IL FUOCO SOTTO LA CENERE

- First review for this album -

Il Cerchio d'Oro is an Italian prog band that was founded already in 1974 but which didn't manage to sign a recording deal at the time. To the pleasure of all progheads enjoying the retro-style symphonic Rock Progressivo Italiano, the band re-activated in this millennium and has now released four well-received albums. This latest release is my first acquaintance, and it actually took a while before I really realized how good album it is. Perhaps one could say that they "play safe" and therefor sound more or less like a connoisseur of the genre would expect. But no complaining, as long as it sounds so good. The title of the album (and the opening track) means The Fire Under the Ashes; the lyrics are printed both in Italian and in English. The very dynamic opener serves as a perfect example of the band's strengths. After a nearly four-minute instrumental intro enter the vocals, for the most part done in harmonies. By the way, there is no separate vocalist, and also the composing credits are divided between several members, e.g. keyboardist Franco Piccolini and bassist Giuseppe Terribile. This democratic approach sort of describes the music, which is rather free of the most self-indulgent features but always maintains the power and passion.

The group sound, served with those mentioned vocal harmonies, is warm and retro-ish. Lots of various analog keyboards (organ, Mellotron, etc), electric and acoustic guitars, and a tight rhythm section, all delivered with excellent production. The expectable British vintage influences such as ELP, Genesis, early King Crimson & Yes, and slightly also Uriah Heep, are there, but never in a downright derivative way. The compositions, all between 9½ and 5 minutes in length, are both melodic and full of symphonic prog dynamics, without going into distinctive multi-part epic direction or towards fancy drama á la Nursery Cryme -era Genesis. This music might be suitable for introducing prog rock to a non-connoisseur, not too demanding in that matter.

The whole 48-minute album is nevertheless pretty strong all the way. None of the seven tracks is weak, but perhaps the music gets slightly closer to mainstream rock on the two final 5-minute songs 'Il Rock e l'Inferno' (Rock and Hell) and 'Fuoco sulla Collina (the only one missing its lyrics in the leaflet), but they still sound proggy and contain some instrumental solos. The fifth song 'Il Fuoco nel Bicchiere' (The Fire in the Glass) is the slowest in tempo, and amidst the lyrics about alcohol-fuelled moarning for a lost love there are beautiful passages for various keyboards.

If there were also special instruments such as flute, violin or whatever to add pastoral ingredients to the sound, I'd enjoy the album even more. I'm very close to give a full rating; maybe this album slightly lacks originality and great surprises, but it's a guaranteed pleasure to the friends of symph-oriented RPI.

Il fuoco sotto la cenere is the third album by the Savonese band Il Cerchio d'Oro and was released in 2017 on the independent label Black Widow Records with a renewed line up featuring Franco Piccolini (keyboards), Giuseppe Terribile (bass, guitar, vocals), Gino Terribile (drums, percussion, vocals), Piuccio Pradal (acoustic guitar, vocals), Massimo Spica (guitar) and Simone Piccolini (keyboards, backing vocals). During the recording sessions some prestigious guests such as Pino Ballarini (vocals, from Il Rovescio della Medaglia), Paolo Siani (drums, from Nuova Idea) and Giorgio Usai (organ and vocals, from Nuova Idea and New Trolls) gave their contribute to enrich the overall sound, firmly rooted in the past without losing touch with the present, and the final result confirms all the good qualities of the band's previous works. The art cover by Stefano Scagni is clearly inspired by the music and lyrics and contains many, more or less hidden, hints to the tracks of this complex, intriguing work where all the pieces deal, one way or another, with the same subject: fire!

The long opener, "Il fuoco sotto la cenere" (The fire under the ashes), begins softly, with the sound of a burning fire in the background and a piano pattern that could recall Goblin... This piece describes in music and words the hidden sense of rage that slowly grows in everyone and sooner or later can burst out eluding the control of human reason. The music follow this thread, going through calm passages and sudden surges of rhythm leading to a beautiful finale in crescendo with an excellent interaction between electric guitar and keyboards.

The second track, "Thomas" is another long, epic piece. The title refers to Thomas Farriner, a baker in 17th century London whose shop in Pudding Lane was the source point for the Great Fire of London on 2 September 1666. The music and lyrics evoke the smell of bread and the daily work at the bakery, then the raging fire, the flames spreading out, the clouds of dust in the air, the crumbling buildings and the smoking ruins under a dark sky? But Thomas Farriner managed to escape the fire and, in the end, under the ashes there's still room for hope, there's the will to start again and rebuild what was burnt off?

The following "Per sempre qui" (Forever here) deals with the hidden fire of nostalgia that burns in the heart of a successful immigrant. The music alternates lively passages that could recall PFM to calm, reflective sections. That's to mark the contrast between the hectic life of the protagonist in his new homeland and the happy memories of the far village of his childhood...

"I due poli" (The two poles) begins by a dreamy piano section, then the rhythm rises and the atmosphere becomes tense... This piece tells about a man who, looking in a mirror, can see the duplicity of his personality and feels his inner conflict emerge. Someone calls this character a clown but inside him it's like if fire and ice were constantly fighting each other to take control over his actions. So, he feels like a flame living under the ashes...

