DECALOGUE OF DARKNESS

After 4 years of silence, the dynamic duo of Davide Guidoni and Alfio Costa , known as DAAL have reappeared with a couple of albums, Decalogue of Darkness and the Navels Falling into a Living Origami, two more monuments of modern progressive experimentation that stretches the sonic boundaries once again. This is not neo, symphonic, or RPI but a rather strange brew of synthesized electronics, percussive propulsion and dreamy configurations that surely define, after a lengthy and high quality discography, their own place in the progressive music universe. Davide is one of the premier drummers in the world, a masterful craftsman who has adorned many significant Italian prog albums, while Alfio has made his name with Prowlers and Tilion. Kind of fitting that I got my ears honed to this on Halloween, as its quite a fitting soundtrack to the yearly goblin-laden event.

Decalogue of Darkness offers up quite a panorama of mind-music compositions, laced with imagination and substance, the dynamic duo adding guitarist extraordinaire Ettore Salati (RedZen, Soulengine, The Watch among many others) and Prowlers alumnus Bobo Aiolfi on bass to the mix. The entirely instrumental work has strong melancholic tendencies , at times eerie and spectral, yet always on the verge of experimentation. There are some definite King Crimson moments everywhere, with vast mellotron swaths that breathe dense clouds into the forlorn piano musings, deft cymbal work that rekindles images of vintage Bruford and the guitars often Fripping amazing as on the blistering track Chapter 8 . Wow!

The adventure begins with the masterful Chapter I , a heady, mellotron-drenched, bass-infected introduction, expertly propelled by manic drumming and sensitive percussion. The guitar slashes are overwhelming , the intensity raw and powerful. A better soundtrack ouverture is hard to come by. Just plain brilliant! The stage is set for a wild hour of extravagant creativity and artistic genius. The massive 16 minute + Chapter II is more dissonant, obscure and eerie, the colossal mellotron leading the way through a maze of sonic corridors, densely cinematographic and laden with furtive angst. The tinkling piano surges ahead amid the chaos while the arrangement remains confrontational, very much in an Anekdoten -like configuration, with occasional Twilight Zone chime/tick-tock noodlings. The densest and most complex piece on the recording, it requires patience and attention to detail. The second part halfway in is even more spectral, cacophonic and tumultuous, as Davide ransacks his drum kit along the way, a poly-rhythmic octopus given free reign. The under-pinned Frippian guitar licks are doom-laden and acerbic, once again we are reminded of classic Larks Tongues-era KC, ultimately leading to a stunning Arabic tinged electric guitar solo that keeps on giving. Gargantuan finale, explosive mayhem, call it what you want , this is absolutely awesome. The soft ending is unexpected.

Chapter III keeps the pedal to the floor, at least in terms of mellotron dominance, unabashedly serving up massive windswept waves of sound, the fury suddenly abated by gentle servings of acoustic peace where the mighty 'tron shows both its grace and pomp. The cymbal work is noteworthy, the rolling bass figurines etched within the groove, but the big white keyboard remains firmly in control. The contrasts between serene and explosive are truly appealing .

Turning into a rockier expanse, Chapter IV gets a full-on King Crimson disguise, as Davide is killing it on his kit, a fine observer of Giles and Bruford, Ettore ripping (Fripping) hard and fast, while Bobo keeps it all in play. Alfio's keys remain firmly entrenched in mellotron land. This is another awe-inspiring and intricate piece of music. Chapter V delves more into psychedelia, what with the odd swirling guitar licks setting up a very defined groove, well propulsed rhythmically and sonically dense. The trick here is how it suddenly veers into an uncomfortable numbness (sorry Floyd!) and belltolling kind of apocalypse. Chapter VI offers a return to almost normal sounds, the axe carving a luscious melody that stands strong and true, the piano acting as an accessory to the crime, though interferred by more mellotron cascades, but with a KingC meet PinkF feel that is overt and obvious. Love this immensely as its the most accessible and instantly memorable track on the disc. The outro is gently divine!

The next Chapter is the magic 7 and it reinvents the spooky sense earlier, the piano playing Twilight Zone like motifs once again, with brash guitar slashes helping the mood along, evolving into pastoral themes where the flute mellotrons reign supreme. The surreal arrangement then veers into effect-laden mayhem that really elevates the sense of doom and gloom succesfully. The Chapter VIII is a highlight event, a sprawling piece that showcases the Crimsonian elements that continue to define modern rock music fifty years later, the sacred union of colossal orchestrations (i.e Mellotron), the supple acoustic guitar ornamentation that also relies on technically inspired electric phrasings, bruising bass guitar underpinnings and a delirious world clas drum exercize. Disturbing, confrontational, nervy, on the edge of painful, the listener is thrown on a roller coaster of emotions, with contrasting chimes, elegance and medieval musings. Scary! By far the ultimate track on thsi masterpiece. The accessory Chapter 9 has Alfio caressing his ornate piano in dreamy fashion, drenched in fabulous mystery and reverie. This is all restraint and reflection, a celestial , cristalline moment amid all the confusion. Like my pal BrufordFreak stated, « pure and simple »! Amazing!

The finale is an epic 10 minute composition that encompasses all the elements that highlight DAAL's creative juice. This is what modern prog music should sound like in the hands of uncompromising artists. Beautiful guitar arpeggios , dreamy piano sensibilities and luxuriant percussive rhythms, that swell into a masteful Ettore Salati guitar romp that hits all the emotional buttons, as the mighty mellotron elevates the track to absurd heights , a slight nod to Yes' ''Soon oh Soon '', before veering off into the murky, dense and overwhelmimg sunset. Davide once again pushes the enveloppe with mythical prowess. In awe, I am!

The cover art is utterly sublime and very descriptive of the sounds generated by the band, a serious masterpiece of prog which will delight many fans. This is what modern prog music should sound like in the hands of uncompromising artists.

5 asteroids of genius