IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE

Review Nº 574

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre is an Italian prog rock band founded in 2006 in Genoa. The name of the band refers to a song inserted in the suite "Zarathustra", the title track of the album released by the famous Italian prog rock band of the 70's Museo Rosenbach in 1973. The band was born thanks to a meeting between Elisa Montaldo, keyboardist and composer passionate about prog rock and the vocalist of the Museo Rosenbach, Stefano "Lupo" Galifi. In an experimentation phase, the band performed live the entire album "Zarathustra" and later they released in 2010 their first self-titled debut studio album where we can see British influences such as King Crimson, Genesis and Gentle Giant but also local ones such as Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Museo Rosenbach. The album obtained a great feedback in the prog rock field. In 2013 and 2017 the band released their second and third studio albums, "AlieNatura" and "Il-Ludere", respectively.

So, "Il-Ludere" is the third studio album of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre that was released in 2017. The line up on the album is Francesco Ciapica (vocals), Giulio Canepa (backing vocals and electric and classical guitars), Elisa Montaldo (backing vocals and keyboards), Fabio Gremo (backing vocals, bass guitar and classical guitar) and Mattias Olsson from Anglagard (drums and percussion, keyboards and processed sounds). "Il-Ludere" had also the presence of Anna Holmgren also from Anglagard (flute) and Andrea Montaldo (percussion), both as guest artists.

If its predecessor "AlieNatura" was more focused on the epic and longer track formats, "Il-Ludere" has almost all their tracks in the shorter range of four to six minutes long. It has only one track with more than 8 minutes. Nevertheless, they have remained completely true to their retro-prog roots. The basic trademarks of their music can all be found here again, the languishing and theatrical singing of the southern Europe performed by Francesco Ciapica, a lot of analog keyboard arsenal in the field of tension between symphonic and classical, as well as a slight hard rock influence of the guitarist Giulio Canepa. The rhythm section with Mattias Olsson and Fabio Gremo also does its work with the usual aplomb. What has also remained is a likeable, slightly classic style of playing, which has its origins clearly in the 70's.

"Le Regole Del Gioco" is a very short track. It's a funny instrumental piece, an instruction to the listener how the best way to enjoy the stereo music effect. "La Parole Magica" is an upbeat jazzy track where the first hints at a different sound can be detected. It has jazzy guitars and keyboards and passionate sung vocals by singer Ciapica. It seems to be influenced by the Canterbury scene. "Come Nelle Favole" is like a heavy rock track and Ciapica even pulls off a high register vocal in the style of metal. Here we can see that the sound of the band is more rock oriented then on their previous albums. Probably this will be a new live favourite track of the band. "Dentro La Mia Mente" is a more lengthy and complex track. One of the most interesting things here is the voice of Ciapica who experiments a double voice effect. It has also a nice guitar work by Canepa. In the end, there's a cheerful and playful energy all over the track. "Spettro Del Palco" is a very beautiful track with its nice vocal melodies and lovely keyboard orchestrations. It has a dramatic theatrical style with its acoustic guitar and ethnic folk dance vibe that turns electric and proggy in the middle. "Prospettive" is one of the stands out tracks on the album. The melodies and passionate vocals are great, particularly it showcase's Elisa's superb keyboards, played alongside Canepa's sensitive and lyrical guitar. It's one of my favourites. "Manitou" shows some of the most beautiful vocal melodies on the album. We can see that the gothic elements of their previous works remain. Ciapica shines on this track. But one of the most beautiful moments is Canepa's guitar work. "Nuova Alchimia" with its Mellotron and analog synths is very different from the rest of the music, as well as anything the band has done to date. It has many rock elements but you can find here great keyboard strings and synth parts. "La Spirale Del Vento" is the lengthiest track on the album and one of my favourites too, which drives us to a fittingly breathless finale. The track develops perfectly well and where we can find some excellent drumming, delicate and soaring electric guitar parts, diverse keyboard work and passionate sung vocals. This is a great way to close the album.

Conclusion: With "Il-Ludere" the band presents a heavier rock feel, but never at the expense of the musicianship. This is a very beautifully crafted set that deserves a wide audience. The album lasts a little less than an hour, and even an untrained listener will not be tired, as the musicians present their ideas in a relatively compact and engaging way. The final result is a set of songs and instrumentals showcasing the compositional talents of the entire band. The album is less gothic and more rock oriented, and probably a bit more accessible than their previous two albums. If you like your progressive rock with a competent reflection on the past, a certain theatricality, but also honest, with a Mediterranean passion and occasionally interspersed folk elements, this Il Tempio Delle Clessidre album is again another right work.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 571

