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Neo - La Quinta Essenza Della Mediocrità CD (album) cover

LA QUINTA ESSENZA DELLA MEDIOCRITÀ

Neo

RIO/Avant-Prog


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snobb
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
2 stars First album,released by Italian band Neo, I ever heard was Water Resistance (2009). Very attracted by that release, I tried to find more their music, and it was extremely hard work.

This, La Quinta Essenza Della Mediocrità album, was released some years before Water Resistance, and when at last I found it to listen, I was really curious what music I will hear there. First album's minutes, with scratching glass and strings sounds,were really disappointed. Not only few first minutes - but few first songs. Noisy dirty and scratchy guitars based punkish jamming doesn't was the music I expected to hear. Slowly, very slowly though songs became more acceptable to listen. Trashy punk jamming is gone, and music became more bluesy angular guitar jamming. A bit better than at the beginning possibly.

Somewhere in the middle of the album songs got some melodies and became more jazzy - kind of bluesy jazz-core. OK- at least there I could enjoy some improvs.

First ten compositions are still real punk-blues-jazz core (as band describe their style by themselves), all 2-3 minutes noisy compositions.

First really interesting composition is "Terrore Vigile" , 6+ minutes long,not so noisy it really has something to offer for listener. For sure, main accent of this song is sax soloing - when sax started to play I really recognize why I like Neo music! Yes, their sax player is their main attraction! All previous sax-less compositions were just half-baked products!

Second song "an unsane blues for unhappy beast" is another good composition, based on improvisations around Gershwin's "Summertime" tune. Jazzy, almost jazz fusion (ok, with still punky drumming), this song both together with previous one,are best this album's compositions.

Album's closer "il sempliciotto" is short again, but at least not very scratchy, and is jazzy,almost groovy for good.

In all, comparing with "Water Resistance " album, this one is far not so good. Some stronger compositions can't save the album. Not the best entry album for newbies, in fact more release for band's fans.

My rating is 2+.

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Posted Sunday, December 12, 2010 | Review Permalink

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