ROCK PROGRESSIVO ITALIANO

Starting out what sounds like period piece classical musical from a previous century, it sounds as if we've visited a ball in the 17th century with Mozart as the headliner but after an explosion signals a change over it quickly becomes a jittery guitar riff followed by a haunting organ run that builds up to heavier rock. Once again an explosion changes over to a VCS 3 Synthesizer run that wouldn't sound too far off on an 80s new wave album although this one is kept within a classical music context. By the time the album gets to "Beta," it slows down with a groovy Floydian bass line along with a crafty piano run and freaky background vocals that create a seven minute plus space rock track but ends with a reprise to the classical ball music as the album begins.

POLLUTION is anything but dirty! It is a really pleasant experience to let unfold around you as one addictive track cedes to the next. There are lovely arpeggiated guitar sections such as on "Plancton" that add atmospheric keyboards and once the purely Italian vocals enter the scene sounds much more like the Italian kings of the scene such as PFM or Banco reminding from whence they emerged in the world. Again replete with daring keyboard solos kept within the context of the melody but creating synthesized polyrhythms that complement each other beautifully. The title track has a rather Krautock type intro with UFO type flying sound pulsating from synthesizers while waves crash against some unseen shores while echoey guitar strums gently stroll in as the synthesizer sounds short circuit out. What a way cool intro! It becomes a nice folky guitar piece as the vocalists all begin to sing to the heavens!

This is one of those albums that has all its ducks lined up in the right rows. It has just enough melody to reel you in and keep you hooked but so many surprises and unexpected twists and turns that it's impossible to lose your attention. While firmly placed in the Italian scene during the vocal parts, the beauty of POLLUTION is how pan-continental it sounds during the instrumental parts as BATTIATO takes all the magic of bands like Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Yes and even Ash Ra Temple and Tangerine Dream and puts it all on the work table for a new sort of musical beast making. Just as good as the debut in a totally different way and somewhat points in the direction of the next album "Sulle Corde Di Aires" that really took the plunge and went completely in the progressive electronic arenas.

Too many bands seem to forget the "rock" section of "progressive rock", and they can concentrate too much on keyboards and delicacy, but here ITDC are using plenty of dynamics, with light and shade emphasising both areas. But, these guys are still first and foremost a progressive band, it's just that they are refusing to be bound by what many feel is the sort of music that should be coming out of the RPI scene. I really enjoy Francesco's singing style, as his vocals carry emotion and although he can sing higher when he wishes to, he generally stays in the lower registers and this allows emotion to really shine through.

My one regret is that I don't understand Italian, so have no idea at all what he is singing about, but feel that if this had been in English then it would have diminished it somewhat. Yet again this is an incredibly strong release from Black Widow, and well worth investigating.

There is no doubt in my mind, and nor in many other's I would imagine, that Goblin are the finest progressive rock bands ever to come out of Italy. Their 1977 soundtrack to the cult horror 'Suspiria' is an amazing album, and I was lucky enough to see a version of the band play live in front of a showing of the film in Auckland a few years ago. But there's the problem, their history has been a little problematic, and in 2015 there were two different versions of the bands doing the rounds. I am a little unsure if this is a Goblin album, or a 4Goblin album, as it doesn't appear on the discography of their official website, and a '4' appears inside the capital 'G' on all places, and not long before this album came out in 2015 there was a band called New Goblin. In addition, Claudio Simonetti also has a version of Goblin, but he is the only member of the 'Suspiria' quartet missing from this line-up, his place taken by Maurizio Guarini who joined the band in 2003.

Originally released by Backtothefudda in 2015, Black Widow have pulled out the stops with this release as there is a booklet, slip sleeve, and even four playing card aces featuring cartoons of the musicians. But, it is easy to see why, as here is a band that may have left the scene for quite a few years in this career, but they are back with an absolute vengeance. The production is spot on, which allows each of the musicians to really shine on this instrumental album. It shouts class from the first note to the very last, and it is incredible to realise that this band was formed more than forty years ago yet is still producing music that is important and relevant today. Massimo Morante has the same delicate touch on guitar as always, and this brings the music together in a fashion that allows the others to create space and depth throughout. This is yet another Goblin classic to add to their canon, and I hope that I manage to catch these guys in concert again. Superb.

