TERRAMARE

Their first album "Liberazione" already showed some strong "prog" metal tendencies, but when I listen to the opening number from their follow-up album "Bambina Regiana" (released more than ten years later), it sounds as if the band has little to share with the Italian genre I have praised (ISP, I mean). OK, lyrics are in Italian. But don't look any further for a relation with the style which you might love.

This is not the first time that I have made the same comment since the "fusion" of all sorts of genres which are now grouped under the "RPI" umbrella instead of the "ISP" one. When I listen to "Monsieur Verdoux" I definitely feel that the move was not a favorable one. Metal lines like "Dream Theater". Yes, this is what you get here. Sung in Italian?

Here and there, some fine moments of Italian emotion like "Mari", but too scarce to imprint this work. But even this one is affected (or infected should I say) with metal lines at the end of the song. "Libera" is just a carbon copy I'm afraid: quite noisy and little prog. Not even talking about Italian prog?

Few are the moments of prog passion. Still, "Umbria" holds some of them (the first half). It is ruined thereafter with the same metal sounds. A (bad) habit by now. Some doom fragrance with "Contrasto Della Villanella" is just the track too much. Even if I quite liked the model (Sabbath of course), I can't feel the same enthusiasm here. The same applies to the title track and closing number.

In all, if you are looking to a heavy metal album sung in Italian, this might be a good option. I was not looking to this. Two stars for this lengthy album.