ECLISSI

A Piedi Nudi's third and final album finds them standing at the explosive pinnacle of their musical potency, with an emphasized tendency toward the dark and the gothic: at times this leads to the foundation of sinister layers of keyboard ambiences and guitar riffs, firmly sustained by a precise rhythm section. The overall mood of the repertoire comprised in "Eclissi" is quite creepy indeed. The obvious aggressiveness that is portrayed in the performances doesn't exactly make things easier for the listener - that same aggressiveness is a result of the band's inclination for the introduction of prog metal and early Black Sabbath elements in order to fuse them with a basic crimsonian dissonant strategy. The hard oriented progressive colours that had beautifully filled their previous effort are now replaced by the darkest clouds if an impenetrable mystery. The material is clearly designed to disturb the listener on an emotional level: a couple of cymbal gentle crashes and an initial wild guitar riff sets the machine going right from track 1. Among the rockiest numbers, 'Le Amanti', 'Temporale' and 'L'Infidele' are the most overtly complex. 'Reverendo' travels through the realms of density in a very dramatic manner: the recurrently languid rhythm pattern, the horror movie piano intro, the gothic keyboard/guitar interplays, and the stormy guitar distortions in the fade-out, all these elements are conjured in a combined way to create an oppressive sensation of being trapped in a nightmare. My fave tracks are the last two. 'Amici di Infanzia' contains the most varied set of musical motifs, using a clever contrast between the frontal and subtle moments. Immediately after, the closing namesake number starts with an exotic Middle East-like passage laid upon an almost-tribal rhythm pattern, then turns to an eerie instrumental interlude before arriving to the reprise of the most incendiary riff of 'Amici di Infanzia' headlong into the fade-out: this reprise maneuvers as a climatic litany that capitalizes on the massive oppression that has been conveyed in all previous tracks. The excellency of this recording is mostly based on the inventive use of clever arrangements and tight musicianship in order to create such a stimulating environment of gloom. I recommend it as an excellent addition to any prog collection from an abstract point of view, but perhaps it would be fair to state that this is not your typical "recommended" album: it's that kind of album that might take you a while (if not a long while) to appreciate it positively.

This looks like it will be the final record from A PIEDI NUDI, as this was released in 1998. They are an Italian band who play a heavy, dark brand of progressive music. Vocals are in Italian. The band I thought of while listening to this album was GARDEN WALL. I have to say right off the top that I love this style of music, so I really have had a blast listening to this powerful music.

"Esodo" is very complex right off the bat with so many intricate sounds intertwining. A blast of heaviness before the complexity returns. The synths are fantastic, followed by vocals. The heaviness is back 4 minutes in with synths, a guitar solo follows. "L'Inganno" is fairly laid back until 30 seconds in when we are hit with a lot of bottom end with organ. The organ is quite prominant. Vocals join in. It settles some before 4 minutes. "Le Amanti" opens with a cool guitar line as vocals come in. Aggressive guitar 1 1/2 minutes in followed by a calm. It kicks back in after 2 minutes. Nice. Guitar before 3 minutes lights it up with a lot of heaviness in support. Great sound 5 1/2 minutes in. It ends like it bagan with that guitar line. "Senza Ritorno" hits the ground running with vocals and a full sound. The organ comes in. A calm after 2 1/2 minutes with a gorgeous guitar solo.

"Reverendo" is dark with piano, reserved vocals and bass. Drums follow. Guitar and a full sound a minute in. Passionate vocals as well, and I love the guitar in this one. Lots of bottom end. The tempo picks up after 3 minutes, heaviness follows. It settles some with piano before it starts to build again. Lots of guitar late. "Temporale" is uptempo and powerful with some great organ runs. A calm with vocals before 2 1/2 minutes. It kicks back in before 4 minutes. Fantastic sound 4 1/2 minutes in. "L'Infedele" is heavy with vocals and organ. I know i'm like a broken record here. Ripping guitar after 2 1/2 minutes. It turns spacey with french horn 5 1/2 minutes to the end. "Amici D'Infanzia" builds to a full sound before a minute with vocals. Some outstanding guitar before 2 1/2 minutes followed by an even heavier sound. It settles again before they blow us away 5 minutes in with an almost doom-like sound. Check out the drumming ! "Eclissi" is dark and atmospheric to begin with. Spacey with bass before vocals come in. A spacey interlude 4 1/2 minutes in with an intricate guitar solo a minute later. It then builds powerfully to a climactic finish.

This really was such a pleasant surprise for me. This is Italian music that is both powerful and heavy.

The final album from this fine Italian band.

The final album also have an updated sound which actually sounds like the 1990s and not like the 1970s. That includes a plastic sounding synth sound which is not that great. But the guitar sounds and the vocals has been vastly improved from the previous two albums.

A Piedi Nudi is most definate in the dark corner of the Rock Progressivo Italiano scene. Dark and heavy. This is by far the most heavy album of their three albums and is bordering to and within the heavy prog genre.

The quality is good throughout without really impressing me. No great tracks here, but this is clearly their best album. The guitar sound and the excellent solos is alone worth the purchase of this album.

I hope A Piedi Nudi reforms again and gives us some more album. This band had great potential, but they were perhaps twenty years too late and ten years too early. Rock Progressivo Italiano fans of today would had lapped this band up like a cat laps up fresh cream. Let's hope they reform.

3.5 stars

This third album from ''A Piedi Nudi'' is rather dark and heavy.

Their heavy side was already quite noticeable during their first two albums, and this one is quite a continuation of these efforts. This album shows some sort of a combination between doom (Sabbath) and Italian flavour. Still: the latter is rather scarce IMHHO.

This album might be mostly appreciated by metal lovers (to whom I don't belong) than Italian ISP lovers (to whom I do belong).

Actually, if it weren't for this dual effect, this band shouldn't really be of any interest. Heavy stuff with some subtle and light passages ("Le Amanti"). This is a fine demonstration of all their talent: vocal harmonies, skilled instrumentation, wild passages. KC is truly a source of inspiration as well.

The sound brings us back to the seventies, but the songwriting is not as quite spectacular to be honest. "Senza Ritorno" is quite boring to tell the truth. The scary "Reverendo" prolongs the heavy feel without too much of inspiration to tell the truth. Sub, subpar Sabbath. Combined with some Italian tone. This track is just decent; no more.

Here & there, there are some quite remarkable and delicate passages. This is best experienced during "Temporale" which is probably the best song out there.

I would classify this album more into the "heavy eclectic" genre (if it would be available). "L'Infidele" is quite clear about this feeling. The sweet closing part is somewhat out of place but so great! At the end of the day, the complexity of the music that can be found here deserves three stars. But don't expect anything close to the sweet ISP genre. Heavy it is, heavy it remains ("Amici D'Infanzia").

The long and closing "Eclissi" features a different shape: some Oriental influence, and more tranquil overall.