I TEOREMI

I Teoremi is easy to discard and pigeonhole as heavy prog, which it most certainly is, but there is some astoundingly impressive musicianship happening on the album that cannot be easily overlooked. This self-titled 1972 affair begins placidly enough, but don't let the fluid blues facade mislead you; Teoremi blast through 45 minutes of proto-prog rock like a hot knife through butter. Of particular interest are the guitars - Mario Schiliro masterfully commanding the Les Paul, and Vincenzo Massetti continually raising eyebrows with his bass playing. The pair recall the likes of Clapton/Bruce one minute, and Flea compatriots Pennisi/Volpini the next. But the most fitting comparison I can make of these two is to Alberto Radius and Bob Callero; though these masters would join forces in Il Volo, their early work with Formula 3 and Osage Tribe respectively is more similar to what I Teoremi were doing. And what they do is wake up the neighbors. Play this puppy LOUD.

The 1999 Akarma CD has a different running order than the Vinyl Magic, but it is the Akarma to which I am accustomed and will refer to that version here. The album begins with "Nuvola Che Copri Il Sole," a bluesy number with tons of energy right out of the gate. Immediately noticeable is the attention-grabbing voice of Vincenzo Massetti, who sounds like a soulful Roman version of Paul Rogers. This guy isn't afraid to belt it out, and does so early and often. By "Qualcosa D'irreale" you start to realize this isn't typical rock music, as the rhythm section starts doing some unexpected odd-meter and syncopated unison work. The three musicians are clearly rehearsed and tight, yet retain an off-the-cuff realism that is much appreciated. Massetti especially goes for it, attempting a high-string tightrope walk that isn't always pretty, yet he somehow never falls. At the four-minute mark any doubts you may still have subside, as the guitars interlock for a classically-inspired break that will make RDM and New Trolls fans blush.

Three shorter songs follow which further demonstrate the remarkable riff-writing abilities of I Teoremi. Of main interest to prog rock followers are the two long songs that follow: "Impressione" (which opens the original LP and CD) shifts from weighty electric R&B to spacey psych in one fell swoop; "Mare Della Traquillita" features a lengthy drum solo and even some cavernous piano to up the prog ante. The Akarma CD has a couple of bonus tracks featuring the group's first single and B-side, which are nice additions. The digital delivery of I Teoremi offers the same track sequence, and is a cheap $8 download. I Teoremi should belong in any Heavy/Psych collection, but RPI purists may be turned off by the seemingly one-dimensional aspect of the album; repeated listens may win them over.