LOGOS

Logos is an Italian prog band from Verona that was formed in 1996 by Luca Zerman (keyboards), Alessandro Perbellini (drums) and Fabio Gaspari (bass and guitar) as a cover band of Le Orme. Later guitarists Massimo Maoli and Andrea Dossi joined the band (although Andrea Dossi only for a short period) and they started to work on original compositions. In 1999 they released a first self produced eponymous album that was recorded in two weeks with the help of two friends, Simone Chiampan and Tommaso Carrara, using a 8 tracks analog recorder in a home-made studio. According to the band, all the tracks were recorded "live" and there is very few overdubbing. As a result, the sound quality is very far from perfect but at least you can appreciate the freshness of the compositions and the good song-writing...

The opener "Il grande fiume" (The great river) is a long suite that reminds of Le Orme. It begins calmly with keyboards in the forefront and a "mysterious" atmosphere, then comes in a repetitive bass line and the rhythm goes up and down until vocals soar upon a classical piano pattern depicting a river slowly flowing towards the sea... Lyrics were inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel "Siddharta" that tells about the spiritual journey of the protagonist to reach the "enlightenment". After many troubles, he at last finds his way by listening to the murmurs of a river... There are many changes of tempos and moods, but the music perfectly fits a subject where joy and pain walk along the same spiritual path that leads to awareness... "Time passes by and doesn't forgive / The empty days of a sad age / While the old man is still learning / Why to live, why to fight / If life wins against you...".

"Arc en ciel" (Rainbow) is a short dreamy ballad with a beautiful melody featuring keyboards and strummed acoustic guitar... Imagine to be on the outskirts of a forest with some friends when the dark is falling. Near a bonfire your eyes mirror the nature and you can talk to each other about the future and about the past until the morning comes... Well, more or lees lyrics are about this.

"Sentiero nel prato, porta dell' universo" (Path on the lawn, door of the universe) is a long track that starts with an acoustic guitar arpeggio and then develops with fiery organ rides and delicate piano passages. Lyrics tell about the loss of a child in a poetical way... "It's not a star nor a fire that far light / It becomes just a little point in the universe / Until you can't see it anymore...".

"Un giorno..." (One Day), is another good track about an impending journey towards the unknown while "In una nuova terra?" (In a new land?) is about the come back from a journey in the space. In these tracks you can find slight echoes of Le Orme and Franco Battiato... An alternate version of "Arc en ciel" concludes the album.

The album was self produced with poor means, self distributed and in 1999 it couldn't reach a "large audience". I really hope that in the future the band could re-release it with an improved sound quality. Anyway, for now you can listen to it and legally download it for free from the official myspace page of the band (www.myspace.com/logosmusica). Have a try! I'm sure you won't waste your time.