By the time BATTIATO got to recording his debut release he had already become quite the sensational songwriter and it's quite clear even from this early experimental stage of his career how he was able to carry on into becoming a pop sensation in his native land. FETUS is the perfect balance between catchy hooks in mostly a rock and folk styles accompanied by lots of electronic effects and progressive touches that make FETUS a true pleasure to experience. Laced with classical music as blatantly heard on "Meccanica," FETUS takes extremely strong melodies and contorts them into bizarre electronic coated rhythmic dances that meander from folk guitar passages to organ fuzzed out psychedelic frenzies. BATTIATO's vocals are quite powerful as are the brilliant arrangement that juggle dynamics, tempos and genre characteristics like a top performer at a Cirque du Soleil show. While the time run is a mere half hour, each track packs a punch with a wealth of ideas and changes crammed into every nook and cranny.

While i haven't experienced the English version, i can tell by the music that the theme that begins with a human heartbeat continues to evolve much like a gestating human in the womb as the tracks add more layers of content although are fairly short in duration. FETUS comes across as a typical Italian progressive rock album of the era with pastoral passages trading off with more bombastic ones along with BATTIATO's vocal bravado in full operatic style in the forefront. While there are plenty of experimental touches, they take a backseat to the strong melodic developments and only exist to enhance the overall song structures, not impede them. FRANCO BATTIATO created his first gem with his debut FETUS and despite appearing on the tripper's guide to psych, the Nurse With Wound List, FETUS is actually a very accessible album for the pop sensibilities are already quite developed in BATTIATO's early stages. In fact i would probably consider this progressive pop rock more than anything but labels matter not to me when music is this beautifully sublime.

My early impression is that while the slightly heavy sound is pretty much what one expects from RPI (well, maybe not quite as keyboard oriented as with many other bands), the compositions have a bit too much emphasis on the vocals. The brief opener is basically an instrumental (featuring some distorted voice-over) but frankly it functions only as a prologue. If it manages to raise some expectations of a dynamic and epic album entity, they are not fulfilled. There's not a single proper instrumental which certainly would have done good. 'Dentro la mia mente' is over 7 minutes long and I hoped to get some more symphonic instrumental passages, but instead there are again spoken words. I'm not fond of Ciapica's low-ish voice.

I'd lie if I said there aren't a lot of dynamic playing within the tracks, even fine solos, without forgetting some acoustic, delicate moments amidst the powerful band sound. But in the end the songs (mostly 4-6 minutes long) fail to make a deeper impression on me. Perhaps the best one is the longest, 'La Spirale del Vento' (8:43). Yes it is, thanks to the instrumental, symphonically inspired final part. This is not a bad album. It's well produced, and doubtlessly it will please many friends of Italian prog scene, especially those who like also the heavier, less pastoral side of it (Il Balletto di Bronzo, Museo Rosenbach, ...). It just isn't MY ideal RPI album.

If you know a little about the progressive niche and its peculiarities - including subgenres - you might have a certain idea of what is RPI. Certainly, then, MUSEO's paradoxical debut will meet your expectations accordingly, mostly because they're an allegory of it. Explosive keyboards and organ sweeps, straightforward melodies, good exploitation of odd time signatures - y'now, those songs that even though are alternating measure, still feel fluid as 4/4; that is, while internally is complex, externally, sounds pleasant and not like technical showcase - and most importantly a superb and intense performance by the singer Stefano Galifi; all those elements are vividly present in ZARATHRUSTA. Their style is really reminiscent of BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, for all fans out there.

One of prog rock's propositions is particularly perceptible throughout the album. The absurd influence from classical music (disclaimer: when I say "classical" I don't mean the characteristics of that musical period specifically but what us laypeople think of as 'classical', that is, anything from Baroque to Romantic) spices the performance.

I mentioned earlier this album is paradoxical. This happens because it suffered from vicious critical uproar for its polemical conceptuality (Nietzchean philosophy & Mussolini, two things that Italians deemed as fascist), met with misunderstanding at its release, but eventually, rightfully regarded as a towering masterpiece. But just like most artists' magnum opus, first, critics bash it, then, they love it.

Three of the five tracks are between 11 and 14 minutes in length, two being 4½ minutes; the highly progressive compositions are well crafted, and the balance between instrumentality and the appearance of vocals is perfect. For example 'Giusto equilibrio' (13:30) has, after the fast beginning, a gorgeous slow vocal section with Neo-ish synth orientation, followed by several tempo changes, a classically flavoured keyboard solo, reappearance of vocals, and finally a great, pretty much Marillion-like electric guitar solo. If there was also the flute absent on this track, nothing could be better.

