ANCIENT VEIL

The roots of this release are in the early Nineties when Italian prog formation Eris Pluvia released its debut album entitled Rings Of Earthly Light, 1991 to be more specific. Two band members decided to leave Eris Pluvia after this release: Alessandro Serri (vocals, guitars and flute) and Edmondo Romano (wind instruments), soon they formed a new band named Ancient Veil. In 1995 this band released their eponymous debut album, then it took more than two decades before Anceit Veil produced the successor entitled I Am Changing, in 2017. And one year later the live CD Rings Of Earthly Live, recorded in Teatro della Tosse in Genoa (between May and November 2017), it contains music from the Eris Pluvia and Ancient Veil albums.

The 12 tastefully arranged compositions on this live album sound very melodic and harmonic with a pleasant colouring by a wide range of instruments (especially saxophones and clarinet). The atmospheres shift flowing from dreamy to slow rhythms and bombastic eruptions. The one moment dreamy with tender piano, folky flutes or twanging acoustic guitar (like in the wonderful In The Rising Mist). The other moment a cheerful climate or a catchy beat with harder-edged electric guitar work and bombastic organ. The male vocals sound decent, often with a warm undertone.

My highlight is the epic Rings Of Earthly Light (17 minutes suite in 5 parts): lots of changing climates, breaks and accellarations and strong soli, from swinging piano to fiery electric guitar and screamy saxophone. The guest musician Valeria Caucino does a splendid job, what a beautiful voice!

For those who are into the more 'pastoral prog' (mellow folky atmospheres, with hints from Celeste and early PFM), blended with more dynamic and bombastic parts, this is a wonderful album to discover.

My rating: 3,5 star.

This review was recently published on the Dutch progrock website Background Magazine.

- First review of this release - In my opinion, Italy was one of the best prog countries in the seventies, and it's a marvelous prog country today. The variety of styles is wide, and especially for those preferring the golden era of [symphonic] prog there are lots of superb bands who carry that spirit in their music. ANCIENT VEIL is a new acquaintance for me, and I was immediately charmed. A little background information: the key members Alessandro Serri (vocals, guitars, flute) and Edmondo Romano (wind instruments) departed from ERIS PLUVIA after the band's debut album Rings of Earthly Light (1991). The self-titled debut of Ancient Veil was released in 1995, but the next album I Am Changing came no sooner than in 2017; in the interim the members had other projects. This live album circulates the aforementioned Eris Pluvia title, thus indicating that the 73-minute set - recorded in Teatro della Tosse in Genoa, May and November 2017 - contains music from that album as well. All music is composed by Serri and Romano.

8-minute 'Ancient Veil' is a gorgeous opener. It has changing time signatures and fine soaring melodies, with recorder bringing some folk flavour. It's instrumental except for the final part. 'Dancing Around My Slow Time' is more vocal-oriented. The group's "light chamber-prog" sound is pleasant and nuanced. 'The Dance of the Elves' is a short folk-prog instrumental placing recorder in a lead role. If that one brings Jethro Tull in mind, 'Creature of the Lake' reminds me of the ethereal, Old Music flavoured side of Gentle Giant, perhaps also because the vocals in it sound a bit like Kerry Minnear's. Tracks 1-6 originate from the Ancient veil debut album.

The comes the 17½-minute title suite of the Eris Pluvia debut. Here the symphonic tendencies of the band are blooming. The dynamic and suitably complex - and yet harmonic - music is partly instrumental, partly sung, and it always flows in an elegant manner. Edmondo Romano keeps changing between soprano sax, clarinet and recorders. The suite features some female vocals too. I wish I had come across this wonderful music already in the early 90's! Two shorter songs follow from that same album, and the rest, ie. tracks 10-12, originate from the recent I Am Changing.

