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NOT A GOOD SIGN

Eclectic Prog • Italy


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Not A Good Sign biography
Founded in Milan, Italy in 2011

The new AltrOck/Fading Records collaboration NOT A GOOD SIGN was conceived three years ago by producer Marcello MARINONE together with keyboardist Paolo BOTTA (SKE , YUGEN) and guitarist Francesco ZAGO (YUGEN ). The idea behind the project was to produce a seventies-inspired style of rock music, something more accessible than the avant-garde chamber prog that characterises the two parent bands. Their music is also more songs-based than the largely instrumental work of YUGEN therefore singer Alessio CALANDRIELLO was recruited from stablemates LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO to fulfil the vocal duties. Bass-player Gabriele G. COLOMBI joined from the same band and the line-up was completed in 2012 with the addition of young drummer Martino MALACRIDA.

The band takes their name from one of their own songs but the expression also alludes to their take on the present economic climate across the globe, a situation that in turn mirrors the dark mood on the recently released debut album. At the forefront of their sound is a wide array of vintage keyboards that includes Hammond organ and Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos, but it is a dynamic twinning of synthesizers and string ensembles that overlays much of the album in great glacial sheets of sound and reflects the despair and loneliness of the lyrics. The close connections among the band members help to maximise their strength as a unit and this results in the production of a powerful blend of heavy and symphonic prog that is clearly fashioned on KING CRIMSON although it also has reminiscences of ÄNGLAGÅRD and ANEKDOTEN.

Their self-titled album should have particular appeal to fans of keyboard-oriented prog and is currently available in CD format and to stream via their bandcamp.

- seventhsojourn

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4.01 | 234 ratings
Not a Good Sign
2013
3.53 | 66 ratings
From a Distance
2015
4.05 | 122 ratings
Icebound
2018

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NOT A GOOD SIGN Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Not a Good Sign by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.01 | 234 ratings

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Not a Good Sign
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by Smurfreviews

5 stars Review #5 - Italian Musical Art.

Clear the stage for an incredible talented Italian prog band that should definitely be better known. I remember clearly how I put the first album of the Italians in my player back then without any big ideas and was literally blown away by the musical content of the band. Already in the first track "Almost I" the musicians present us fat guitars, a howling Mellotron and an atmosphere completely after King Crimson standards. These first six minutes are so good that you are practically forced to keep listening. Musically, however, they don't move in King Crimson territory all the time, but rather in the realm of RetroProg and New Artrock. But what is offered here can confidently be described as high quality prog. "Almost II", the second song, is the introduction of vocalist Alessio Calandriello, whose timbre fits perfectly into the mood of the music. After that it becomes a bit more jazzy, but the album, despite its perceived range, seems a cohesive homogeneity, which also makes the time pass very quickly. The five Italians know how to skillfully combine atmosphere and skill. The keyboardist Paolo "Ske" Botta can absolutely convince me with his choice of sounds and also the other musicians act on a level that the band would not have to subordinate itself to other big names of the scene by any means. In addition, there are guest contributions from a singer (Sharron Fortnam), the pianist Maurizio Fasoli and the cellist Bianca Fervidi.

This album is really great and I still love it! And at the latest from the title track, the band has proven that they have it. Talent, good songwriting and a great own sound are the strengths of this debut album. For every prog fan this band is actually a must-have! Have fun getting to know them :)

 Icebound by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2018
4.05 | 122 ratings

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Icebound
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars With this, the third album release from AltrOck band Not a Good Sign, we see some lineup changes as founder Francesco Zago has moved onto other projects and vocalist Alessio Calandriello makes his final contributions before moving on. Founding members keyboard whiz Paolo "SKE" Botta, bassist Alessandro Cassani, and drummer Martino Malacrida remain, while familiar Gian Marco Trevisan (From a Distance and live performances since 2015) picks up the guitar and some of the vocal duties.