ll Tempio Delle Clessidre is an Italian progressive rock band whose style draws the inspiration from the hard and progressive rock of the 70's and seeks to recreate that sound blending it with a typically Italian taste for melody as well as a distinctly modern approach. A great attention was paid to the integration between the music and the lyrics, with articular reference to the emotional sphere, nature and tradition. The band was born in 2006 starting from an idea by the Genoese keyboardist Elisa Montaldo, who contacted Stefano "Lupo" Galifi, the vocalist on the album "Zarathustra" by the Italian prog rock band of the 70's Museo Rosenbach, regarded as a masterpiece of the genre. After completing the line up, the band performed live the entire Museo Rosenbach's album and started writing their compositions. Their first self-titled debut album was released in 2010 and gave to the band an immediate success. In 2013, with the new singer Francesco Ciapica, the band released their second studio album, "AlieNatura". In 2016 Mattias Olsson, drummer of the well known Swedish band Anglagard joined the band. In 2017 the band released their third studio album, "Il-Ludere".

"AlieNatura" is the second studio album of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre and was released in 2013. The line up on the album is Francesco Ciapica (lead and backing vocals), Giulio Canepa (backing vocals, acoustic, classical and electric guitars), Elisa Montaldo (lead and backing vocals, keyboards, piano and ethnic tools), Fabio Gremo (backing vocals, bass guitar and classical guitar) and Paolo Tixi (backing vocals and drums). It had also the presence of Yoshiko Kase (narration).

The core on this album appears to revolve around firm, majestic guitar and organ based themes. They're a constantly recurring feature, and the arrangement of choice for major alterations and just about any of the intense passages that appear. Vintage keyboard textures are liberally applied throughout as well, both as creators of the numerous gentler, atmospheric passages that are another recurring feature on this album. A select few pastoral excursions have found their way into this album as well, although the more powerful and majestic passages are the dominating ones, and fairly often ones with a darker tinge to them at that. The powerful and theatrical vocals of Ciapica fit well in this type of music.

"Kaze (Ciò Che Il Vento Porta Con Sé)" is an instrumental track with Eastern influences when East meets West. It evokes, with its wind noises, the Asian harmonies. It functions as a long, dramatic intro with keyboard flutes and pads, voice samples and a final crash guitar. This is a wonderful way to kick off the album. "Senza Colori" is Ciapica's debut that shows him in a top form. It sounds more like their debut album. It has some intricate guitar riffs by Canepa. Eliza's keyboards are understated and greatly enhance the listening experience. Trough it we can get some synths, Mellotron, piano and acoustic guitar. "Il Passo" is one of the highlights because it brings some of the nicest analog keyboard sounds that have been heard lately. Canepa's soaring guitar solos are outstanding. It's a track that goes through many tempo and melody changes that hold your interest throughout its nine minutes. "Fino Alla Vetta" is a bit cinematic with its acoustic guitar and Mellotron opening. All components of the track are geared towards the voice of Ciapica. This is the first song where I noticed more Tixi's drum work. "Onirica Possessione" is the first epic at just under ten minutes and is clearly divided into a picturesque introduction, a gloomy middle section and a relaxed ending. This is a Gothic beautiful piece. There are barely discernible whispered voices and the song shifts. Eliza contributes with vocals for the first time. "Notturna" is a short three minute song, a quiet and ambient song with Eliza's multi-tracked vocals, piano and birds. It's introduced by a great bass playing of Gremo, while Elisa sings on this harmonically unusual piece. "Il Cacciatore" is divided into five parts: "La Vera Preda", "Volo Di Rapace", "La Lince", "Il Lupo" and "Il Cacciatore". It's the best track on the album. This 15 minute opus incorporates all the elements that makes of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre one of the greatest and best new Italian prog bands with Ciapica's strong vocals, Eliza's keyboards, Canepa's acoustic and electric guitars, Gremo's strong bass lines and Tixi's drums. This is an intelligent way to close this excellent album.

Conclusion: All in all, this is an excellent second release by this young Italian band. This is symphonic progressive rock with a distinct vintage sound, a style of music they explore with a high degree of excellence throughout. A strong and well made production, and while it does explore musical grounds rather thoroughly explored by other before them, they do it in such excellent manner that the end result is a powerful and compelling one anyhow. This is a complete piece of work with a production well worth spending some time with it, even though it's hard for the non-Italian speakers understand the full concept without notes. But, there's so much going on that is a sheer delight from the start to end. If you enjoy classic prog, whatever the form or language, then this is something that you ought to seek out. So, "AlieNatura" is a must have for anyone looking for an Italian symphonic program. It's a powerful and fascinating album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 531

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre is an Italian progressive rock band founded in Genoa in 2006. The band intends to express ideas and music with the typical sound of the 70's progressive rock music. Elisa Montaldo, keyboardist and composer passionate by the progressive rock and Stefano 'Lupo' Galifi, the vocalist of the album 'Zarathustra', the progressive masterpiece of the famous Italian band Museo Rosenbach met in Genoa in 2006 and gave life to the project, which takes the evocative name 'Il Tempio Delle Clessidre', the final piece of the suite 'Zarathustra', then revised in meaning and concept. The band performs the entire album 'Zarathustra' live, so that Galifi's voice can return to the audience with its original strength and its typical blues nuance. The band begins to work on new ideas for their own compositions. The study, improvisation and sound research are crucial elements for the birth of their eponymous debut work from 2010.