All music here is extremely pleasant for the listener enjoying acoustically oriented "chamber prog" with lots of reeds (the softer ones) and jazzy, folky or art music flavours. The sonic quality is excellent too. One can imagine being there in the theatre, close to the band. I understand that for many progheads this set - I guess we can talk about the style of the band(s) in general - may appear slightly too safe, pretty and without many huge highlights, as it's so good all the way. But I'm sure this will be among my favourite recent discoveries.

Italian symphonic prog music as beautiful and tender as anything in the genre. Not much rock, but instead neat melodies on piano and acoustic guitars accompanied by fine flutes and lush mellotron sounds. I would probably have been just fine with the vocals and given the album a high rating, if it would have been in the native language of the vocalists. It would feel so much more authentic without that strong accent, although the female singer is considerably more comfortable with english. Because the male voice appears way more often than her, 'Chime of Times' and the instrumental songs 'Bright Autumn Dawn' and 'Fading Lights' are clearly most enjoyable, despite that most songs have excellent composition and quiet but grand epic soundscapes.

While it's been 22 years since Edmondo Romano and Alessandro Serri released the first ANCIENT VEIL album, they have been somewhat active in the interim, particularly Romano who has played on all three releases by NARROW PASS. Serri handled vocals on that group's latest "A New Day". With their earlier group ERIS PLUVIA having issued a couple of their own creations in the interim, it's only fitting that ANCIENT VEIL return, and, with the assistance of associates from all of the above, "I am Changing" is the result.

Those familiar with the light chamber prog of their 1995 album will feel at home here. Reserved and controlled English vocals; delicate string woodwind, and brass arrangements; wind accompaniment, and nimbly plucked acoustic guitar remain the cornerstones here. A few more aggressive junctures are negotiated by electric guitar, particularly on the instrumentals "Bright Autumn Dawn", which appears as a mashup of ideas conceived over a couple of decades, and the more integrated "Fading Light". Serri's lead guitar style bears comparisons to Dave Gilmour and Andy Latimer, particularly in passages reminiscent of the quieter moments of "Dust and Dreams".

Ultimately, the production is vocal oriented, and its strength must be measured by the quality of the songs, which, while graceful and elegant, are somewhat precious and precise, lacking the warmth and emotion of earlier releases which the members have enriched. The lyrical themes don't seem especially adventurous and hardly match the pledge of the magnificent cover. My favourite is "Chime of the Times", thanks to the welcome vocal of long time associate Valeria Caucino and, about halfway through, a return of a recycled theme from the first album, offering one of the only passages that is the symphonic equal of early ERIS PLUVIA. "A Mountain of Dust" approaches this level thanks to more spirited singing and instrumental passages including recorders and pipes.

While i do think that this is probably the weakest release yet by any ERIS PLUVIA/NARROW PASS related band, and of limited interest to most fans of prog and rock in general, it does reflects the duo's admirable skill and dedication to craft, stalwart musical ideals in the face of so much change. 2.5 stars rounded up.

The Ancient Veil was an Eris Pluvia offshoot band, found in 1992 and led by guitarist/singer Alessandro Serri and flute/sax player Edmondo Romano.The next year the duo produced the demo tape ''"Morning After" and mid-90's finds them at their creative peak.Having signed with Mellow Records, The Ancient Veil covered the song ''"The lamia" for the Mellow Records' Genesis' tribute album ''The River of Constant Change'', while the same year they released their self-titled sole output.

As being members of Eris Pluvia, Serri's and Romano's compositions on ''The Ancient Veil'' have straight connections with their previous band's style,though this time they pushed the sound into a folkier and softer direction than the more symphonic approach of Eris Pluvia.With session musicians helping on bass, drums, keyboards and strings, the musicianship is characterized by Serri's soft acoustic touches, the melodic sax leads and the medieval-sounding flutes of Romano's , supported either by strings or light background keyboards, thus creating a modern Progressive/Folk Rock work with hints from Classical and Jazz music at moments.The mood overall is relaxing with the duo focusing on elaborate harmonies and dreamy soundscapes than delivering anything complex or adventurous.A few tracks though offer the sensitive electric guitars of Serri, sounding a lot like the Eris Pluvia's delivery and ending up to be a bit more energetic.Additionally most of the compositions include the romantic singing of Serri with his slightly accented English.