1. "Second Thought" (2:33) opens like a powerful MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA song. Wow! What an album opening! It then turns more avant/RIO at the 1:30 mark. (9/10)

2. "Frozen Words" (7:06) piano and Alessio open this one before the band joins in with kind of spacious ballad- support. The band is using an interesting, very different, recording/effect style on Alessio's voice for this one-- making it feel more human, more within the mix than out in front. In the fourth minute the song moves into a more up-tempo jazz-rock instrumental section while plenty of odd vocal and field samples get disbursed throughout. At 5:20 things quiet down again as distant violin and acoustic guitar provide the only sounds--not to last too long as full band and Alessio return for the heavier, up-tempo finale. (8.5/10)

3. "Hidden Smile" (9:08) a rock instrumental that harbors some very familiar NOT A GOOD SIGN riffs within the keyboard, percussion, and guitar performances. I love the shift at 4:25 whereupon the violin gets a chance to shine. The music in the delicate slowdown in the eighth minute is quite lovely. (8.5/10)

4. "As If" (0:58) instrumental flourishes and interludes: something SKE excels at. (5/5)

5. "Down Below" (7:41) what a gift is the voice of Alessio Calandriello! The introductory section is followed by a very solid and engaging instrumental section--and then again by Alessio's wonderfully fitting and perfected vocal performance. Very tightly constructed and performed. A top three song for me. These are the heights that I hoped for when I purchased this album. Interesting "descent" into silence in the seventh minute before the emotional instrumental return for the final minute. (9.5/10)

6. "Truth" (7:13) opening with lots of layers of delicacy and subtlety--especially from the drums and multiple keyboards. Inventive chord progression yields plenty of inspiration for melodic constructs through the first two minutes. Then everything shifts and opens up to a more spacious soundscape to make room for the brief but brilliant lead vocal performance. A VDGG/Canterburian instrumental section ensues over which guitar solos and drums shine. Toward the end of the fifth minute things shift but remain heavy; this VDGG theme and style plays out to the song's end. (9/10)

7. "Not Yet" (1:28) bass, odd percussives, and odd key sounds open this one before the whole band bursts forth in a beautiful melody. This could have gone on! (5/5)

8. "Trapped In" (9:42) again, a VDGG soundscape is employed for the base of this song. Alessio enters with his plaintive voice with female vocalists backing him. The dynamic shifts from loud and heavy to soft and ominous are so well executed. A powerful, peripatetic song! I love the soft interlude in the fourth and fifth minutes--followed by a build up and release for David Jackson's sax. I'm feeling some SEVEN IMPALE here, too! (9/10)

9. "Uomo Neve" (2:32) spacious piano and incidentals open this one before a low chromatic hit of the keys ushers in an eerie, almost creepy section with lots of small-crowd voices flowing beneath the bass, percussives, and keys. Closes out with a return and fading out of the spacious piano from the opening. (4.5/5)

4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece from an ever-evolving band of very talented composers and performers. Francesco and Alessio may have left the building but this solid band is still strong and standing tall!

 Icebound by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2018
4.05 | 122 ratings

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Icebound
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by progpromoter

4 stars Preceded by the (un)usual original and funny anticipations, among them snippets and games to guess the album title, finally the third Not A Good Sign album is in my hands.

I own a limited edition (signed booklet and 'freezed' jewelcase ' I have the 46/500 copy) taken, as the preceding album, during the album debut gig.

As usual the booklet is evocative and well done, showing lyrics and informations about host musicians.

I have to admit that in this case I had a wary approach to the work, since the preceding two albums were composed by the pair Francesco Zago, who I consider almost the italian Bob Fripp, and Paolo 'ske' Botta, who is the real creator of NAGS project.

In this new album the most of the tracks and lyrics are by Botta and something has changed a bit: while the mood of the preceding two albums was a mix of ansiogenic, melancholic and visionary components, in this latest work the visionary component has been substituted by an oneiric one and this new component rounds up some edge.

