AT LAST. LIVE

The Russian instrumental Avant-Prog-band Roz Vitalis have released a live album "At Last. Live" that was recorded in Saint- Petersburg in 2016. The dynamic instrumental album features Vladimir Efimov on electric guitar, Alexey Gorshkov on trumpet and acoustic guitar, Ruslan Kirillov on bass guitar, Vladislav Korotkikh on flute and low whistle, Ivan Rozmainsky on keyboards, Vladimir "Energoslon" Semenov-Tyan-Shansky on acoustic and electric guitars, and Philip "Phill" Semenov on drums.

The album includes some new material and also rearranged versions of Mother of All Rain from 'Patience of Hope' 2012, Lavoro d'Amore and Ascension Dream from 'Lavoro d'Amore' 2015. The music is melancholy and pastoral with the flute dominating at times but always overshadowed by virtuoso musicianship.

The band state that the "essential goal of the album is to explore, to expand and to emphasize Beauty." It certainly is replete with beautiful musicianship throughout with a Spiritual atmosphere. This is a melancholy symphonic album with dreamlike organic reflections.

Blurred is a soundscape of tranquillity, and Lavoro d'Amore has masterful piano and heart rendering flute. There is a glorious trumpet solo in The Hidden Man Of The Heart along with a marching drum tempo that augments the sound and an appreciative crowd applaud.

Restore Unto Me The Joy is a flute dominated piece with dreamy melodies. Ascension Dream has rippling flute and piano beauty, then the time signature changes as the drums quicken with more urgency. The trumpet cascades over with a mesmirising grace culminating in a masterful track.

Mother Of All Rain features some wonderful delicate trumpets and melodic guitar picking. This piece is more guitar driven with acoustic sounds maintaining a strong rhythm alongside heavy percussion and cymbal splashes. A heavier sound is generated but still has a consistent emotional vibe and lovely pastoral nuances. Passing Over has acoustic picking and melancholy piano scales, then it breaks into a different time signature, with an infectious keyboard solo. It builds into a strong melodic rhythmic pace and then a passage of improvisational keys and frenetic percussion lead to a soft acoustic layer. This one has the biggest crowd reaction and it completes the concert audio from Lady Club.

Passing Interlude is recorded at Sound Museum as is the next track. This has the best lead guitar solo, sounding a bit like Camel's Andrew Latimer. The warm organic soundscape is delightful. The mood swings from aggressive drums to a symphonic beauty; keyboards and ethereal synth pads. Se Camminiamo Nella Luce (Excerpt) / Thou Shalt Tread Upon The Lion And Adder is a lengthy finale to the album. It opens with tranquil flute solos and a gentle rhythm carried along waves of keyboard strings. It moves into a myriad of moods while always maintaining a lucid flow. In one section the guitars become more distorted and the drums more forceful. The dynamics of the music, the light and shade passages, ignite the overall emotions of the track. The listener is taken on a Spiritual journey that builds into a final outro of melodic grandeur.

Overall this is some of the most beautiful instrumental progressive music I have heard. The crowds sound rather small but the intimacy of the atmosphere works well. The crowd were certainly treated to some very special Roz Vitalis concerts and so will you on listening to "At Last. Live".