So, 'Il Tempio Delle Clessidre' is the debut studio album of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre that was released in 2010. The line up on 'Il Tempio Delle Clessidre' is Stefano 'Lupo' Galifi (lead vocals), Giulio Canepa (guitars), Elisa Montaldo (vocals, piano, organ, keyboards and concertina), Fabio Gremo (bass guitar) and Paolo Tixi (drums). The album had also the participation of Antonio Fantinuoli (cello) and Max Manfredi (narration).

On 'Il Tempio Celle Clessidre' the compositions are tightly organized and strike the right balance between the melody and the complexity, without a second wasted and with enough changes of pace to make the most demanding prog fan happy. Although the singing is strongly emphasized, there is also a lot of room for the instrumentalists to display their considerable chops. Indeed, the pristine sound quality allows each of the musicians' performances to shine, and captures every nuance of Galifi's seasoned vocal delivery, honed in years of fronting blues-rock bands, while the melodic bent tempers the intensity of the lyrics and the esoteric symbolism of the cover art and booklet of the album.

'Verso L'Alba' is an instrumental track, relatively short that immediately sets the high standard of the music. It sets the scene with the deep, Gothic sound of the organ. It immediately sounded to me as a fine Italian prog album of the 70's. 'Insolita Parte Di Me' is a piece with a lot of rhythm changes, alternating quieter passages with more dramatic ones, dominated keyboards. It's amazing how they manage to achieve the complexity of prog without sacrificing the melody. 'Boccadasse' is a more conventionally structured song with a great diversity. The instrumental parts are followed by the melodic vocal parts with beautiful melodies, catchy chorus and a beautiful melodic guitar solo. The end is great too. 'Le Due Met' Della Notte' is a splendid keyboard showcase that combines melody and intensity. It slowly builds featuring the piano, vocals and a rhythm section, to the full bombastic splendor of the best symphonic prog in its finale. 'La Stanza Nascosta' is a ballad largely acoustic in its nature. It's a very beautiful and delicate track with a lot of classical influences. The piano and the stunning vocals conjure a melancholic and meditative atmosphere. It's superb. 'Danza Esoterica Di Datura' features a varied array of sound images, abetted from a Shakespeare's extract of Macbeth recited by Elisa. It develops into a great prog track with great keyboard melodies combined with very complex rhythms. 'Faldistorium' is full of rhythm and wonderful parts full of keyboard strings. The story is spoken by guest Manfredi, reciting a short text in an emphatic, melodic yet slightly ominous, reinforced by the closing strains of a church organ. 'L'Attesa' is an up-tempo track, a rich and energetic keyboard fest. It's very much in the vein of classic Italian heavy prog acts of the 70's. It has jazzy bass, Hammond organ, Mellotron strings, romantic piano and the great voice of Galifi. 'Il Centro Sottile' is a solemnly melodic track where all the instruments strive to create a lush texture with romantic and classical piano parts, beautiful vocal lines, melodic guitar work always supported by tasteful keyboards. To complete, the fairground and firework sounds on the finale and can add emotionality to the listener. It's simply amazing. 'Antidoto Mentale' closes the album with the leading role for Galifi. This includes lots of vintage keyboards played pleasantly too.

Conclusion: Il Tempio Delle Clessidre deserves to be hailed by their debut. Blending the warmth and melodic flair of the Mediterranean musical tradition with the driving energy of rock and the artistic ambition of prog, the band released one of the best albums to have come out of Italy. While taking their cue from the prog music produced in the 70's the band manages to sound fresh and up-to-date, and not a mere exercise of nostalgia. Il Tempio Delle Clessidre delivered quite an achievement with an album that they can be very proud of. A flawlessly performed, lovingly presented effort, Il Tempio delle Clessidre will surely bring a lot of listening pleasure to the many fans of the Italian progressive rock style. It's highly recommended for people who enjoy the music of the 70's made by Genesis, Yes, Camel, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme. You should definitely invest in this band.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

"Il-ludere", the third album by Genoese band Il Tempio delle Clessidre, was released in 2017 on the independent label Black Widow Records with a renewed line up featuring Elisa Montaldo (keyboards, vocals), Fabio Gremo (bass, classical guitar, backing vocals), Giulio Canepa (electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Mattias Olsson (drums, percussion, keyboards) and Francesco Ciapica (vocals). It confirms all the good qualities of the band's previous works delivering an excellent brew of vintage sounds, crisp melodies and freshness. The title is a kind of calambour, a pun mixing the words illusion and play that gives an idea of the musical content while the enigmatic art cover by Elisa Montaldo adds a touch of mystery and surprise...