You have only to give up your conventional concept of melody and let you bring into NAGS melodic unique interpretation.

The songs have kingcrimsonian inspiration, but the structures are more near RIO way of composing, with unusual rhythmic patterns, dissonant chords, joints which bring to evidence now a cymbal bell, now a guitar chord or a keyboard single key, latent derivative repetitions and plenty of ostinato and obbligato. These structural parts give to NAGS music that certain 'unexpected' component, that every good and passionate listener hope to meet every time he comes in contact with something new. Above all these wonderful constructions, are layed down melodic carpets and instrumental openings of high emotional impact.

The album starts as a Twin Peaks III episode, then it follows in 9 fashionable and high intesive tracks.

Some of them are short ehtereal moments, while the others are complex and long songs.

It's difficult to say which one is better.

Alessio Calandriello's melodic interpretations (here in this work he uses tunes less familiar to him) and the killer rhythm patterns of Alessandro Casssani/Martino Malacrida powerful pair, alternate with the amazing guitar and keyboard moments by Gianmarco Trevisan and Paolo Botta, high sensitive pianissimo and high intensity instrumental openings.

Maybe 'Trapped In', with Calandriello wonderful vocalism and David Jackson's sax, has some advantage to the others.

At the end of the game, 'Icebound' is a very pleasant and inspired album and NAGS show they always are able to find new musical solutions, even mantaining intact their powerful and dynamic unique sound.

Fun Facts: - Every new album brings a personnel variation: After the first eponym the bass player left; after 'From A Distance' the guitar player left; now it's the turn of the singer: Calandriello has left.

- In the preceding album there was a track named 'Not Now', in this new album there's one named 'Not Yet'. Should we wait the next one to know if or when the right moment will take place?

 Icebound by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2018
4.05 | 122 ratings

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Icebound
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by mitarai_panda

4 stars Not A Good Sign is an eclectic former rock band from Milan, Italy. Founded in 2011, they claim to be resonating melody and lyrics, melancholy and colorful music. They are composed of keyboard player Paolo BOTTA from Yugen, guitarist Francesco ZAGO and producer Marcello MARINONE. Yugen is a pioneer band and Not A Good Sign is relatively easy to listen to. The team name "not a good sign" is their reflection on global climate issues. This is reflected in their 2013 first year. For music, they tend to dynamically match the buffer and string ensembles. The mood is often Melancholy, lonely and desperate, a little symphony, of course, they also have very heavy moments, which makes them close to the KC, but also evoke memories of ÄNGLAGÅRD and ANEKDOTEN. In this year's new album "Icebound", they invited David Jackson, a member of the VDGG, to play the flute and saxophone, as well as the use of violins and chimes to enrich the music. The violin was used in the 9-minute epic Hidden Smile, a bit of a pioneering feeling. The following Down Below and Truth can be said to be a bit heavy. The last epic was Trapped In. David Jackson's saxophone sounded, but the emotions seemed tense. Finally it was even a little distorted. It seemed to express some anxiety (for the album name Icebound). See, this is still an expression of environmental issues?). Overall, the first half of the album was relatively symphonic and approachable. After Zhang had some experiments, he returned to Yugen's old line, but the string and saxophone graced it a lot and could give a Samsung half to four stars. fraction.
 From a Distance by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.53 | 66 ratings

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From a Distance
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Not a Good Sign's sophomore effort disappoints. There is just something lacking here that the debut had. Energy. Enthusiasm. It's as if the band is often caught going through the motions, as if the spirit and conviction of the effort is missing. I felt this from the first two listens through the album--even before I found out that this was to be Francesco Zago's last work with the group. Nothing feels finished, polished, fully developed. There are parts of songs that just plod along--as if it's an effort just to get through the next measure. The continued excellent voice and vocal performances of LA COSCIENZO DI ZENO's Alessio Calandriello are not enough to save this one; each of the other contributors seems unable to work as a team, or to get excited for the end product. Perhaps Francesco's immanent departure was known before or during the creation of this album. I don't know. I just know that nothing, no song has nearly the fire and strength of 2013's debut. Whatever it is that Paolo "Ske" Botta, Alessandro Cassani, Martino Malacrida, and Francesco Zago do next, I wish them well. They are without doubt extraordinary artists--all of them. I've just come to expect better of Not a Good Sign than this.
 Not a Good Sign by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.01 | 234 ratings

