ZARATHUSTRA

Emerging in the midst of the effervescence reigning in Mediterranean lands due to the shockwaves that the progressive movement generated from the British Isles, the Italians Museo Rosenbach released their debut album and ultimately their only work for years: "Zarathustra". With a theme based on the concept of the Superman and the limitations to personal growth that submitting to a superior being implies, developed in the work "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" by the influential and controversial German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and, without breaking the mould completely with the tradition of their fellow countrymen more given to melodies and peaceful landscapes, the band presents a powerful proposal that combines influences of English symphonic rock with baroque and jazz touches and elements of primitive hard rock.

With the five sections of the enormous suite "Zarathustra" as a fundamental anchor, the band surprises for the maturity of its musical ensemble, with Pit Corradi's keyboard playing standing out, with the protagonic mellotrons that generate a persistent dramatic and dark atmosphere in "a. L'Ultimo Uomo" and "b. Il Re Di Ieri", Corradi's own Purplelian Hammonds accompanied by Enzo Merogno's guitar riffing on the aggressive "c. Al Di La Del Bene E Del Male", as well as in the intense and jazzy "d. Superuomo", backed by Giancarlo Golzi's lively drumming and Alberto Moreno's correct bass playing. The instrumental "e. Il Tempio Delle Clessidre", the only section that doesn't feature Stefano Galifi's dosed and rough singing, completes not only the suite, but one of the best expressions of Italian progressive rock.

And both the hard rock animosity of "Degli Uomini", the intricate and very progressive "Della Natura" with a superb instrumental display by the band, and the concluding "Degli Uomini" with Galifi's heartbreaking final vocal performance and the epic closing unleashed by Corradi's mellotron, maintain the high standard of the album.

"Zarathustra", although at the time an elusive commercial success that probably frustrated the continuity of Museo Rosenbach (only resumed 27 years later with "Exit"), gained recognition over the years and today is a cult work for the progressive genre.

4/4.5 stars