The short opener "Le regole del gioco" (The rules of the game) sets the atmosphere by a sound of footsteps in the background, then you can hear a voice giving instructions in English to set up your stereo to get the maximum enjoyment from your listening experience... It leads to "La parola magica" (The magic word), a beautiful piece that evokes the memories of children fascinated with words in a time when "words were things of beauty, each like a magical powder or potion that could be combined with other words to create powerful spells, not frustrating, annoyingly elusive clusters of letters...". Well, this short quote from "Lightning", a novel by Dean Koontz, can give you an idea of the subject matter while the music and lyrics try to take you back in time, in a purer world where dreams can come true and you can believe in magic...

"Come nelle favole" (Like in the fairy tales) is another track full of positive energy that evokes the power of fantasy to overcome the frustrations of daily grind and find new harmony and new strength. Then it's the turn of the dreamy "Dentro la mia mente" (Inside my mind) that tells about words, lyrics and how the inspiration can come like a lightning out of the blue if you really look for it inside your mind...

"Spettro del palco" (Spectre of the stage) is darker and tells in a operatic, theatrical way a story of passion, jealousy, betrayal, murder and remorse. On a virtual stage inside his mind, the protagonist relives again and again the tragic moment when he stabbed to death his woman and failed to kill her lover... Then, the melancholic "Prospettive" (Perspectives) depicts in vivid colours a misty night spent walking under the city lights trying to escape from a raw, smothering reality.

The title of the following "Manitou" refers to the spiritual and fundamental life force in the Native American theology and here the music and lyrics evoke the breath of freedom, the call of the wind and a timeless quest for truth and astral balance... Next comes "Nuova alchimia" (New alchemy) that depicts apocalyptic sceneries and warns about the risks of a future where men feel like gods and are free to manipulate life. Here technology becomes a dangerous, transcendental art...

"La spirale del vento" (The spiral of the wind) starts by a dreamy piano solo pattern, then the music and lyrics unfold between illusion and reality alternating reflective passages and heavier sections, taking risky spiritual paths towards dark horizons... Then a bonus track closes the album. "Gnaffè" features the guest Andrea Montaldo on percussion and comes from the 2016 Colossus-Musea themed compilation album "Decameron - Ten Days In 100 Novellas (Part III)". It's a track with a very theatrical approach that tells in music words the story of a prank...

On the whole, an excellent album and a real must for every Italianprog lover.

Genovese band Il Tempio Delle Clessidre released their third studio album four years on from AlieNatura. Il Ludere is another excellent piece of music that fits nicely in the progressivo Italiano canon. I've followed them since 2014 but their journey began in 2006, when keyboard player Elisa Montaldo met former Museo Rosenbach vocalist Stefano 'Lupo' Galifi in the Black Widow record store in the heart of Genoa. They assembled the group Il Tempio delle Clessidre, named after a subsection of the 1973 Museo Rosenbach classic Zarathustra with the notion to perform that album live ? with the inclusion of Giulio Canepa on guitar, Fabio Gremo on bass, and the 19-year old Paolo Tixi on drums. There's a DVD of a 2011 performance in Seoul with extras including footage of their 2009 debut performance from Genoa's Teatro della Gioventu, which acts as a documentary of the Galifi era (Black Widow Records BWR168). Part of the Seoul gig was the modern recreation of Zarathustra in its entirety which, though technically challenging was hailed as a resounding success.

My introduction to the band was at the Fiera Internazionale della Musica in Genoa in May 2014. I'd specifically gone to see La Maschera di Cera but was struck by the stellar range of the line-up, a testament to the healthy state of Italian progressive rock in general and the importance of the host city in particular. Il Tempio delle Clessidre played on the first day and, because I had seen drummer Paolo Tixi play with Fabio Zuffanti's Z-Band a few weeks before, I was intrigued by their inclusion on the bill. I'd looked up references to them before seeing them and was delighted to hear their style of melodic symphonic prog. Afterwards, I could fully appreciate their tag as a successor to Museo Rosenbach. Vocalist Francesco Ciapica replaced Galifi for the second album, AlieNatura (2013) and his voice has a similar quality to Galifi, full and rich with a good range. The entire performance was very assured and impressed me sufficiently to visit the Black Widow stand and buy a copy of their first CD. I bought my copy of AlieNatura in Black Widow in 2015 and it has proved difficult to decide which of these first two albums I like better; both are of an amazing quality, best exemplified by Il Centro Sottile from the first album and the multi-part suite Il Cacciatore from AlieNatura.

Il Ludere includes another change of personnel, with former Änglagård drummer Mattias Olsson replacing Tixi. As with the preceding album, the title Il Ludere is a pun combining the Latin verb ludere (to play) with the article il to generate a double meaning: the act of playing and, from the verb illudere, deception or illusion. The cover illustration continues this theme and the first track Le Regole del Gioco (The rules of the game) spells it out. What is immediately striking is that this is more conventional rock-sounding than the full-on symphonic prog of its two predecessors, although it remains firmly in the prog camp thanks to great playing, intelligent writing and, to a greater extent, a rejection of straightforward form.