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Not a Good Sign
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Producer Marcello Marinone is the hidden person behind this Italian project, an All-Star band of the AltRock/Fading Records labels' line-up, started in 2011 with keyboardist Paolo Ske Botta and guitarist Francesco Zago, both from Yūgen, soon to be joined by singer Alessio Calandriello and veteran bassist Gabriele Guidi Colombi, both coming from La Coscienza di Zeno.The line-up became complete with the arrival of drummer Martino Malacrida.In March/April 2013 they recorded their self-titled debut, produced of course by the leading founder Marcello Marinone, while Botta was also responsible for the artwork of the album.

Not a Good Sign sound like an Italian Prog band playing at extreme levels, both soundwise and in technical terms, it may sound a bit like LA COSCIENZCA DI ZENO, but all lyrics are provided in English, while the proposed style is definitely heavier and darker, somewhat flirting with the Scandinavian school of new Prog, ANEKDOTEN and LANDBERK are the closest comparisons.Tons of heavy Mellotron, sinister and mascular slow rhythm guitars and poetic breaks with lyrical overtones are all over the place, still they occasionally break into the more symphonic values of the Italian Prog tradition.But overall they sound more complex and quirky than most of the national symph-based bands, there are some pretty odd vintage (Mellotron and organ) and modern keyboard fests in here to go along with pounding guitars and even some new Post Rock attitude.Comparisons with ANEKDOTEN do not stop only in the haunting Mellotron entries, Colombi provides these angular bass lines, which sound over the top and often cover the whole instrumentation.They enter some sort of a cinematic nature quite often, especially when Mellotron and piano combine, while Calandriello's voice sounds as fresh as ever.A few tracks follow the more conventional path of modern Symphonic Rock with pronounced synths and elegant arrangements, supported by dramatic melodies and epic arrangements.But the general rule was to play dark, complicated and muddy music with retro aethetics and a very dense sound.

A missing act of the AltRock bandlist.''Not a good sign'' sound like KING CRIMSON and ANEKDOTEN mixed with some modern Italian Sympho Rock ala LA COSCIENZA DI CENO and the result is a technically efficient, mysterious and atmospheric progressive work.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

 Not a Good Sign by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.01 | 234 ratings

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Not a Good Sign
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars It took a few listens but this just keeps getting better and better. NOT A GOOD SIGN is the combination of band members from YUGEN(Ske & Zago) and LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO(Calandriello & Colombi) plus drummer Martino Malacrida. I must admit the singer who I am familiar with took a while to get used to as at first as his vocals didn't seem to suit the music, but now i'm in all the way. He is the vocalist for LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO but here he sings in English. Lots of mellotron and emotion in this recording and anything Ske is involved with seems to be a winner as the instrumental work is beyond reproach.

"Almost I" is a killer instrumental where the band shows off their chops. They play with such precision and the mellotron is other-worldly. This is quite dark yet there are so many uplifting moments. A calm 4 1/2 minutes in then it starts to build after 5 minutes. "Almost II" has a beautiful intro with liquid keys before the fragile vocals arrive. It turns dark 1 1/2 minutes in as the vocals turn passionate. There are sweeping sounds in the background. "Not A Good Sign" features drums and organ early on before the vocals become the focus. He's crying out the lyrics as it were with a lot of effort. I like when it settles back each time. We get a great sounding instrumental break after 3 minutes including a Swedish vibe ala ANEKDOTEN. The vocals are back after 6 minutes then we get a good heavy ending.

