METRODORA

Perhaps one of the single most interesting and unique personalities to come out of the entire 70s Italian progressive rock scene wasn't in fact Italian at all but was actually descended from Greek parents, born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt and then spent time in Cyprus before finally settling down in Milan, Italy at the age of 17 in the year of 1962. Born Efstratios Dimitriou but professionally known as DEMETRIO STRATOS, this uncannily talented vocalist actually wore many hats but of course is most famous for his seven year run with one of Italy's greatest progressive rock bands, Area which he co-founded and remained with until 1978 a year before his untimely passing on woefully before his time at the tender age of only 34.

Despite a truncated lifespan, STRATOS spent his short time on this planet living up to his full potential. Getting his start in the Italian beat band I Ribelli (The Rebels) in the 60s and a failed attempt at making it as a pop star, STRATOS found his calling in the avant-jazz- rock band Area where he found the perfect platform to display his unthinkable vocal range of 7000 Hz and freaky talent of performing diplophony, triplophony and even quadraphony. Despite the wild ride with Area, STRATOS collaborated with a number of artists including but not limited too John Cage, Mogol, Lucio Battisti, Andy Warhol and several other visual artists. He was also was an ardent student of ethnomusicology and various intellectual pursuits such as studying the relationship between spoken language and the psyche not to mention he played many instruments as well.

During his stint with Area, STRATOS found time to continue his own idiosyncratic experimentations outside of the parameters of his main gig and in 1976 released his first solo album titled METRODORA which was the name of a Byzantine female physician from the 6th century whose texts "On The Diseases And Cures Of Women" is considered to be the oldest medical texts known to have been written by a woman. The album METRODORA was performed completely a cappella with the only exception of some very faint percussive instruments (i assume). This album is a testament to his insatiable explorations into the limits of the human voice and his mission to free vocal expression from what he considered to be the slavery of language and the tyranny of classical lyrical melodies.

First it should be emphasized that METRODORA isn't really a musical album but rather a virulent display of the amazing elasticity of the human vocal chords and a testament to the possibilities that lie beyond the established orthodoxies even within the more experimental styles of music of the era that existed in progressive rock including his already adventurous band Area. For the musically adventurous and equally curious explorers of extreme vocal abilities, METRODORA is a strange avant-garde journey into STRATOS' unleashed side where he was free of any instrumental accompaniments and allowed to let his voice be the sole focus of the dramatic diverse range of experiences presented. While much of the album displays Stratos' uncanny mastery of the diplophony and triplophony skills rarely achieved by even the best of vocalists, some of the album is quite funny as he sounds like a demented freaked out monkey or even a crazed hyaena.

There are many overdubs where STRATOS layers different vocal parts however practically none of these tracks displays anything that could be deemed as traditional music but rather would most likely qualify as some sort of highly experimental chanting sessions if even that would describe it. Generally there are many vocal styles on display with established patterns of some sort that organized sound clusters into some sort of artistic display but this is hardly easy listening with bouts of guttural growling, freaky high-pitched squeals and everything in between. If one is to expect anything remotely close to the musical experiences of Area then run far away. This is just too weird for words.

This is a one-man show for the entire run but if you are at all interested in the amazing almost otherworldly sounds that STRATOS could utter from his vox box then this is a highly recommended experience. While perhaps not a hummable singalong type of album for playing everyday, this does however scratch that ultimate weirdo avant-garde itch like no other album and a true tribute to one of the absolute greatest vocalists in the entire history of music. After listening to this album it's quite apparent where other eccentric overachieving prolific vocalists like Mike Patton found inspiration. METRADORA is a smorgasbord of vocal styles that Patton has continued and made his own and all the better for it, however nobody was like DEMETRIO STRATOS and this album unlike anything else period.