CRAC !

If you're like me, with Arbeit Macht Frei being your introduction to Area, then you will likely be a bit underwhelmed by this effort. If you haven't heard that album, then Crac! is likely to blow your mind. This is great fusion, instrumentation, and experimentation, but it for the most part lacks an edge that made their debut so compelling.

Le'elefante Bianco, La Mela di Odessa. I enjoy these first two songs less than the rest of the album (except the last track, Area 5, which is just some noises and doesn't warrant further description). Things start off intensely, with Stratos belting out some powerful lyrics coupled with some heavy piano banging, followed by an intricate jazz groove, and concluded by a rousing chorus. Certainly a solid start, but nothing remarkable, and the loud intro can be a bit grating. La Mela is a two-part song, with some nice fusion to begin, and an an extremely repetitive (and un-Area-like) riff to close out the track.

Megalopoli, Novi Scoperti. Here's where Area really find their groove, with lots of furious drumming, yawning bass, change-ups in melody, and of course wildly entertaining Stratos stylings. It seems as if Area was consciously trying to include more structure to this album, but decided to not apply that formula to these tracks. I wish they would have let loose more in this vein on the rest of the album.

Gioia e Rivoluzione, Implosion. These tracks add a great variety to the album, with the former basically an extremely catchy pop tune, and the former an excellent experiment in tone and texture, with a great build throughout.

Overall, this is a solid album, but it falls well short of masterpiece status. It's perhaps a bit too structured and formulaic in places, but there's also Area's classic blend of serious musicianship coupled with plenty of fun and entertainment. I also have to note that I don't pay much attention to the lyrics or bother to look them up, so I can't speak to their potentially anti-establishment content if that influences whether you're interested in the album. What I can say is that musically, you are likely to enjoy Crac!