'Oric' is a ballad-like song with less progression (except for the Genesis-reminding instrumental tail featuring flute), which only makes the whole more dynamic and varied. 'Fuga dal Lago' (11:27) is an instrumental with many turns. I really love it, with all the soloing for keys, flute and guitar, and the soft, Camel-like melodicism. The long final track starts slowly, building the expectations of epicness that are luxuriously filled. I'm really happy to find out that this album sounds better with each subsequent listening. If you're into melodic symph prog as well as Neo Prog, and have a friendly attitude towards several influences shining through, this is to you. I'm sure that Il Guesto Equilibrio will appear on my list of the year's best albums.

A quick and overly simplified history lesson - The `Divina Commedia' is a long narrative poem written by Dante Alighieri, begun in 1308 and completed in 1320, and is considered a preeminent work in Italian literature. The poem presents an imaginative vision of the afterlife, separated into three sections - Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paridiso (Paradise). Written in the first person, the poem tells of Dante's journey through these three realms, guided by Roman poet Virgil through the first two, then by his courtly love interest Beatrice through Heaven.

The notion of purgatory is regarded as the intermediate state between life and death, in some beliefs a place a person goes to be judged to determine where their soul's eternal destiny is assigned - heavy going stuff! Sure enough, it means that `Purgatorio' is a much more frequently dramatic and darker work than the previous `Paradiso', one that allows for plenty of the classical bombast and theatrical flourishes expected of the group over lengthy and continuous suites of music. Throughout the album, they offer passages and lyrics based around the surreal events detailed in the poem, so please excuse the rather awkward descriptions that follow!

Right from the start, `Eco dagli Inferi' (Echo from Hell) is a foreboding gothic spoken-word narration over cavernous keyboard atmospheres that launches right into strident rocker `Catone' with Enrico Olivieri's humming Hammond organ and whirring synths, Fabio Moresco's pounding drums and Jimmy Spitaleri's commanding boisterous croon detailing a meeting with Cato, once a Roman military leader who now serves as warden to the entrance of the mountain of Purgatory. `Angelo Nocchiero' is a reflective interlude to convey a beautiful white angel in charge of transporting the souls residing in purgatory by boat, `Negligenti' a swooning lament detailing an encounter with those doomed to wait outside the entrance of Purgatory for a term equal to their lives on Earth, and the playfully malevolent `La Malastriscia', full of frantic instrumental organ pomp and a heavy wild vocal conveying a confrontation between a serpent/devil and the two angels that drive it away.

Covered over the following ten tracks, the arrival at the gates of Purgatory (`Porta del Purgatorio') leads to journeying through the seven terraces that represent the seven roots of sinfulness. `Superbi' (Pride) has relentless scathing synth-emulated orchestration and choirs, `Invidiosi' (Envy) is a sorrowful and thoughtful piano reflection and `Iracondi' (Wrath) is an infectious whirring keyboard theme with a jazzy electric piano solo in the middle. `Accidiosi' (Sloth) is a propulsive organ and harpsichord-laced interlude, `Golosi' (Gluttony) has a playful lurch to its slithering keyboard and electric piano stabs, and `Avari e Prodighi's upfront lead synth themes (with nice bass soloing from Leonardo Gallucci) and the electronic-dominated `Lussuriosi Purgatorio' convey Avarice and Lust.

At the summit of Mount Purgatory lies the Earthly Paradise (the Garden of Eden), perfectly represented by the purely instrumental `Paradiso Terrestre', an extended showcase for Enrico Olivieri's calming and victorious piano soloing and proud keyboard fancy. `Beatrice', the woman who symbolizes Dante's path to God, is a piano and vocal swoon, `Il Carro e L'aquila' details her triumphant arrival on griffin-drawn chariot and is grand keyboard-dominated pomp, and closer `E Rinnovato Volo' (renewed flight) is a stirring symphonic finale. With a glorious sweeping vocal, Leonardo's sweetly gliding bass and precious guitar chimes and a heavenly choral climax, it's a dignified and emotional tune to soundtrack her rebuking of his sins, his drinking from the River Lethe which erases his memory of past sin and restores his good memories, and prepares him for his ascent to Heaven (the third act of the Divina Commedia, which was adapted by the band on their 2004 album `Paradisio').