Le Regole del Gioco owes something to musique concrète: an instruction to the listener how best to enjoy the stereo effect before segueing into the upbeat, jazzy La Parola Magica (The Magic Word) where the first hints at a different sound can be detected. The organ tends to follow the vocal melody, the guitar is distorted and the concluding electric piano seems to be influenced by the Canterbury scene. If that isn't hint enough, Come Nella Favole (As in the Fables) begins like a heavy rock track and Ciapica even pulls off a high register vocal. What separates this track from a multitude of early 80s metal bands is a fiendishly tricky break, though I can imagine this being a new live favourite. There may be a hint of guitar hero about the soloing on next track Dentro la Mia Mente (Inside My Mind) but this is a fairly lengthy, more complex piece which reminds me of some of Finisterre's experimentation featuring tape effects. After that the rest of the album is undeniably proggy.

Spettro del Palco (Stage of the Spectrum), which was selected as a single, is the tale of an unrequited love with a tragic ending. It's set in a theatre and comes across as suitably dramatic, with themes picked out first by delicate acoustic and ending with a crescendo of passionate electric guitar. The coda provides a prelude to the theme running through the penultimate track La Spirale del Vento (The Wind Spiral.) Prospettive (Perspectives) opens with an acoustic guitar figure and builds slowly with piano and synthesizer before a Mellotron like break and some striking electric guitar. The vocals are full of feeling and most effective, producing some high quality prog. One of the most achingly beautiful moments on the whole release is the Gilmour-like guitar on Manitou where the percussion, similar to the recording of Peter Gabriel IV, is played out on the bottom kit, without cymbals. This provides an earthy, world music feel which is fitting for a song about a fundamental life force. Nuova Alchimia (New Alchemy) flows on almost seamlessly, initially with sparse percussion, though it's very riff-driven. There's an interlude with a sort of carnival atmosphere before Montaldo plays a fast synthesizer solo in classic RPI style; the vocals form an important part of the song, adding immediacy, but unfortunately it doesn't really develop.

Perhaps it was the influence of their new drummer, but there are some distinctly angular lines that call to mind Olsson's former band Änglagård or even Fragile-era Yes on La Spirale del Vento which, at 8'43 is the longest track on the album and closest to the material from the first two albums. This is my favourite track; there is plenty of space between the vocal passages to allow Montaldo to shine with some excellent lead synthesizer and the whole piece is well-constructed. One of the biggest surprises is Gnaffe, included as a bonus track on the CD. Based on the 14th Century Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, a collection of stories ranging from the tragic to the erotic, it includes tales of wit and practical jokes. The song, at times medieval and at others what I would regard as traditional Italian popular music (during the duet between Ciapica and Montaldo), offers the contrast between almost scholarly classical guitar and outright playfulness during the storytelling.

Despite being a little uncharacteristic of progressivo Italiano, this album has grown on me the more I've listened to it. To be fair to Il Tempio delle Clessidre, they have produced a more homogeneous work because they've widened the pool of creative input. This may seem counterintuitive but it's the distorted, riffing guitar that has pulled them towards rock. On the other hand, there's still a huge variety of textures that would never get represented in the mainstream and the inclusion of Olsson has provided the impetus for utilising a variety of effects. It's unfortunate that my grasp of the Italian language is so poor, because I'm sure that there are more musical and lyrical puns at play throughout the release.

Despite my inability to pick up nuances in the language I think that though it may be a little atypical of the genre, from the atmospheric to the dramatic, this is an excellent addition to any prog collection.

One of my favourite Classic Italian Prog albums is Zarathustra from Museo Rosenbach, the final part of the epic titletrack delivers the most glorious and compelling Mellotron eruptions I have ever heard! The name of that part is Il Tempio Delle Clessidre, I got exited when I stumbled upon a new Italian band with the name Il Tempio Delle Clessidre and their eponymous debut CD. Well, no coincidence, the singer of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre is Stefano "Lupo" Galifi, once the singer of that legendary and highly acclaimed Museo Rosenbach.

We can enjoy outstanding, very passionate vocals, an awesome vintage keyboard sound, exciting guitarplay (loaded with propulsive riffs and fiery runs) and a fluent rhythm-section. The inventive compositions contain a huge variety and lots of dynamics, in the vein of the Classic Italian Prog bands.

The start in the first short and instrumental track Verso L'Alba is Vintage Keyboard Heaven: a heavy Hammond and powerful guitar, accompanied by Mellotron violins and a fat Minimoog solo, I love this compelling sumptuous prog! This turns out to be Il Tempio Delle Clessidre their trademark, only the song Boccadasse is a bit of a maverick: a polished sound, at some moments even a bit smooth but wonderful interplay between fiery guitar and sumptuous keyboards.

