CORMORANO

Alas, another reunion of an RPI band born of the 1970s who felt the urge to fly the kite of creativity one more time. The renewed version of Cormorano consists of original members Raffaello Regoli, Antonio Dondi, and Gabriele Giovanardi joined by Francesco Boni, Elia Filippini, and Raffaele Marchetti. Without getting too deep into the weeds, this is a mostly different lineup from the band who recorded their 2000 album, which was actually material written in the '70s and '80s. If you're confused, worry not. This new album is, in my opinion, very much a refreshed sound deserving of attention on its own merit. In fact, when I noticed Cormorano was releasing a new album, I was not initially all that excited. Their previous album, Giro Tondo (Giro) Fuori Scena, was never a huge favorite of mine. It's pretty good, but it didn't blow me away. The new album has a mix of older and newer compositions. With the new album, it feels like they have released something special and in the moment. If it turns out to be their finale, it is a good ending.

Cormorano's sound has often been compared to RPI legends, Area, but the connection is probably more superficial than anything else. Yes, Regoli does sound remarkably like his old friend and mentor Demetrio Stratos, but the two bands and the songs themselves differ a fair bit. I would say that Area were more radical and pushing toward avant-garde areas of prog rock. Cormorano will head in that direction occasionally, but they also have their own style which is a bit more conventional and melodic. They are still quite unique and hard to compare to other current prog rock bands, but I would put them in the orbit of Altare Thotemico, another group with a bold and enigmatic frontman and vibrant, spicy songwriting. And I would say both the tone of the instruments and the production itself have a more pleasing, organic feel than what was achieved on Giro Tondo some 25 years ago.

The music of Obliquizioni D'Autunno...Prima Che L'aquilone Se Ne Voli Via took a while to seep into my heartspace, but it has grown on me exponentially with repeated plays. While the songwriting is varied and vibrant, it is not trying to confound the listener in the same manner Area may have tried 50 years ago. These guys set up their canvas first, and then each musician (and Regoli) will begin to paint with thoughtful and emotional contributions favored over flashy overplaying. Everyone finds the time and space to shine on their instrument, and when you sit and actively listen to what they are playing, you can hear easily the cool things they are coming up with. The songs seem designed perfectly to highlight the strengths of each player. The overall results are wonderful, warm, and engaging, and I notice more nuance each time I play it. And there certainly are moments where Regoli seems to channel Stratos, peppering certain sections with experimental voice technique and theatrical presentation that will amaze Area fans. But this work is not trying to capitalize by copying those old Area records.

This is a band savoring the chance to create something new and emotional, and they have succeeded. I love the artwork they chose for the cover (a huge improvement over the swan---thank you). I don't have a favorite song here as I loved nearly all of it. I appreciate the work they did on videos as well. Being an English-speaker, I can only catch glimpses of the thematic messages, but I interpret that album cover as notice to grasp at the remains of our life here and now, to seize the day if you will. I feel that Cormorano has succeeded with capturing something special musically, the kite achieving a great height on a most beautiful day. I feel like these guys loved making this music together. Perhaps we all can fly it one more time. Musica magnifica!

Actually any interest for Progressive Rock fans starts and ends in Regoli's unique vocal performances.His voice resembles much that of DEMETRIO STRATOS with Regoli pushing his chords to the limits, either through his excessive singing or delivering wordless performances.The music though has nothing to do with Prog, in fact it seems that the compositions are centered around Regoli's vocal exercises.''Verde Azzurro'' seems like a mixed bag of 80's Soft Rock, slick but plastic-sounding Fusion, smooth Jazz and ultralight Neo Prog in the vein of ATON'S.Easy-listening tracks based on flashy still thin-sounding keyboards and cliche guitar riffs, often breaking into the vocal deliveries of Regoli, and then returning into the same mold.No standout tracks, not even some trully memorable material, while the album has not a bit of consistency due to the various styles offered.

Very rare album, which will be a fine listening only for fans of AREA and DEMETRIO STRATOS' excessive vocal solo works.The recommendation stops right here.

