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Doracor - Lady Roma CD (album) cover

LADY ROMA

Doracor

Symphonic Prog


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erik neuteboom
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars

To my surprise I notice that this brandnew Doracor album is not reviewed, I presume my Italian PA friend Andrea Cortese has other priorities, haha! But seriously, I am familiar with the Doracor sound since I got their CD entitled Antiche Impressioni (1999) as a promo from the prolific Italian progrock label Mellow Records when I worked for the Dutch progrock magazine Io Pages. In my review I wrote that I was very pleased with the great keyboard sound but that Doracor had to mature in their writing.

Almost 10 years and 4 albums later Doracor still deliver a wonderful keyboard sound and ... the band has matured in writing, this new CD contains more elaborate compositions, more dynamics and variety, from the long wah-wah drenched, often howling guitar solos and saxophone in Vento Dell'Est (Reprise) and Tramonto Sul Giardino Degli Aranci to the distinctive mandoline sound in Roma Dei Misteri and beautiful electric violinwork in Lungotevere Insonne. But the Doracor trademark is the lush keyboard sound by prime mover Corrado Sardella: fat synthesizers flights, sparkling piano, powerful Hammond waves, choir-Mellotron sound and majestic classical orchestrations, often in strong interplay with powerful guitar and a tight rhythm-section, simply beautiful!

In my opinion this is one of the best Doracor efforts, I hope more progheads will discover the typical, very melodic and harmonic Doracor sound, layered with great keyboards, a solid 3,5 stars!

Report this review (#180963)
Posted Thursday, August 28, 2008 | Review Permalink
ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Doracor released a full Italian symphonic once again. There is even Ian Mosley on drums (as a guest)!

The opening and title track is a complex piece of music which captivates the listener for about nine minutes. All the elements of the genre are present: skilled musicians, emotional vocals, fine melodies. You name them. It is an excellent start, although it might be difficult to confirm such a high profile song.

On the atmospheric side, the band proposes Vento Dell'Est, which is a soft ballad not too far from the early Genesis. It is a very relaxing and straightforward song which features a splendid and very melodic guitar solo. I really like such moments. The song closes on a symphonic sax part, just as it begun.

Corrado Sardella has not forgotten his debuts: Roma Dei Misteri is a spacey instrumental which seems to come back from his early releases. It is not my fave here. It is true to say that good old Emerson influence is noticeable when you listen to Diafana Ipnosi: but it sounds so fresh and light. The frenzy is also leaving the place to some very melodic vocal lines which are quite remarkable.

There are lots of moving passages on this album: the beautiful violin during the short Lungotevere Insonne is such one. Another outstanding band member is Milton Damia: I have already mentioned his excellent vocal skills and it is combined with some very good guitar capabilities (Testimone La Luna).

Lady Roma is a very pleasant album to listen to. It offers peaceful themes (Zucchero Filato and its sweet sax part) and provides emotions like we are used to with the Italian genre (probably the only one to convey such passion).

This album belongs to the very best work of Doracor. Four stars.

Report this review (#183341)
Posted Tuesday, September 23, 2008 | Review Permalink
Raff
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars In his thirteen years of activity as a prog musician, Corrado Sardella seems to have learned that one-man bands, no matter how gifted one can be, will hardly ever be able to replace a real band in terms of overall quality. Luckily, over the years the number of guest musicians employed by Sardella has steadily grown, and some of them (like guitarist/violinist Riccardo Mastantuono and vocalist Milton Damia) have become steady presences on his albums. On "Lady Roma", Doracor's seventh studio album, one finally gets the impression of a real band, not just a collection of hired hands (even if talented ones). This time, in particular, there are no less than three drummers involved - a vast improvement over Sardella's previous use of programmed drums.