My highlights.

Insolita Parte Di Me : majestic Mellotron, sparkling piano, a flashy synthesizer solo and a wonderful final part with emotional vocals.

La Stanza Nascota : a classical atmosphere with acoustic guitar, violin, piano and tender vocals, wonderfully build up to a compelling final part with lush Mellotron choirs, goose bumps!

Danza Esoterica Di Narura: very alternating, from fiery electric guitar to swirling Grand piano, like Keith Emerson.

Faldistorium: bombastic Hammond, powerful guitar with intense Mellotron violins and finally a church organ sound.

In L'Attesa the band rocks, with strong electric guitar and bombastic keyboard outbursts (Hammond and Moog) in the vein of Seventies ELP, topped by passionate vocals, again an extra dimension!

Il Centro Sottile : strong vocals, sensitive electric guitar and another great vintage keyboard sound in the final part (Grand piano, Mellotron and Moog).

What an outstanding debut CD, another stunning Italian progrock highlight in the last two decades.

After this debut album the band released two other studio-albums (alieNatura in 2013 and Il-Lūdĕre in 2017) and a live DVD featuring a new version of the legendary epic Zarathustra by Museo Rosenbach.

Italy's Il Tempio delle Clessidre instantly made a grand entrance with 2010's self-titled disc, a confident debut fronted by vocalist Stefano `Lupo' Galifi of legendary Seventies RPI band Museo `Zarathustra' Rosenbach. Come the Museo reunion in 2013, Lupo was gone, with the young band giving the unenviable talk of replacing him to singer Francesco Ciapica, with them all delivering the worldly follow-up `Alienatura' also in '13. After the superb double DVD performance `Live in Seoul' (worth it alone for the way to band reinterpret the above-mentioned vintage Italian classic album) a year later, we now arrive in 2017 with their third and latest studio work, the classy `Il-Lūdĕre', and it might be their most subtle, dignified and deceptively complex work to date, even if it's perhaps more obviously song-based (but not commercial) than their first two studio discs.

If you're a listener who prizes sumptuous arrangements that hold tightly written tunes, delivered by a dynamic vocalist backed by the precise playing of skilled musicians, then Il Tempio delle Clessidre once again deliver the goods here. After an amusing voice-over introduction, `La Parola Magica' arrives with all the theatrical bombast, heavier energy and ravishing vocal prowess expected of the Italian prog bands, yet still wrapped in a punchy tune. Italian prog's divine First Lady Elisa Montaldo's peppy keyboards and sparkling electric piano dart rapidly, Fabio Gremo's murmuring bass and Giulio Canepa's attacking guitars race with fire, Francesco Ciapica's charismatic voice purrs with raspy flare, and Swedish musician, ex-Anglagard and White Willow drummer Mattias Olsson's drums, filling in for the departed Paolo Tixi, rumble with expertly controlled power.

It might not be the greatest moment of the album, but `Come Nelle Favole' grows more hair on its chest for a tougher hard- rocking snarl, while the spiralling keyboard outro may remind some of young British prog-poppers Muse. `Dentro La Mia Mente' is a slinking poppier melodic rocker with a smoother vocal and smart catchy chorus, but darker edges hide within. There's a sprightly playful energy with dancing keyboard interplay around nicely drawn-out and urgent runaway guitar soloing from Giulio before the piece culminates in a dreamy spoken-word montage. Elisa then outdoes herself on `Spettro Del Palco', a purer RPI spectral pantomime that oozes sophistication and an eerie atmosphere. A ghostly army of keyboard goodness haunts the malevolently creeping vocal piece, be it veils of Mellotron sheen or pristine piano tiptoes, and classical guitar fancy rings throughout.

Despite being book-ended with warm acoustics, soaring guitar runs smoulder throughout `Prospettive' bringing plenty of raging symphonic bursts here and there. `Manitou' is an album highlight, a stark ballad with Francesco's voice full of wounded dignity bringing a real `hair standing on end' soulful honesty, and some gorgeous weeping guitar strains in the middle that call to mind Pink Floyd pierce straight to the heart.`Nuova Alchimia' holds fleeting moments of infernal heaviness and shadowy symphonic touches amongst its whirring keyboards and catchy huffing chorus, and album closer `La Spirale Del Vento' effortlessly darts back and forth in tempo with some nicely wilder and dangerous touches peppered throughout, as well as some tasty jazzy touches. The band twist through manic eclectic little soloing fills, and the final minutes sweep beautifully with the grandest of themes to ensure the album closes in as elegant and uplifting a manner as possible.