Cormorano formed in 1975 as the progressive scene was declining and they were not able to release their material at that time. They continued to play live over the years however and in 2000 were able to record an album on Mellow Records, consisting of compositions from the late 70s and early 80s. Despite that horrid album cover (which would revert to being awesome without the bird) this is a pretty cool album. Vocalist Raffaello Regoli was a prodigy and acquaintance of Demetrio Stratos and it is obvious when you listen. This band sounds like the light beer version of Area, Regoli is capable of mimicking all of the vocal theatrics of Stratos with great skill. The music is not as challenging or inventive as Area by any means, but is a pretty decent mix of lighter fusion flavored prog rock.

The tracks are primarily vocal but do feature some extended instrumental sections, generally some tasty electric guitar or synth. I love the guitar leads of Giorgio Vitali and the drum work of Guiseppe Borghi is quite impressive as well. I have a problem with the frequently used e-piano, which has that really cheesy sound that the Grateful Dead employed at their late 80s/early 90s live shows. Still it doesn't ruin the disc. There are some female vocals on a couple tracks and occasionally I detect a bit of an Eastern feel as well. As with Area, I enjoy Cormorano despite not being a big fan of this vocal style (whether Stratos or Regoli). But if you do enjoy that vocal craziness you will want to check out this quirky and less intense Area-influenced band. I'll never look at a swan the same way again.

Spelunking (I don't get to use that word nearly often enough) in the caverns of the Mellow catalogue yields a mixed bag. Some finds are rare gems, unknown and often unpolished. Sometimes you find fool's gold, initially attractive but not worth much in the long run. But usually the stones are interesting and often beautiful, even if the quality is not equal to that of the rare gems.

Such is CORMORANO, which is a great album full of passion and vocal pyrotechnics. The band was formed in 1975, led by a wonderful vocalist named Rafaello Regoli. Like many Italian bands of the period, they played live quite a bit but did not record in the studio until later; much later for CORMORANO, who didn't record until 2000. The songs on their sole album, "Giro Tondo (Giro) Fuori Scena," were composed from 1976 through 1984, and their style reflects their era, with a progressive bent but without the edge of the early 1970s.

Vocalist Rafaello met AREA's vocalist Demetrio Stratos at a festival in 1976 and says that a firm relationship was formed then and thereafter. From that point, Rafaello Regoli became a dedicated disciple of Stratos, and certainly his vocals are the focus of the album and feature prominently in every song. However, the similarity to AREA ends there. Whereas AREA is quite avant-garde and experimental, CORMORANO generally plays it fairly safe compositionally. Nearly every song is more or less straightforward in style and structure. The rhythms are usually 4/4, with an occasional 3 /4, syncopation, or creative pattern or structure. The instrumentation consists of keyboards (usually electric piano and synthesizer), guitar, and bass. A typical song will have a laid-back introduction featuring one or two instruments, with the others gradually joining until the song proper begins. Then there is generally a nice groove with bass and drums, with guitars, keys, and vocals trading with or doubling each other. Making up for the conservative composition, however, are the vocals, as Regoli twists and turns around the phrases introduced by the other instruments, adding to and expanding upon them and making them far more complex and interesting than their innocuous introduction. One song entitled "Investigazioni" features vocals only, with multitracking and a style reminiscent of Stratos's solo albums. My favorite on the album, the last track "Taraviaggio" from 1978, features a theme which sounds much like the opening of AREA's "Lulio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)," enlarged upon and expanded by the band. Another favorite, "Somia" from 1976, takes a jazzier approach initially and is probably the most thematically varied on the album.

Overall, CORMORANO's only studio album is a fine example of late 1970s RPI. It's a mix of the Stratos-like vocal styling of bandleader Rafaello Regoli backed by fairly straightforward compositions, sometimes with instrumental and compositional twists and turns,but usually leaving the gymnastics to the vocals. Enjoy your exploring! Three and a half stars for this very good album, rounded down for the site in general, but round up for RPI fans. (Note: the biggest liability to the album is the cover!)