Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Modern Italian Prog Recommendations
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Modern Italian Prog Recommendations

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 89101112 14>
Author
Message
Guldbamsen View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin

Joined: January 22 2009
Location: Magic Theatre
Status: Offline
Points: 23098
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2018 at 04:06
Weren't Homunculus Res supposed to release an album in 2017? I need more Italian pork for my AOTY list! Oh well my top contender is Italian so maybe that is enough...
Other than that ZU album though I am struggling to find great Italian 2017 releases.
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams
Back to Top
TheH View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 18 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1152
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2018 at 04:32
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Weren't Homunculus Res supposed to release an album in 2017? I need more Italian pork for my AOTY list! Oh well my top contender is Italian so maybe that is enough...
Other than that ZU album though I am struggling to find great Italian 2017 releases.
 
It will be released at the 15th February
Back to Top
Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aussie-Byrd-Brother Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 10 2018 at 07:29
That Acqua Fragile album `A New Chant' really is surprisingly very good! OK, so they still sing mostly in English, but the tracks have so many fancy details, and the album isn't afraid to make a bit of noise here and there. It's actually probably the best album they've ever done!
Back to Top
omphaloskepsis View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 19 2011
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 5785
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2018 at 14:07
Italy's Verganti supposedly formed over their theory that Darwin was wrong and Aliens started it all.   I don't speak Italian but after perusing Verganti's 2017 debut Atlas' song titles, I surmised Verganti's-Atlas addresses their Alien theory of life. 

I don't endorse Verganti's pseudo science and I'm not heralding the birth of a new PFM, however I don't believe Verganti is on Progarchives.   To my inexperienced ears they sound RPI, even if their video visuals remind me of 80's MTV cheese.  Personally, not my cup of vino but I thought I'd put it out there...Wink

Verganti's debut album is available on Progsteaming.

http://progstreaming.nl/pages/play-album.php?activeAlbum=2017-10-27-05 - Verganti - Atlas




Edited by omphaloskepsis - January 12 2018 at 14:41
Back to Top
Todd View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
RPI / Heavy Prog Team

Joined: December 19 2007
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 3472
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2018 at 16:20
Originally posted by Aussie-Byrd-Brother Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote:

That Acqua Fragile album `A New Chant' ... It's actually probably the best album they've ever done!  

I think you're right. Although I like their other albums more than you do.
"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."



My Gnosis Ratings

Back to Top
Todd View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
RPI / Heavy Prog Team

Joined: December 19 2007
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 3472
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2018 at 16:21
^^ Cindy, thanks for the heads up! This one passed me by.

I don't love it either, though it has nice moments, but it certainly warrants official evaluation. 

Grazie!
"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."



My Gnosis Ratings

Back to Top
omphaloskepsis View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 19 2011
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 5785
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2018 at 10:30
My updated and final fifteen favorite Italian albums of 2017.  From my perspective, a deep year for Italian Prog. In addition to modern RPI, you'll find symphonic, jazz fusion, neo-ish, and stoner albums.  I listened to every album at least four times.  Ended up purchasing 13/15.  Almost half are instrumental.     

1. Barock Project- "Detachment" ( Keyboard wizard "Luca Zabbini" wields Baroque genius, catchy song craft, and finishes in a three way tie for my most listened to 2017 album along with Wobbler and BBT-Grimspound )

2. Panther & C- "Il Giusto Equilibrio" (  addictive velvet, bittersuite, luxurious Italian distant cousin of neo prog)  RPI Collaborator Todd's top 2017 Italian album

3. Unreal City- "Frammenti Notturi"  (Smidgeon more mellow the previous two albums, RPI juggernaut Unreal City doesn't disappoint )  Progrock.com MIW 2017 winner "Best Prog Album" and "Best Prog Song"

4.Astrolabio- "I Paralumi della Ragione" ( 21st century eccentric smirks and winks, stripped of fancy frills, fragile ivory keyboard frenzies, bottom dwelling bass stalks drum, swelling toes tap out Bonham beats "bare knuckle" brash raspy guitar creaks)

5. Accordo Dei Contrari - "Violato Intatto" ( Mesmerizing heavy-prog jazz fusion, garlicy antipasto, magnifico guitar caterwaul, screaming sax. Warning! Not your uncle Guido's pastoral Italian prog) ...Progarchive Collaborators #2 album of 2017

6. L'Albero Del Veleno- " Tale of a Dark Fate"   ( Instrumental Italian horror in Goblin's vein) 
 
7 Magnolia- "Con Fuoco" ( Social justice warrior Chiara Gironi's mezzo soprano dominates Magnolia's mid tempo aggressive "heart on sleeve" attack-against-the-machine, interspersed English and Italian PBS radio broadcasts propel the narrative)  

