YS

Progressive rock's most controversial album. Many claim that YS is the "masterpiece of all masterpieces", while others claim that it is just an average album not worthy of all the hype. In my opinion, "Ys" is a great album(not a masterpiece, but certainly one of the best from the Italian prog scene). My main problem with the album, though, is that some of the sections drag on for too long, especially the last 7 minutes. The intensity of the music sort of makes-up for the repetition, but you really have to be in the mood for it. For example, the bassist tends to repeat a bass pattern, while the keyboardist adds tons of keyboards(sometimes all counterpoint), and the guitarist wails all over the madness. The keyboardist is indeed awesome. His style mixes Keith Emerson's style with dark, and haunting, baroque influences. When the singer starts to sing, I'm reminded of some of the average heavy metal singers from the 80's. He isn't that bad, but it does take a while to get familiar with his style. You should definitely check out YS if you're into Italian progressive rock, but don't expect a masterpiece because you might be disappointed.