DIES IRAE (FORMULA 3)

The opening and title track is a superb piece of heavy and dark psychedelia. The combination with some choirs during the second part of this great song is also a very interesting aspect and add some fine originality as well. But it will be difficult for the band to keep this high quality level throughout the whole of this debut album.

If you like heavy and pumping Hammond organ, the finale of ''Dies Irae'' will please you an awful lot. This is truly a great piece of music.

The other songs are a mix between a couple of short pieces with little interest, some more pop-oriented tracks (''Non è Francesca'') and some fine psychedelic mood, with a typical late sixties sound ('' Se Non è Amore Cos'è'').

This album is quite different of what the Italian genre is offering, but it is also one of the first of its kind (Italian prog I mean). It is of historical importance for the genre but most of the progheads might have some difficulties to enter into such work. If ever you are nostalgic of the early days of psychedelia, or heavy prog (''Sole Giallo Sole Nero'') this is an interesting album, though.

Three stars.