8. Maxophone- "La fabbrica delle nuvole" ( fragrant spicy vocals, plenty of instrument separation, eclectic, delicate, and organic, drizzled with a sprinkling of madrigal harmonies, surprising follow up to a classic)
 
9. il Cerchio D'oro-  "il Fuoco Sotto la Cenere"   ( 3rd strong album in a row, intriguing icy harmonies immersed in merlot soaked acoustic and electric guitars, dramatic keys, traditional but with a twist ) 

10. Cantina Sociale - "Caosfera" (Mediterranean style, Area influenced jumbled cacophony of emotion)

11. Plurima Mundi - "Percorsi" ( silky violins, crystalline piano, avian opaline arias ricochet from classical to jazz into Sicilian chandeliers)

12. Taproban- "Per Aspera Ad Astera" ( swirling keys ala Banks/Kaye, Rickenbacker bass/guitar and drums retro RPI trio)  

13. Quarto Vuoto - "Illusioni" (cinematic atmospheric keys, guitar, bass, and drums with heavy doses of jazz fusion, guest tenor sax and violin, Nicola D'Amico's eclectic drum style stands out )

14. The Rome Pro(g)ject- "Exegi Monvmentvm Aere Perennivs"- (Keyboardist composer Vincenzo Ricca leads  Steve Hackett, David Cross, David Jackson (VDGG-Sax) and other Englishmen on an instrumental symphonic odyssey)  

15. Muffx- "L'ora di Tutti" ( Black Widow Records delivers a mid tempo stoner instrumental, inspired by 500 year old Ottoman Empire invasion... conjuring magic lonely, dusty desert scenes .)



Edited by omphaloskepsis - February 19 2018 at 08:40
Back to Top
Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aussie-Byrd-Brother Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2018 at 17:47
Great list, Cindy!

I'm very pleasantly surprised to see that Muffx one here! I had that arrive about a week ago, and despite the first track perhaps being the least interesting thing on it, everything after that is absolutely superb!

I still have to submit my top 20 vote for the `Best of 2017 releases Collaborator' voting, but that L'Albero del Valeno one is going to feature very highly on my list. To me it's a perfect fusion of ravishing Italian theatrical and classic pomp with the darker qualities I love.
Back to Top
TheH View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 18 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1152
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2018 at 12:46
I really have to add Cervello - Live in Tokyo 2017 to my 2017 list (awesome sound).
 
 
Back to Top
noni View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1092
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote noni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2018 at 20:11
Plurima Mundi - "Percorsi" ( silky violins, crystalline piano, avian opaline arias ricochet from classical to jazz into Sicilian chandeliers) (copied from omphaloskepsis post ) Big smile
Just got this today, including the EP, Otto


Edited by noni - February 01 2018 at 20:12
Back to Top
omphaloskepsis View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 19 2011
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 5785
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2018 at 06:01
Originally posted by noni noni wrote:

Plurima Mundi - "Percorsi" ( silky violins, crystalline piano, avian opaline arias ricochet from classical to jazz into Sicilian chandeliers) (copied from omphaloskepsis post ) Big smile
Just got this today, including the EP, Otto

I haven't heard the EP Otto!  Let me know how you like the two releases.  

I picked two Italian Prog Metal/RPI bands from Andrea's blog- "A Journey Through the Italian Prog Scene"  Note to self- " Buy Andrea's Italian Prog Book."  

In my opinion,  Afasia and "La Bottega Del Tempo A Vapore" minimize the metal while still keeping the RPI flame alive.  I've presented both bands to Prog Archives for inclusion...

La Bottega Del Tempo A Vapore describe themselves on bandcamp, thus-

"La Bottega del Tempo a Vapore" was formed in Benevento, Italy in 2014, by the fusion among seven souls. The name of the band can be loosely translated as "The Steam-Time Workshop" and their aim is to blend music with poetry, legend and history. Their album "Il Guerriero Errante" (The Wandering Warrior) is a concept album based upon a short story by Alfredo Martinelli that tells the legend of a mysterious Samnite-Longobard warrior. This story is carried on with progressive rock/metal riffs and strong rhythm parts surrounded by epic orchestrations, classical, folk and tribal influences. Inspired by the music of bands such as Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Le Orme, Dream Theater, Angra, Liquid Tension Experiment, Epica, Two Steps From Hell, Porcupine Tree, Haken and many others. 

"La Bottega Del Tempo A Vapore" sent me an email, informing their 2nd album will be released soon.  In their own words,

  "Anyway should say: We are strongly work on our 2nd album, which will be released in a few weeks and it should be the natural evolution of "Il Guerriero Errante". So, if you like our music prepare yourself."


Afasia's instrumental workout- 


And now Afasia with vocals...




