SULLA BOLLA DI SAPONE

Sometimes there comes an album thats so good you just want to scream to the whole world about it, you just want everybody to know how good it is. This is one of those albums. When the band FeM goes in to the third song "Microgen parte 2", I'm just sitting and smiling to myself thinking this is the reason I love progressive rock.

FeM is one of those rare bands that not only can they write great songs, they have the knack for creating just these killer moments that makes you want to rewind instantly. I was driving my car back to Stockholm, and I had to reach for the rewind button on the CD-player to hear just that moment one more time. Very few bands can achieve that for a seasoned vet progressive rock listener.

There are 15 songs on the album, most in the shorter span but many of them are segued to each other so they are in fact longer than they first appear. 60 minutes of music is something that all bands can't manage keeping the quality up, but there are no fillers here. Of course in such a long album some songs could have been cut away to reduce the length but there is no deadweight so to speak. They also manages to play using the full spectrum, from lighter piano-based songs to almost getting in to hardrock, they can play light happy songs and they can get really gritty and complex. They also manage to keep it all together so it feels like one band with one style. I like how the band can spring up and surprise me with a beautiful melody, coming out of nowhere in the middle of a song.

The band uses the full arsenal of guitars, keyboards, bas, etc with brass, flute, acoustic guitar and lots of great keyboard sounds like moog, Hammond etc. The vocals are handled by Sabbatini who has a stellar voice that complements the music perfectly.

Soundwise they are firmly based in the great Italian progressive tradition, perhaps a bit more uptempo, try mixing La maschera di cera with ACT. I would compare them to other fellow Italians like Unreal city, La coscienza di zeno and LogoS.

Be patient when listening to the album, the really goody stuff starts at the second half of the album. All in all; great songs, great sound and a great album! This comes highly recommended and is firmly at the top of the best albums of 2014. This is a feast of Italian progressive rock.

Rating: 4,5 stars (I rarely give away 5-star ratings unless it's a timeless masterpiece).