"Making Stills" is an instrumental with a melancholic intro that turns fuller rather quickly. This is emotional for some reason. Flute after 2 minutes then it kicks into gear a minute later. This is complex and oh so impressive. Love the organ that follows. It turns spacey late as the keys swirl then it ends in a majestic manner. "Witchcraft By A Picture" has a heavy intro with some nasty organ before these sweet female vocals and a calm take over before 2 1/2 minutes. The vocals stop 4 minutes in as that mellow atmosphere continues. I really like the way it builds and again there's plenty of emotion here.Some nice piano melodies as well. "Coming Back Home" is a song that blows me away. I love his vocal style here and the mellotron. Such passionate vocals around 5 minutes then the synths lead to the end as the drums pound. "Flow On" has the same affect on me as the previous track. Those expressive vocals with plenty of mellotron are quite moving, some backing female vocals as well. "Defeaning Sound Of The Moon" is where the vocalist reminds me of Marco from SYLVAN. A dark and fairly heavy piece at times especially after 2 minutes. "Afraid To Ask" is the closing instrumental where the keys and strings standout.

Like LA COSCIENZA DI ZENO's debut i'm not sure why it took me so long to appreciate this but man this is a great record.

 From a Distance by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.53 | 66 ratings

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From a Distance
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by progpromoter

4 stars The second, along awaited album from the italian multi-talented band is finally out! And "it's not so far" (in italian language "Non è poi così lontano" is a Perigeo work) from the expected!

During the preceding months the band has given to fans information about their hard work in studio, but nothing let us know what would be their new musical orientation, though they were noticing it would be different from the debut one!

Now we know at last! Though it's not so far from the first one, with a similar melancholic ansiogenic mood and the same powerful expressivity, there's a great melodic research and this gives easy pleasure to the listener, notwithstanding the harmonic and structural complexity. Let me tell you, this is only from talented and inspired musicians: the others entangle themselves in boring and uselessly complex structures.

The opening track 'Wait For Me' starts with a powerful intro in Echolyn - Änglagård style, but it suddenly changes in a melancholic mood when Calandriello starts his beautiful singing.

It's very difficult to find out what are the more representative tracks since the whole work is very high level. Surely the opener 'Wait For Me' has its big impact, as 'I Feel Like Snowing', the crimsonian 'Pleasure of Drowning', the dramatic 'Open Window' and the intense 'Not Now', this last sometimes recently performed LIVE. The whole work is enriched with musical and sound effect refinements which often bring pleasing surprise to the listener. For a NOT lazy listener this is a pleasure.. hasn't it?

Calandriello, in my opinion, reaches his highest in intensity and melodic inspiration, the sound effects and the registers of Botta's keyboards are charming and refined, Zago's guitar work, in counterpoints, accompaniment or solo, has always the right tune and visionary intensity, Malacrida's refined drumming is a powerful support for Cassani's complex bass patterns.

King Crimson is reborn in Italy? Not so true! Though the crimsonian inspiration is alive and well, as painful moods, ostinatos, harmonic and structural constructions, NAGS are actually the melodic counterbalance of another italian band where Zago and Botta are involved: Yügen.

Sadly in the last days NAGS announced that Zago will not take part to the project anymore. We all hope that Gian Marco Trevisan, the one who will take his heavy inheritance, will be able to grant to the band the same visionary and technical support in future compositions.

The last track 'Farewell' is Botta's special gift to Zago.

Between 3,5 and 4 stars!

 Not a Good Sign by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.01 | 234 ratings

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Not a Good Sign
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by Progulator
Prog Reviewer

5 stars As a general rule of thumb, I view supergroups as overrated. Why? Because in most cases the phrase "the sum is greater than the parts" simply does not apply. Not a Good Sign, however, proves that a supergroup can in fact be absolutely brilliant. Essentially this new band is an Altrock/Fading Records collaboration featuring members of Yugen and La Coscienza di Zeno. What's great about the band is that for me it played out to be a recognizable blend of the two groups, but the cool part was it sounded absolutely nothing like what I expected.