As the title implies, "Lady Roma" is meant as a tribute to the Eternal City of Rome (Sardella's home town, as well as my own), represented on the cover as a beautiful woman. In spite of that, I find that it does not sound as distinctively Italian as other recent releases from Italian bands. Rather than the legendary Italian prog outfits of the Seventies, the main sources of inspiration here seem to be bands like Genesis, Camel and Marillion. Obviously, the trademark Mediterranean lushness can be perceived at times, and there are other (though few) elements that anchor the album to the Italian musical tradition: the Italian-language lyrics, as well as Riccardo Mastantuono's occasional use of the mandolin (one of the mainstays of Italian folk music).

Since Corrado Sardella is first and foremost a keyboardist, it will not come as a surprise that the album is quite strongly keyboard-oriented. However, all the instruments involved in the recording of the album work together smoothly and seamlessly, as reflected in the open, airy nature of the music. Nothing here sounds jarring or overly complicated, and the tracks blend into each other with a pleasing, natural flow, at times uplifting, at others somehow tinged with sadness for things that have gone forever - an impression compounded the autumnal beauty of the pictures featured in the booklet, such as the breathtaking, lavender-hued shot of St Peter's Basilica at the twilight hour.

The album's title-track, a mini-suite in four movements, is introduced by a passage recited by the soothingly deep voice of Daniele Si Nasce (known in Italy for his activity as a one-man tribute to Roman-born singer-songwriter and showman Renato Zero). The lyrics, written in the Roman vernacular, are a nostalgic paean to 'vanished Rome'; the combination of Mastantuono's lilting mandolin and Sardella's tinkling piano lends an endearingly folksy quality to the tune. The rest of the suite is more along vintage symphonic prog lines, with clean-sounding guitar and broad keyboard sweeps in classic Genesis mould, and excellent vocals by Milton Damia. The vocalist shows more of his considerable range and expertise in the atmospheric, sax-infused, blues-tinged ballad "Vento dell'Est". The somewhat darker, spacey instrumental "Roma dei Misteri" opens with faint mandolin strains, then turns into a pulsing synth riff lifted out of Rush's "Subdivisions"; while the short "Imperium", featuring Marillion's Ian Mosley on drums, is a heavier, synth- and guitar-driven piece with a solemn organ introduction. On the other hand, the neo-prog influence is quite evident in the romantic, keyboard-led mid-tempos "Testimone la Luna" and "Questo Folle Girotondo".

As a whole, "Lady Roma" is a classy package, further enhanced by Milton Damia's stunning vocal performance. Though it does not offer any really ground-breaking ideas, it is nonetheless a well-rounded, well-crafted offering, which fans of classic symphonic prog, as well as neo-prog, will not fail to appreciate. Hopefully Corrado Sardella will manage to keep this group of top-notch musicians together for his next recording efforts.

Report this review (#258766)
Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 | Review Permalink
b_olariu
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Lady Roma issued at same Mellow records in 2008 is another worthy and captivating offer from their catalogue. Keeping the same attitude as on Transizione (the only album I know besides this one) so far, but definatly want to check out more of their music because I like a lot what I've heared on this two releases. With , now more shorter pieces and more in number, only title track, the opening is little lenghtier around 9 min, the rest are between 2 and 7, but is not a problem at all, Doracor manage once again to capture my attention, big time. Very nice, elegant symphonic prog with lot to offer, both on instrumental sections as on vocal departement. This album can be consider as a detication of Corrado Sardella main man of the band to Eternal City - Rome, his own town. Some highlits here like title track or Roma Dei Misteri, very strong musicianship and elaborated instrumental parts, really like this kind of symphonic prog. The voice of Milton Damia is great, one of the few italian singers I know who doesn't have that specific accent when sing in english, really nice smooth voice. Ian Mosley the famous drumer of Marillion appear here besides othe rinvited guests. LUsh keyboards in interplay with the guitar parts makes from this seventh release from Doracot a worthy listning. 4 stars again, very strong band that is far less known then other acts from this country, they need for sure a wider recognition because they worth it.
Report this review (#943189)
Posted Saturday, April 13, 2013 | Review Permalink

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