POSIDONIAN FIELDS

Year 2004 and Taproban had already composed one cover (''Lark's Tongues in Aspic Part 2'' with the help of Fabrizio Santoro from Nodo Gordiano) and one long prog-suite (''Morton'', helped by Alessandro Papotto, formerly of Nodo Gordiano and later with Periferia del Mondo) for two nice upcoming albums within the year, the King Crimson tribute ''The Letters: An Unconventional Italian Guide to King Crimson'' and the Musea-related '' The Spaghetti Epic''.At the dawn of 2006 the trio entered the XL Studio in Rome to work on a third full-length work.The recordings finished in May and six months later ''Posidonian fields'' was shelved in stores by Mellow Records.

Taproban continue from where ''Outside nowhere'' stopped, taking a few more steps towards a more British-styled keyboard-driven Progressive Rock with huge old-school influences, but always surrounded by a more dramatic and fairly mysterious flavor, akin to BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, NUOVA ERA and LE ORME.The ten tracks of the album are divided in three chapters with great keyboard parts by di Rossi, changing from haunting Classical-drenched moves to nervous Symphonic Rock, somewhat with an E.L.P. and RICK WAKEMAN edge.With a strong armour of synthesizers next to occasional Mellotron, Hammond- and church-organ washes, the album has plenty to offer to a listener, starving for rich, nostalgic and Classic-styled Progressive Rock.Bombastic dual-keyboard themes, smooth interludes, organ fanfares in a KEITH EMERSON style and a nice bunch of romantic movements with less energy and more vocals and melodies in the forefront.Unlike many prog trios, there are also sporadic guitar runs in the album, usually with a smooth touch similar to STEVE HACKETT's time with GENESIS.But the driving force of the album remains the mass of grandiose, keyboard-based instrumental textures of the group with inspirations from the 70's era.

Another solid release by a very consistent band.Again not a groundbreaking album, but a nice work full of impressive instrumental atmospheres.Recommended.