...E IL SUO RESPIRO ANCORA AGITA LE ONDE?

Germinale were formed in Pisa in 1991 and their name was inspired by an Emile Zola's novel. After an interesting but still immature eponymous debut album in 1994 and some line up changes, in 1996 they released on the independent label Mellow Records what is reputed their best work so far and one of the best Italian prog records of the nineties, "...e ancora il suo respiro agita le onde..." (And his breath is still moving the waves). The line up here features Salvo Lazzara (electric guitar, devices, vocals), Marco Masoni (vocals, bass, classical and acoustic guitars, mellotron), Andrea Moretti (piano, Hammond, moog, synthesizers), Alessandro Toniolo (flute, sax, vocals) and David Vecchioni (drums, percussion). The overall sound is rich and inspired, in the best tradition of Italian prog rock while the beautiful art cover by Marta Bibbiani tries to capture the explosion of colours coming out from the music...

The short opener "Il già sentito e il non ancora" (The already heard and the not yet) is introduced by the sound of sea waves and seagull calls. Then, from a delicate acoustic guitar pattern soars a peculiar invocation... "We forgive you, Euterpe, for bringing us up here / Goddess of music, lyric poetry and flute / We ask you now to let us use your regenerating pathos...".

Next comes the long and complex "1° maggio" (May Day), subtitled "dialogue between a worker and a warrior". It was inspired by an essay written in 1934 by the French philosopher Simone Weil about the reasons of freedom and social oppression, "Réflexions sur les causes de la liberté et de l'oppression sociale". Dreamy and reflexive passages alternate with aggressive and dynamic parts underlying the contrast between the dreams of freedom and equality of the worker and the angry and disdainful reaction of the warrior, symbol of the power... "My resistance compels you to think about equality / I've always had to work but I want to do it with dignity... I know the revolt of the oppressed / It explodes only at times but it's always bubbling / And it increases your pain if it forces me to use my power...". A wonderful track!

"D'ombra, vapori e sabbia" (About shadow, steams and sand) is an excellent instrumental in three parts. The first one is dominated by keyboards, the second one features swirling flute passages soaring from a drum solo pattern while the last one is driven by an ethereal guitar solo. It could be a perfect soundtrack for an adventure in the desert...

"Eleonora" is a nice instrumental featuring delicate acoustic guitar patterns. It leads to "Le onde, il respiro del mare" (The waves, breathing of the sea), a complex and dramatic piece in two parts. Lyrics are freely taken from "Alkestis", a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke inspired by ancient Greek mythology. The atmosphere is dark, recitative vocals tell a gloomy story... A diabolic messenger appears as an uninvited guest to a nuptial banquet announcing that the groom has to die, on the spot!. The unlucky man implores, asks for mercy, asks for more time, a year, a day, even just one more night! No way, the task of the messenger is clear... Sometimes the music is powerful and flows like a raging river, every now and again it stops and gives way to unquiet dreams while the groom is carried away by the river of despair. Every effort to grip the rocks is vain, the poor man is swallowed by the obscure sea of predestination. Eventually... "The messenger got up and walked into the water / He sank himself in victory / And his breath is still moving the waves...".

"Diòniso inquieto" (Restless Dionysus) is a melancholic track describing in words and music the way of spending the time in the youth. "Another exciting suicide to rejoice boring dusks...". Lyrics tell about nights wasted in fake happiness during parties and bike rides but also of nights spent in a more bucolic and pensive way, stretched out on a lawn watching the stars, tasting the pleasures of mother nature...

"Malcreanza" (Bad behaviour) is a nervous track featuring many influences (from Jethro Tull to jazz, from bossa nova to Jean Michel Jarre). Visionary lyrics depict a smoking heart thrown to the winds and a desperate wondering under the stars... "I'm still loosing me / I do not talk very much / I never ask for explanations / I discuss to understand / The sea around us where we have to swim towards cliffs of sand helps us to ride the tiger of life...".

"D'io" (Of me) begins softly, just a guitar arpeggio and a voice taken from a radio broadcast... Then recitative vocals begin to declaim a long list of useless things like heavy drugs, light words, football matches, obsequious waiters, complete scores, human flies, counted hours... All things that you can do without!

"Avànt ? grado" is an excellent long and complex track. The music begins calmly with a swirling flute and a dreamy atmosphere. Lyrics were inspired by the character of Peter I "The Great" Romanov. The title is a mix between the French word "avant-garde" and Leningrad, the Soviet name of Saint Petersburg. There is no judgement about the "modernist despotism" of Peter I but a reflection about "a revolution from above", directed by the Tsar of Russia... "It's the energy of desire for concreteness... The vanguard and the complete renovation of the costumes...".

"In Aeternam Veritas" (The truth in the eternal) is a short and dreamy guitar instrumental that concludes a beautiful album. The re-release on CD features also as a bonus track the cover of "Meurglys III (The songwriter's guild)", originally recorded for a tribute to Van Der Graaf Generator released by Mellow Records.