Edited by omphaloskepsis - February 03 2018 at 06:41
Back to Top
noni View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1092
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote noni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2018 at 06:19
Originally posted by omphaloskepsis omphaloskepsis wrote:

Originally posted by noni noni wrote:

Plurima Mundi - "Percorsi" ( silky violins, crystalline piano, avian opaline arias ricochet from classical to jazz into Sicilian chandeliers) (copied from omphaloskepsis post ) Big smile
Just got this today, including the EP, Otto

I haven't heard the EP Otto!  Let me know how you like the two releases.  


The Otto EP,  is very good,  highly recommended...  Very much like Percorsi album style of music....Wink

Shame this is only an EP,  but worth it!....10/10
Back to Top
TheH View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 18 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1152
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2018 at 09:32
Originally posted by noni noni wrote:

Originally posted by omphaloskepsis omphaloskepsis wrote:

Originally posted by noni noni wrote:

Plurima Mundi - "Percorsi" ( silky violins, crystalline piano, avian opaline arias ricochet from classical to jazz into Sicilian chandeliers) (copied from omphaloskepsis post ) Big smile
Just got this today, including the EP, Otto

I haven't heard the EP Otto!  Let me know how you like the two releases.  


The Otto EP,  is very good,  highly recommended...  Very much like Percorsi album style of music....Wink

Shame this is only an EP,  but worth it!....10/10
 
Yes both albums are very good (and very short). The EPs name is Atto by the way not Otto..
Back to Top
noni View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1092
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote noni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2018 at 10:27
Originally posted by TheH TheH wrote:


Yes both albums are very good (and very short). The EPs name is Atto by the way not Otto..

Sorry my mistake!!....Embarrassed


Edited by noni - February 03 2018 at 10:28
Back to Top
TheH View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 18 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1152
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2018 at 16:39
Originally posted by noni noni wrote:

Originally posted by TheH TheH wrote:


Yes both albums are very good (and very short). The EPs name is Atto by the way not Otto..

Sorry my mistake!!....Embarrassed
 
No problem. "Atto" means "act" in Italian. Otto is a historical common, but now very old fashioned
first name in Germany (means "heir" in old German, but that's totally lost now) 
Back to Top
Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aussie-Byrd-Brother Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2018 at 22:25
OK, time to kick this thread to life again. Due to circumstances away from the Archives I've been unable to consistently keep up the action on here (plus I've kind of been spending more time snapping up some of those `lesser' vintage/Seventies essentials that never found their way into my collection, so they're not appropriate to post about on this `modern' thread! ), but hopefully things are a bit more settled now, so...

What have we all picked up lately?

I'm looking forward to the new Nathan album (either due out in the next couple of weeks or possibly even just been released), after very much enjoying their first album a year or two back:


http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=52403

Fans who especially love keyboard-dominated discs will very much enjoy this one!
Back to Top
Todd View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
RPI / Heavy Prog Team

Joined: December 19 2007
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 3472
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2018 at 22:44
^ Yes! I'm excited for that one, too. I really like their first one.

So far this year I've heard two new Italian albums, both of which I really like:
Homunculus Res - Della Stessa Sostanza Dei Sogni (I didn't like their second as much as their first, but this one is a good one, maybe as good as the first!)
Dottrina Degli Opposti - Arrivederci Sogni (reminds me of Delirium's Il Nome del Vento, and not surprisingly there are some Delirium members who contribute to this one)

Both are on Altrock's Bandcamp, so check them out!



Edited by Todd - April 12 2018 at 22:45
"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."



My Gnosis Ratings

Back to Top
Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aussie-Byrd-Brother Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2018 at 22:56
Ha, I'm playing that first Nathan album at work literally as we speak (well, type!), Todd!

My embarrassing shame is that I haven't picked up ANY of the Res albums yet, despite knowing they're really good!

Is that Dottrina Degli Opposti one planned as a proper new ongoing band, or just a one-off star-filled project?

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - April 12 2018 at 22:56
Back to Top
Todd View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
RPI / Heavy Prog Team

Joined: December 19 2007
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 3472
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2018 at 23:23
I don't know the answer to your question about Dottrina Degli Opposti. Maybe H does. There is precious little information on the internet about them, and I've had no response from emails I've sent to the label.

Homunculus Res can be viewed as the modern incarnation of Pichio dal Pozzo, in my opinion, though the highs aren't as high if you know what I mean. But very much in the Canterbury style. 
"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."



My Gnosis Ratings

Back to Top
Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aussie-Byrd-Brother Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 13 2018 at 01:41
Still can't get over how busy and mad the opening track of Promenade's `Noi al dir di Noi' is! :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEYJ_87x9EM

I mean, the whole album is great, but man, that first track...
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 89101112 14>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.182 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.