A broad description of Not a Good Sign would be that the songs are more song oriented compared to, let's say, Yugen, but convention and creativity come together to find that sweet spot time and time again across the length of the record. Very present are things like verses and choruses with very singable melodies (although not poppy by any means), but tying these together are a vast array of awesome melodies and well composed arrangements. Might I say, in fact, that the texturing on this album holds up to the best I've heard in a rock setting.

The album kicks it off with "Almost" parts 1 and 2, the former being an instrumental and the latter a vocal piece. Separately these two tracks offer us pretty much the spread of what the band does, but on virtually all tracks following these the band rolls elements found in "Almost" into single, coherent pieces. "Almost Part 1″ is all about the interplay between heavy, dark, and vintage elements. It's really quite ominous as open spacey melodies back up against loads of overdriven guitar and Hammond across easily recognizeable motifs, including some hints at the avant-prog that we'd expect from the Yugen gang. As it transitions into part 2 we get a demonstration of Calandriello's vibrant voice over what is probably the tamest composition of the album. Just prepping us, I guess, for the wild storm ahead.

"Not a Good Sign," the title track of the album, is really where we start tying together elements we saw in the opening two tracks. What starts off as crunchy riffing over shifting Hammond parts quickly transforms into a first verse whose chord changes come across as slightly jazzy, creating a nice backdrop to Calandriello's vocals, then passing into a prechorus and finally moving into an amazing chorus that capitalizes on its heavy and menacing display of syncopation, emotional vocals and really cool synths.From here the direction changes dramatically, but in a natural way as we move into an instrumental section starts off light and then sways back and forth between thick synths, heavy avant- rock, and fluffy breathing moments before returning to the verse/chorus. All in all the result is a title track that is well deserving of the album's name.

Before moving on to the other vocal pieces I'd like to deviate from the track order a tad and mention the two instrumentals: "Making Stills" and "Afraid to Ask." It's actually really funny, because my thoughts as I listened to these piece were something along the lines of, "sounds like SKE wrote these." And indeed, I was correct. "Making Stills" and "Afraid to Ask" show what an fine knack Paolo 'Ske' Botta has for lovely melodies and catchy rock. These two tracks are a chalk-ful of lush texture, pastoral atmosphere, and are ultimate extremely soothing and uplifting. The melodies are memorable while the dynamics show a strong sense of gracefulness. Of particular mention is the ending to "Makiing Stills" which features a slow, deliberate movement that breathes beautiful chord changes and repeating motifs over which Zago delivers some tasty leads.

What I really love are albums that start off strong but reveal how incredible they really are as the record progresses, rather than starting off with a bang but then getting progressively weaker. Not a Good Sign proves do do things right on their debut; at least from where I'm sitting, they knocked my socks off time and time again during the second half of the record. After a heavy intro, "Witchcraft by a Picture" takes a huge turn as it turns heavenly as it introduces the angelic vocals of Sharron Fortnam from Northsea Radio Orchestra. The instrumentation is perfect and thorougly enhances the vocals. If I thought it couldn't get much better I was wrong; the outro is stunning in its gorgeous repetition of an uplifting piano motif, fantastic chord changes and a drumbeat that blew me away. From here it moves towards a slower and heavier variation with loads of analogue towards a breathtaking finale, making this one of the highlights of the album, if not my favorite piece.