Please be aware - completely frustratingly, there is a world of difference between the LP and CD versions, with the vinyl edition leaving out seven tracks from the album. Admittedly the full album is definitely overlong at just over 56 minutes, but despite how amazing Giuseppina Laura Tarantola's watercolour cover art must look on the larger package, these sort of `highlights compilation' rearrangements to fit an ill-fitting format that here leaves out over 16 minutes of music is completely inexcusable (especially considering some of the stand-out pieces on the album like the instrumental `Paradiso Terrestre' are removed). If you're interested in the album and want the full experience the way it is meant to be heard, the CD edition is your only option.

`Purgatorio' was never going to be an `Inferno' beater (honestly, would ever would?), and some listeners may find that this really doesn't offer anything new when compared to many of the recent `comeback' albums from important vintage period Italian prog bands. But the amount of effort gone into painstakingly writing, producing and performing an interpretation of such a multi-layered and complex work is hugely commendable of the group, and their efforts actually encourage further study of the origin of the material that proves richly rewarding. In addition to Laura Tarantola's above-mentioned cover art and the gorgeous illustrations inside the accompanying CD booklet from Bruno Tarantola that have to be seen to be believed, `Purgatorio' ticks all the right boxes fans could want to Italian progressive music and the grand symphonic music of that country, truly `RPI' in its purest form, and anything less than top marks would be grossly insulting.

Five stars.

After three years from "AlieNatura" the wise band from Genoa, now enriched with the (not only) drummer Mattias Olsson (ex-Anglagard, Necromonkey, White Willow), is out with its third studio album.

As the preceding album, also in this case the title is a word game. The union of latin verb "ludere", that means 'the act of playing', with the italian article "il" generates a dualism between "il giocare" (the act of playing) and the verb "illudere", that means 'to deceive' or 'to generate expectations that will never be satisfied'

Actually, along the lyrics find place the sweet illusion to have the world at your feet when you're very young, the sad reality to face when you're adult, the tricks, the games, the consequences of love and the need to come back to act and think as a child, to go beyond obstacles otherwise insurmountable, if faced with an adult mind.

All is supported by ITDC's Music, every time rich and refined in arrangements, but here a bit different with the respect of past albums: now all the musicians are involved in composition, not only Fabio Gremo and Elisa Montaldo. This leads to more heterogeneus sounds, more rock oriented, though the lovely presence of Gremo's classic guitar works moderates the effect. There is more electric guitar, but Giulio Canepa takes away the usual RPI jazzy polite register, substituting it with more opened and distorted effects, very near to heavy rock. In the meantime Elisa Montaldo's great work of searching new fascinating sounds, unusual harmonizations and atmospheres sometimes ethereal, sometimes sumptuos and anxious takes place. The searching of new effects is extended also to vocals: always warm and emphatic the one from Francesco Ciapica, always sweet and touching the other from Elisa Montaldo, helped in the chorus line from Canepa and Gremo. Also Mattias Olsson, with his huge amount of percussion and samplers has given his contribution to the new aspects of ITDC sound.

In my opinion the best moments are "La Parola Magica", "Prospettive", "Nuova Alchimia" and "La Spirale del Vento", while "Manitou", with its evoking melodic line and the wise Olson's drumming, gives me a pleasant sensation of ethereal melancholy. I've heard both versions of this song: one sung in Italian by Ciapica (on CD) and the other sung in Japanese by Elisa (Live) and I prefer the second one because feminine voice and Japanese language render it more evoking and ethereal. You may find the Japanese version of this song only on CD Japanese edition. "Spettro del Palco" is the single come out to anticipate the album. The lyrics, the music and the video pay their tribute to Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and has the virtue to be quite catchy, but not too easy. "Gnaffe' " is the bonus track: it's inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron novels. It's a music trick, as to refer to album title.

Track by Track shivers

"Le Regole del Gioco" The album opens with sounds and atmospheres which bring you away, a nice piano arpeggio that seems to anticipate something unnamed, and footsteps with english conversation...

"La Parola Magica" Powerful track, but what has given me shivers is that crazy synth effect which jumps from right to left at the beginning of the second verse! If I know a bit Elisa Montaldo, she could have lost her sleep until she has found it in the right way!

"Come nelle Favole" It's an heavy rock song, quite unusual for ITDC. Here Francesco Ciapica shows his great vocal range. Great strong ending with two powerful solos: guitar and keys.

"Dentro la mia mente" It has a long coda (ending part), widely used in RPI. In this case it's enriched with histrionic Ciapica's vocalism who experiments a double voice effect as in the second track.

