ANIMA TERRA

Bondage are another in a long line of Italian one-shot bands, in this case the group recorded their sole work in the mid 1990s and release was delayed for several years. By the time the CD was issued by Mellow Records the band was no more. While the disc boasts individual song titles, they are fused together into one long 52 minute track giving the album the feel of an "Amarok" or the like, basically one long epic song. The Bondage sound is a highly theatrical one thanks to Angelo Calleri's gregarious style of vocal delivery, a bit like the vocals of Ange or Fiaba. The group reminds me a bit of Fiaba or Minstrel, not very helpful as both of those groups are similarly obscure. It's an all-over-the-map blend of operatic grandiosity, 90s light metal/neo/symphonic influence, and as our site bio states, maybe a bit of Banco mixed with Zappa as inspiration. The keyboards are a huge buzz-kill for me here, that cheesy 90s sound that so many otherwise fine bands chose to use. ( If you know the sound I'm referring to, you can expect a good deal of it here. If you don't, then that sound probably doesn't bother you, so ignore the comment.) Another complaint I have is the unrestrained cymbals in some places, which are quite tinny and ring too loudly. Aside from that, the guitars are quite good, a modern style reminding me of 80s Lifeson at times while the bass is like a wall giving them a "large" sound. I can't say I am moved much by the composition beyond being impressed by the vocalist. Over 52 minutes there are undoubtedly some interesting things that happen but much of the time my attention drifts. If you're looking for a wild Venetian rollercoaster with some ups and downs, and you enjoy good operatic Italian vocals, you may wish to roll the dice here. The booklet is quite generous with full lyrics (Italian) and some very nice painting reproductions that I enjoyed more than the music. Many good performances despite not really being my cup of tea, and certainly deserving of 3 stars at the least.

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