From its onset, "Coming Back Home" takes us in a more dark/intense direction, with something about the feel that reminded me a lot of Not a Good Sign's compatriots, Barock Project. Dreamy choruses and a brilliant instrumental section that delivers variations on the verse follow to take us back to the verse/chorus before ending off this fantastic piece in which once again, Martino Malacrida's drumming left me picking my jaw up off the floor. Following "Coming Back Home" is "Flow On," a piece that does everything well from brilliant drumming, great keyboard/bass guitar complimenting, to epic composition that takes you on a journey through wonderfully progressive soundscapes. Finally, "The Deafening Sound of the Moon" shows us that the boys from "La Coscienza di Zeno" know how to write some seriously dark tunes which are marvelously executed by Zago's brutal riffing and Ske's dirty Hammond. Speaking of Zago, he really gets his moment to shine on this song and I must tip my hat off to his phenomenal abstract and maniacal riffing/solo section in the middle of the piece. To cap it off, just in case you didn't get your dose of nightmares for the week, might well have to change your diaper after the humongous closing that is basically an all out assault of eerie synths textures combined with heavy drum/bass/guitar.

So, what's the verdict? Not a Good Sign is a thrilling ride from start to finish with enough freshness and nuance to calm even the harshest of critics. Couple that with the fact that Zago and Ske know how to arrange a piece to the point of pure genius and the result is an album that I really feel like I could recommend to everyone.

 Not a Good Sign by NOT A GOOD SIGN album cover Studio Album, 2013
4.01 | 234 ratings

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Not a Good Sign
Not A Good Sign Eclectic Prog

Review by ProgShine
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Not A Good Sign is an 'All-Team' project of the Italian label AltrOck. Released by their umbrella label Fading Records Not A Good Sign (2013) is composed by musicians from other bands of the label. Paolo Botta (keyboards) comes from the bands Ske and Yugen, Francesco Zago (guitars) also comes from Yugen, Alessio Calandriello (vocals) and Gabriele Guidi Colombi (bass) from La Coscienza Di Zeno and Martino Malacrida (drums) from Antifone Libere and others.

'Almost I' is the track one on the debut self-titled album from this new project. A powerful instrumental with King Crimson colors. 'Almost II' gives continuation to the album with a more melodic and slower track. A great performance of the vocalist Alessio Calandriello (La Coscienza Di Zeno).

'Not A Good Sign' is the track that gives its name to the band and to the album and it is a monster one. Weird signature tempo, astonishing vocals and great dynamic. It includes a full change in the second half of the song, this time based on piano and acoustic guitars.

One thing to be mentioned about Not A Good Sign is their 'kitchen'. It's important for a band to have solid drums and basses, but not just that, it's also important that they are clever in what they're doing. And Not A Good Sign has it! Martino Malacrida and Gabriele Guidi Colombi are two monster musicians.

'Making Stills' is the next track and for a moment it reminded me of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells (1973). But soon after the intro we can see the 70's Italian Prog influence. This instrumental track has everything! But it's most a fast pace tempo song with absolute superb keyboards by Paolo 'Ske' Botta. 'Witchcraft By A Picture' is heavier and shows us a bit of Black Sabbath's influence for a moment, the only exception being the vintage keyboards. But this is in fact just the intro, the rest of the song turns out to have female vocals by Sharron Fortnam and in my opinion it is the weakest track on Not A Good Sign (2013) because it escapes completely from the band's proposition.

And while 'Coming Back Home' is yet another song with 70's style and great dynamics; 'Flow On' has a cello (by Bianca Fervidi) and a very weird drum beat. I would say that this track is a bit more modern than the others. In the end of Not A Good Sign (2013) we have two tracks: 'The Defeaning Sound Of The Moon' with its riffs and moods and the instrumental 'Afraid To Ask', that end up like an unusual lullaby with Francesco Zago's heavy guitars, Maurizio Fasoli's (as a guest) piano and once again Bianca's cello.

Every time I receive a new album from AltrOck/Fading I crack a smile, because I know that it's going to be a high quality product. And especially if they put together musicians of their other bands together to record. The high quality we have on the album was most certain, and in fact it is!

Not A Good Sign (2013) is a strong album that the test of time will show us how good is. Just hope that this project comes back to the studio anytime in the future to make more records! Guaranteed quality!

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

Thanks to seventhsojourn for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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