There are minor issues that might perhaps restrict the album for a large majority of listeners. This more song-based album would admittedly be even stronger if it offered a few additional extended instrumental breaks here and there or even one or two voice-free pieces, as it is quite vocal heavy the majority of the time, even if Francesco's range is stronger and more varied than ever. There's also a richness to the lyrics that will absolutely resonate more with Italian speaking listeners in this particular instance that can sometimes be overlooked on more instrumental-heavy Italian works for people who don't speak the language. There's also an uncompromising defiance to this work that might mean `Il-Lūdĕre' will more impress long-time fans of the group as opposed to being a suitable introduction to newcomers (who should probably explore the debut album to start off with).

But considering many of the Black Widow releases are very retro-flavoured or overtly heavy, `Il-Lūdĕre' proves to be one of the most dense yet subtle works to appear on the label. There's plenty of flashier, more obvious Italian prog groups around at the moment, and no doubt the band could deliver paint-by-numbers material that darts off into endless frantic keyboard soloing at every opportunity. But instead Il Tempio delle Clessidre have crafted a work of highly intelligent, weightier and more challenging material here that demands constant time and multiple re-listens to grasp the subtlety and intricate details, which is far more satisfying than instant thrills that don't maintain over time. It ultimately means that `Il-Lūdĕre' is another first-class effort from one of the shining stars of modern Italian progressive rock in Il Tempio delle Clessidre.

Four stars.

I was quite a fan of this Italian progressive rock band's previous album, 'alieNatura', which was released in 2013: this was their second release, but the first with singer Francesco Ciapic. Again, there has been a change in membership between albums, as drummer Paolo Tixi has been replaced by Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, White Willow, Necromonkey), while Anna Holmgren (also of Änglagård) adds her delicate flute to one number. This is a progressive rock album that is dominated by the vocals, and to my ears it works incredibly well. Musically this has a lot in common with the early Seventies progressive rock and hard rock scene, and the use of a strong singer in the hard rock style certainly provides this music with some additional edge. Which is sadly often missing from the progressive scene.

Too many bands seem to forget the "rock" section of "progressive rock", and they can concentrate too much on keyboards and delicacy, but here ITDC are using plenty of dynamics, with light and shade emphasising both areas. But, these guys are still first and foremost a progressive band, it's just that they are refusing to be bound by what many feel is the sort of music that should be coming out of the RPI scene. I really enjoy Francesco's singing style, as his vocals carry emotion and although he can sing higher when he wishes to, he generally stays in the lower registers and this allows emotion to really shine through.

My one regret is that I don't understand Italian, so have no idea at all what he is singing about, but feel that if this had been in English then it would have diminished it somewhat. Yet again this is an incredibly strong release from Black Widow, and well worth investigating.

The tradition of Rock Progressivo Italiano has been very vital in recent years. Numerous classic bands of the 70's have re-activated and released new music, and several new bands carry on in the retro style. Il Tempio delle Clessidre was formed in 2007 but it had a link to the classic era: the original vocalist Stefano Galifi sung on the milestone album Zarathustra (1973) by Museo Rosenbach. He was replaced by Francesco Ciapica already on the second Tempio album AlieNatura (2013). I'm not familiar with the preceding albums, so I can't say anything about the way the group may have matured or maintained/updated their style. But perhaps I could say that the recent output of Black Widow Records is very interesting and diverse, and against that background this album, for me, is not among the ones to write home about.

My early impression is that while the slightly heavy sound is pretty much what one expects from RPI (well, maybe not quite as keyboard oriented as with many other bands), the compositions have a bit too much emphasis on the vocals. The brief opener is basically an instrumental (featuring some distorted voice-over) but frankly it functions only as a prologue. If it manages to raise some expectations of a dynamic and epic album entity, they are not fulfilled. There's not a single proper instrumental which certainly would have done good. 'Dentro la mia mente' is over 7 minutes long and I hoped to get some more symphonic instrumental passages, but instead there are again spoken words. I'm not fond of Ciapica's low-ish voice.

I'd lie if I said there aren't a lot of dynamic playing within the tracks, even fine solos, without forgetting some acoustic, delicate moments amidst the powerful band sound. But in the end the songs (mostly 4-6 minutes long) fail to make a deeper impression on me. Perhaps the best one is the longest, 'La Spirale del Vento' (8:43). Yes it is, thanks to the instrumental, symphonically inspired final part. This is not a bad album. It's well produced, and doubtlessly it will please many friends of Italian prog scene, especially those who like also the heavier, less pastoral side of it (Il Balletto di Bronzo, Museo Rosenbach, ...). It just isn't MY ideal RPI album.

ITDC is Back!

After three years from "AlieNatura" the wise band from Genoa, now enriched with the (not only) drummer Mattias Olsson (ex-Anglagard, Necromonkey, White Willow), is out with its third studio album.

As the preceding album, also in this case the title is a word game. The union of latin verb "ludere", that means 'the act of playing', with the italian article "il" generates a dualism between "il giocare" (the act of playing) and the verb "illudere", that means 'to deceive' or 'to generate expectations that will never be satisfied'

Actually, along the lyrics find place the sweet illusion to have the world at your feet when you're very young, the sad reality to face when you're adult, the tricks, the games, the consequences of love and the need to come back to act and think as a child, to go beyond obstacles otherwise insurmountable, if faced with an adult mind.

