historic members such as Ettore Vigo and Martin Grice in the line up added the words International Progressive Group to the name Delirium while Dimopoli's band was simply called Delirium Project, kept on performing live and in 2016 released an album in a pop rock vein entitled Con i nostri occhi on K1 Records...

For prog fans Delirium IPG are the "real ones", those who really matter but if you are interested in melodic pop and like bands such as I Nomadi...

In 2006 Delirum pleasantly surprised the progrock world with a stunning reunion gig, one year later the band released a live album, in 2009 a new studio effort entitled Il Nome Del Viento and in 2015 a second studio album named L'Era Della Menzogna. This review is about their first new album since III - Viaggio Negli Arcipelaghi Del Tempo, from 1974!

Listening to this new album is listening to the best elements of their Seventies albums but on a higher level. To me the compositions sound more mature, more elaborate and more captivating, thanks to their experience over all the years. And there is a perfect balance between the instruments (from woodwind instruments to vintage keyboards and rock guitar), between the mellow and more dynamic parts and between folk, symphonic rock and jazz/jazz-rock. Especially in the tracks Dopo Il Vento (very dynamic and wonderful colouring with guitar, flute, sax and piano) and Cuore Sacro (great tension between parts with powerful organ and warm piano). Also interesting is the use of a string quartet in some songs and I am very pleased with the Italian vocals, I always prefer native vocals.

In a Dutch music magazine one reviewer wrote about 60+ musicians still making music as 'rollator' rock, well, Delirum makes excellent 'rollator prog'!

My rating: 3,5 star.

This legendary Italian band delivered four outstanding studio-albums in the Seventies but I prefer their Il nome del vento 2009. Sound is amazing, jazz influences are obvious and tasty. The general mood of the music is varied and intriguing with beautiful sax, flute, keyboards and String quartet. There are also interesting guitar solos. All trecks my favourites from this very good album, exept ''Luci Lontane'', ''Profeta Senza Profezie", ''Ogni Storia''. Many times classic artists record new music, and seem to be trying to recapture past glories. Delirium return with a release Il nome del vento is a very solid piece of art. The music is delightfully pleasant. It is very beautiful. As whole one of the best Delirium's albums and one of the best italian progressive albums. So - 5 stars!!!