NEO

Since their eponymous debuut album from 2001, this Italian band has turned from a five piece formation into a quartet, on this new CD accompanied by guest musicians on flute traverse, violin, saxophone and guitar. The last years La Torre Dell' Alchimista has performed on several festival like Nearfest 2002 in the USA and The Gouviea Art Rock Festival 2005 in Portugal, I notice this has boosted their experience and compositorial skills if you compare Neo with their debut CD.

The new album contains seven compositions (running time around 50 minutes), most sound fluent, melodic and accessible, especially the parts with vocals. I had to get used to the vocals in the first song but gradually I started to appreciate the singer and in the end I was pleased with his contributions. La Torre Dell'Alchimista their sound is drenched with a 'vintage' keyboards like mainly the Hammond organ (with obvious hints from Keith Emerson and Rick van der Linden during Trace) but also synthesizers (like the Minimoog), the Fender Rhodes electric piano, the Mellotron (often the violin-section) and the Grand piano. The interplay between the instruments is wonderful and colours this album very tastefully like the 'Liturgic organ' and violin in Medusa, a sensitive piano and violin in Risveglio Procreazione E Dubbio pt. I and flute traverse with Fender Rhodes piano and fluent synthesizer flights with intense violin in de final song Risveglio Procreazione E Dubbio pt. II. Two tracks deliver solo pieces on Grand piano: sparkling and compelling in Idra and dreamy, quite romantic in L'Amore Diverso. But I am most impressed by the lush keyboard sound featuring bombastic Hammond organ, majestic Mellotron waves and lots of fat sounding synthesizers, almost every track contain exciting keyboard work, this reminds me of fellow Seventies Italian prog legend Rustichelli & Bordini (bombastic use of Hammond and Moog) and Trace (fast Hammond runs and a wide range of vintage keyboards).

La Torre Dell'Alchimista has made a lot of progress on their new album and especially the vintage keyboard aficionados will be delighted!