PASSAGGI

Filoritmia are an Italian prog band from Milan that have been active since 1993. The present line up features Roberto Riccardi (guitars), Matteo Scarparo (bass), Angelo D'Ariano (keyboards), Antonio Mazzucchelli (drums) and Giorgio Mele (vocals). "Passaggi" is their second full length album, after the excellent eponymous debut work released in 2000. Filoritmia's music is complex and features a wide range of sources of inspiration (from classic prog bands like PFM to hard rock and jazz) but the band managed to shape a fresh and original sound. All the tracks are in some way challenging and need more than one listen to be completely appreciated but in my opinion at length I'm sure you will enjoy the experience.

The album opens with a sudden burst of energy. "Colla e gesso" (Glue and chalk) is a complex and "hard rocking" track full of whipping rhythms that invites you to make up your mind, to choose what's right, to look for you own way of life and to follow your dreams... "I've got the fantasy / I believe in what's fair / I can saw storms with the hardness of the thunder / And the skilfulness of a blind acrobat / That laughs smelling the smile of astonished children / I choose because to stand still is like dying...".

"Senza sale" (Without salt) is a long track in four parts that tries to describe in music and words a troubled relationship between a man and a woman. It starts with a sweet and romantic mood, then misunderstandings, incomprehension and rising tensions until the final split up...

"Non è festa" (This is not Celebration) is a tribute to PFM. Instead of playing just a cover of a song of the Italianprog masters, Filoritmia tried to elaborate a new and personal track starting from the melodic lines and rhythms of PFM's evergreen "E' festa" (also known as "Celebration" in the English version). The result is absolutely good.

"L'uomo che torna" (The man who comes back) is another sinuous track about a troubled relationship between a man and a woman. Sometimes we choose the wrong moments to express our feelings and words turn around without reach their goal, what's right for one person could be wrong for the other one and vice versa, so all we can do is trying one more time and come back to find the light again.

"Godo" (I'm getting pleasure) is like a long shower of energy. Electric guitar riffs and fiery bass lines drive the rhythm while suggestive vocals invite you to catch your time and to enjoy life overcoming the bad dreams.

"Il sogno del fotografo" (The photographer's dream) starts with intricate rhythm patterns, then comes a dreamy interlude that melts a solemn marching beat... The song is about the artist's dream to capture the reality and to shape it through his skilfulness. But the artist has to live into a dream to be creative and to express his talent... "I'm the god of the light / I'm the alchemist of the picture / You will live forever on this photo paper / I'm the master of your eternal youth / This is the dream...".

"Questo" (This) is hard and sharp, it tries to depict a sudden breakthrough from everyday life, an escape from reality on the wings of imagination... "You know, it's not easy to live without fairy tales...".

The final long and complex "Manifesto" is about mass media and consumerism... The smiles of anchormen are like the teeth of wild animals ready to bite you while radios kill any fantasy. What to do? Change radio before it changes you and play your own music to resist.

This is one of my favourite albums of 2009. Check it, you can listen to the whole album from the official website and then, if you like it, you can buy the "hard copy" in a beautiful five folds digipack. The art cover features eight images, one for each track...