The album is not particularly exciting, however some tracks stand out, having multiple-influenced arrangements and great vocal harmonies.''The Ancient Veil'' is a great discovery for fans of contemporary Progressive Folk or anyone looking for an album creating a dreamy and relaxing atmosphere.Overall recommended.

THE ANCIENT VEIL arose out of the ashes of ERIS PLUVIA. Similar style as that band without a doubt and with pretty much the same array of instruments although I did feel this album i'm reviewing has a Celtic and Jazz flavour at times that the former didn't. Neither album is really in the style that I like. Both are very pastoral with reserved English vocals.

"Ancient Veil" is pleasant sounding with flutes, viola and acoustic guitar. Sax and percussion lead 3 1/2 minutes in. A calm a minute later with vocals to follow. Flute is back later. "Flying" has a Celtic flavour and it picks up a minute in. This almost sounds like a jig at times. Not my style. Vocals late. There's also a string quartet and aboe on this one. "Feast Of The Puppets" has flute, drums and bass leading. "Creatures Of The Lake" features vocals, flute, percussion and acoustic guitar. "Gleam" is a brighter tune with lots of acoustic guitar and flute. "Walking Around" has these male and female operatic vocals. That sound you here is me running like hell.

"The Dance Of Elves" is a short tune that opens with flute followed by violin. "You'll Become Rain Pt.II" is another short piece, this one has the string quartet on it. "Can You Feel Me ?" features those reserved vocals and a catchy beat. Flute too. Some nice prominant bass after 3 minutes. "Dance Around My Slow Time" has some light programmed drums on it with piano, acoustic guitar and vocals. Aboe and sax later. "Night Thoughts" is pastoral early but it does get fuller. Viola 4 minutes in and sax later. Trumpet on this one as well. "Landscape And Two" features these solemn Bolivian flutes. "New" has vocals, aboe, classical guitar and cello. "Talking Frame" opens with reserved vocals in a pastoral setting. Piano, flute and light drums come in and lead. Sax and bass a minute in then the tempo picks up but it continues to shift throughout. Very jazzy sax 3 minutes in. Vocals are back with flute as the song continues to play out.

Not as good as ERIS PLUVIA's "Rings Of Earthly Light" which for me was barely 3 stars.

After such a beautifully executed symphonic progressive album as "Rings of Earthly Light", Eris Pluvia had a tough act to follow, which may be why the duo of Alessandro Serri and Edmondo Romano were exfoliated as "The Ancient Veil". Eris Pluvia had somehow synthesized a work that appealed to the romantic soul in all of us, and I mean romance in the broadest sense, and it achieved this feat with almost no drama or flash. It was a journey that overshot the destination.

Such is not the case with the Ancient Veil. It is pretty in many places but even more mellow than "Rings", which is saying something, and some songs, like the opener, beginning with one of the few lead guitar segments, and closer, lack development, focus and sustained interest. I have not found this album to grow on me the way "Rings" did. I get the sense that the guys are jamming as opposed to playing a composition, that "let's see what we can try next", so if you favour such a haphazard approach you may enjoy this alot. Perhaps out-takes from their debut? That said, it is still a pretty unique album that has the stamp of these two fine gentlemen all over it, especially on the instrumental pieces dominated by woodwinds like "Feast of the Puppets" and "Dance of the Elves". The titles alone give you the picture. Several vocal oriented songs also stand out and are reminiscent of earlier material, like "Can you feel me" and "Dance Around your slow time". Unfortunately there is no "wake up" song like "The Broken Path", the closest being the vocally rich "Walking Around".

Eris Pluvia's debut achieved singular status in the world of prog for its gentle jazz, folk and classically inflected sound, and, while this offshoot bears many textural similarities, it fails to unveil the candid emotions and humble symphonic grandeur of that earlier album.