All is supported by ITDC's Music, every time rich and refined in arrangements, but here a bit different with the respect of past albums: now all the musicians are involved in composition, not only Fabio Gremo and Elisa Montaldo. This leads to more heterogeneus sounds, more rock oriented, though the lovely presence of Gremo's classic guitar works moderates the effect. There is more electric guitar, but Giulio Canepa takes away the usual RPI jazzy polite register, substituting it with more opened and distorted effects, very near to heavy rock. In the meantime Elisa Montaldo's great work of searching new fascinating sounds, unusual harmonizations and atmospheres sometimes ethereal, sometimes sumptuos and anxious takes place. The searching of new effects is extended also to vocals: always warm and emphatic the one from Francesco Ciapica, always sweet and touching the other from Elisa Montaldo, helped in the chorus line from Canepa and Gremo. Also Mattias Olsson, with his huge amount of percussion and samplers has given his contribution to the new aspects of ITDC sound.

In my opinion the best moments are "La Parola Magica", "Prospettive", "Nuova Alchimia" and "La Spirale del Vento", while "Manitou", with its evoking melodic line and the wise Olson's drumming, gives me a pleasant sensation of ethereal melancholy. I've heard both versions of this song: one sung in Italian by Ciapica (on CD) and the other sung in Japanese by Elisa (Live) and I prefer the second one because feminine voice and Japanese language render it more evoking and ethereal. You may find the Japanese version of this song only on CD Japanese edition. "Spettro del Palco" is the single come out to anticipate the album. The lyrics, the music and the video pay their tribute to Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and has the virtue to be quite catchy, but not too easy. "Gnaffe' " is the bonus track: it's inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron novels. It's a music trick, as to refer to album title.

Track by Track shivers

"Le Regole del Gioco" The album opens with sounds and atmospheres which bring you away, a nice piano arpeggio that seems to anticipate something unnamed, and footsteps with english conversation...

"La Parola Magica" Powerful track, but what has given me shivers is that crazy synth effect which jumps from right to left at the beginning of the second verse! If I know a bit Elisa Montaldo, she could have lost her sleep until she has found it in the right way!

"Come nelle Favole" It's an heavy rock song, quite unusual for ITDC. Here Francesco Ciapica shows his great vocal range. Great strong ending with two powerful solos: guitar and keys.

"Dentro la mia mente" It has a long coda (ending part), widely used in RPI. In this case it's enriched with histrionic Ciapica's vocalism who experiments a double voice effect as in the second track.

"Spettro del Palco" It's a good single song. It takes place in your mind even if it's not easy-listening as well. Once more I have to remark Ciapica's great interpretative vein. Please notice how does it change the sense of the words "nella mia mente" in the two different situations: in the first he is sweethearted in love, in the second he is hoplessly desperate! The piano coda anticipates the main theme of "La Spirale del Vento" ... and also this means "to play with music"!

"Prospettive" Starting from this song until the end of "La Spirale del Vento" in my opinion there's the best part of the entire album. Starting with an intro with classic guitar and piano, after the keys crescendo (with that bass chords I truly love!) the music seems to spirally close into itself to give space to Canepa loud screaming guitar, very inspired along the whole track. After the 6/8 bridges his solo is powerful and full of feeling. The coda is heart breaking. Very beautiful!

"Manitou" is ethereal, spiritual and sweet. The continual but suffused Olsson's percussion and his almost tribal drumming render this song a priceless musical pearl.

"Nuova Alchimia" is the track less easy to bear in mind. It practically hasn't an intro, almost showing an urgency of expression. The up-tempo singing, the solemnity of keys and the unbelievable atmosphere that lingers in the whole track find their fulfillment in the opera-symphonic ending, with the astonishing Elisa's chorals which give us pure emotion. Great!

"La Spirale del Vento" Beautiful piano intro with Olson's delicate cymbals work. The lyrics are almost autobiographical and talk about the choices we make, that seem crazy to others. The powerful synth solo opens the incredible epic and overwhelming ending. I must confess that I'd have preferred that the album would come to end with this track, because the bonus track misrepresents the fulfilment sensation that lets you to play the entire CD another time.

"Gnaffe' " It's almost a goliardic game, as mentioned before. Well played in mediaeval way, as it is.

At the end, "il-ludere" is a very good album. It takes a bit distance from typical RPI stylistics (we don't find long epic songs and continuous tempo variations) but still chained to it by the enriched arrangements (instrumental and vocal) and the search of unusual rhythm solutions and in something new or unexpected, which is the vital lymph for music REAL lovers. ITDC original and characteristic sound remains almost untouched, even if it pays a great tribute to past glorious prog bands

Please don't miss to listen to this album, you would bitterly repent!