N.T. ATOMIC SYSTEM [AKA: UNA NOTTE SUL MONTE CALVO]

Released at a time when Vittorio de Scalzi was not sure if he was able to use the NEW TROLLS name, so the original LP was released simply as N.T. ATOMIC SYSTEM. What happened was, shortly after the release of UT at the closing weeks of 1972, there was a split in the band. Vittorio de Scalzi wanted the band to go the prog rock route, which Nico di Palo wanted the band to go the hard rock direction. So NEW TROLLS broke up, and di Palo went to form a group that was to be called IBIS (they had an album released in 1973 with a big question mark on the cover, which the name eludes me at the point). During legal battles over NEW TROLLS and IBIS, de Scalzi formed a new band called N.T. ATOMIC SYSTEM with him on keyboards and vocals, Giorgio D'Adamo on bass, Renato Rosset on keyboards, Giorgio Baiocco on sax and Eminent, Tullio D'Episcopo on drums, and Ramasandiran Somusundaran on percussion. This helped de Scazli pursue the prog rock direction he wanted. And also he launched the Magma label, in which this band, as well as ALPHATAURUS, LATTE E MIELLE, the totally obcure but wonderful "Pholas Dactylus", and even Ramasandiran Somusundaran all recorded for.

Many people regard N.T. ATOMIC SYSTYEM as one of the greatest Italian prog rock albums, but I am not one of them. I rate this album up there with SEMIRAMIS' "Dedicato a Frazz", and IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO's "YS", as being overrated and a bit overhyped, but still worth having. Without a doubt the two best songs on this album, "La Nuova Predica di Padra O'Brein" and "Ibernazione", five stars all the way for those songs, they can rival many of the Italian greats such as BANCO or MUSEO ROSENBACH. I've also really grown to like "Ho Visto Poi", which reminds me of PFM. But there are some pieces I think drag on, bogging down the album a bit. One is "Tornare a Credere", which sounds is more pop-oriented, except for the middle part, which is much more prog, and a killer passage. "Butterfly", the only piece sung in English, finds the band moving away from prog rock and to West Coast folk rock, late '60s style, almost having more in common with JEFFERSON AIRPLANE or IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY (minus the violin) than NEW TROLLS, SEMIRAMIS, MUSEO ROSENBACH, etc. The problem I have is with the crap lyrics, telling the story of a kid getting lost in the woods catching butterflies. Basically this kind of music should've been left for the California bands of the late '60s, not an Italian prog band of 1973. Again, this is still a worthwhile album, but doesn't quite live up to the status of "Greatest Italian Prog Album" to me.