"Spettro del Palco" It's a good single song. It takes place in your mind even if it's not easy-listening as well. Once more I have to remark Ciapica's great interpretative vein. Please notice how does it change the sense of the words "nella mia mente" in the two different situations: in the first he is sweethearted in love, in the second he is hoplessly desperate! The piano coda anticipates the main theme of "La Spirale del Vento" ... and also this means "to play with music"!

"Prospettive" Starting from this song until the end of "La Spirale del Vento" in my opinion there's the best part of the entire album. Starting with an intro with classic guitar and piano, after the keys crescendo (with that bass chords I truly love!) the music seems to spirally close into itself to give space to Canepa loud screaming guitar, very inspired along the whole track. After the 6/8 bridges his solo is powerful and full of feeling. The coda is heart breaking. Very beautiful!

"Manitou" is ethereal, spiritual and sweet. The continual but suffused Olsson's percussion and his almost tribal drumming render this song a priceless musical pearl.

"Nuova Alchimia" is the track less easy to bear in mind. It practically hasn't an intro, almost showing an urgency of expression. The up-tempo singing, the solemnity of keys and the unbelievable atmosphere that lingers in the whole track find their fulfillment in the opera-symphonic ending, with the astonishing Elisa's chorals which give us pure emotion. Great!

"La Spirale del Vento" Beautiful piano intro with Olson's delicate cymbals work. The lyrics are almost autobiographical and talk about the choices we make, that seem crazy to others. The powerful synth solo opens the incredible epic and overwhelming ending. I must confess that I'd have preferred that the album would come to end with this track, because the bonus track misrepresents the fulfilment sensation that lets you to play the entire CD another time.

"Gnaffe' " It's almost a goliardic game, as mentioned before. Well played in mediaeval way, as it is.

At the end, "il-ludere" is a very good album. It takes a bit distance from typical RPI stylistics (we don't find long epic songs and continuous tempo variations) but still chained to it by the enriched arrangements (instrumental and vocal) and the search of unusual rhythm solutions and in something new or unexpected, which is the vital lymph for music REAL lovers. ITDC original and characteristic sound remains almost untouched, even if it pays a great tribute to past glorious prog bands

Please don't miss to listen to this album, you would bitterly repent!

Despite this not being a total-control type of OSANNA album and designed to serve the mood of the film (which i've never seen) it still sounds very much like the same musicians who performed on "L'Uomo" and "Palepoli." The film itself was based on the book of the same name CALIBRO 9 (meaning "caliber 9") and was about a small-time gangster who, once released from prison, had to convince the police, his friends and his girlfriend that he was going straight and done with the criminal world however everyone around him believes he has a stash of cash nearing the 300,000$ range hidden somewhere. The music is primarily instrumental with a couple tracks offering Lino Vairetti's signature vocal style. The music despite being suited for a soundtrack sounds very much like the eclectic OSANNA of the surrounding albums with Danilo Rustici's signature guitar riffing, Elio D'Anna's distinct flute and sax contributions and Massimo Guarino's equally unambiguous drum patterns.

Soundtracks are tricky beasts to rate and review since they are more often than not so inextricably intertwined with the theme and mood of the film in which they appear, so i personally have to have a connection with the music independently since a soundtrack without the film is and should be held up to scrutiny independently. This soundtrack to MILANO CALIBRO 9 certainly does just that. While i have no idea how it fits in to the movie itself, i actually find this one a beautiful listening experience. OSANNA may have fewer rocking moments compared to other albums as this one is very much a trade off of harder rock with symphonic classical orchestrated segments but it works quite successfully. While the classical parts may sound more like a generic soundtrack material, OSANNA more than adds enough of their idiosyncratic take on progressive rock so as to leave no doubt as to who the stars of this show are.

While based in a melodramatic classical style, OSANNA let's loose with raucous heavy rocking guitar and freaked out electronica. There are a number of effects like back masking that are quite effective and the OSANNA type song structures as heard on "L'Uomo" are plentiful. For me this one more than works as a musical statement outside of the context of the film's theme and delivers a very satisfying mix of stellar written tracks that take the approach of "L'Uomo" and create a fully formed fusion with classical soundtrack type score music. Nothing seems forced as the two styles play around together and except for the rather insipid ballad type vocal number "Canzona (There Will Be Time)" which ends the album, i'm actually quite fond of every other track. OSANNA would fizzle out quickly after "Palepoli" but on this one they still flaunt their musical mojo even if they weren't calling all the shots.