The melancholic "Il fuoco nel bicchiere" (The fire in the glass) deals with alcohol addiction. It begins by a delicate piano solo intro, then the heartfelt vocals interpret the feelings of a lonely, desperate man who every night goes back home staggering on his feet, drunk and lost. His life is nothing but a broken dream to drink up and he feels the fire inside while the irresistible call of alcohol draws him on his way to an infernal place from where there's no comeback...

The ironic "Il rock e l'inferno" (Rock and hell) describes in music and words a strange dream. A man falls asleep in his armchair in a house near a cane thicket in a rainy, windy night. From the sounds around him a music rises, starting from Brazilian rhythms and exotic flavours it changes into rock'n'roll. As the man suddenly wakes up the house is on fire and he realizes that rock'n'roll and hell are almost like Siamese brothers...

The last track is the cover of a 1979 song by Ivan Graziani from the album Agnese dolce Agnese, "Fuoco sulla collina" (Fire on the hill). It's a beautiful piece where music and words describe the dreams of a boy that clash against reality. In fact, in a summer night the boy dreams of joining a battle on the hill, he can even see the fires of the guns and hear the shots. But a man wakes him up from his reveries and points out that what he sees are nothing but the lights of the harvesting farm tractors...

On the whole, I think that this is really a great album where the band successfully blend vintage atmospheres and original ideas.

The Italian Riviera, stretching from the border with France to the west, down to through the Cinque Terre to La Spezia is a beautiful and often dramatic coast packed full of interesting places with well-preserved medieval quarters and fascinating histories. Genova may be the Ligurian capital at the heart of the progressivo Italiano movement (having been responsible for a good number of the original 70s acts and also, since the early 90s, producing a quite amazing crop of the current standard bearers) but Savona, west of Genova, also boasts historic RPI links in Delirium, one of the first Italian acts to adopt progressive traits, who I managed to get to see at the 2017 Porto Antico Prog Fest, organised by Genoa's Black Widow Records. Preceding Delirium were another group from Savona, Il Cerchio d'Oro, who formed in the 70s but never released an album of original material until reforming in the 00s with the well-regarded Il Viaggio di Colombo from 2008 (3.78 stars on Progarchives) and 2013's Dedalo e Icaro (3.94 stars.) The version of the band that day included original members Gino (drums) and Giuseppe Terribile (bass) and Franco Piccolini (keyboards), along with Massimo Spica (guitar), Piuccio Pradal (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Franco's son Simone Piccolini (keyboards), and there were special appearances from vocalist Pino Ballarini (ex-Il Rovescio della Medaglia) and drummer Paolo Siani (ex-Nuovo Idea), two guest musicians warmly appreciated by the crowd; the set list included pieces from which hadn't been released at that time.

I recall thinking at the time that the compositions were well structured but there wasn't the degree of complexity I was expecting, however when I got my hands on the Il Fuoco sotto la Cenere CD I thought it was equally as good as Colombo and Dedalo e Icaro, if not better. I was reminded of Alphataurus despite detecting a subtle shift towards a more conventional rock format, and where the concept is presented as a series of snapshots, rather than the linear narrative of the two preceding albums. In a move reminiscent of their 70's performances, the final track on the album Fuoco sulla collina (Fire on the mountain) is a cover version of an Ivan Graziani song, which fits the overall concept, the idea that we live in a world where feelings smoulder under the ashes and from time-to-time, fire erupts, often violently.

Title track Il Fuoco sotto la cenere (Fire under the ashes) is a really good piece of prog which commences with a melodic figure and goes through multiple changes (including a section with a heavy, distorted guitar riff and some excellent organ which reminds me of Il Biglietto per l'Inferno.) It's about the state of mind of a person who becomes unable to deal with everyday problems and suppress the rage which has been building up as their inner strength gets worn away, the fire that bursts from the smouldering ashes.

Thomas uses the Great Fire of London as an analogy for our ability to turn a bad situation into an opportunity; fire destroys but it clears the path for new opportunities and life can emerge phoenix-like from the ashes. The organ and guitar work really well together and the vocal melody is nicely underlined with synthesizer. The solo vocals aren't particularly strong but there are some memorable melodies on the longest track of the album. Per sempre qui (Forever here) relates the story of a character who spent much of his life away from his homeland in exchange for prosperity but in the end, the desire to return to his origins, the 'fire under the ashes' prevails over the materialistic urges. This is a relatively short number, sung with great emotion by special guest Pino Ballarini on the recommendation of Black Widow Records and who, it transpires was perfectly placed to narrate the song because the sentiment coincides with his personal story.

I due poli (The two poles) is about the conflict between two mental states, including the suppression of either one of the aspects. There are obviously different degrees of this bipolar phenomenon which affect individuals to different extents. At its most extreme, there is perpetual conflict between the two sides with one dominant and one suppressed (under the ashes), instantaneously switched and transformed into 'fire' when the conflict switches. It begins with some almost Hackett-like acoustic guitar which resolves to melodic piano and Mellotron cello before commencing a short riff and getting a bit Floyd-y. It's in this track where I find the greatest similarity to Alphataurus, in the vocals where they work as a chorus (and this is where the vocals are at their strongest.) There's nice expressive guitar and some great organ work and even a trippy synth solo.

Il Fuoco nel bicchiere (Fire in the glass) is a story of alcohol addiction, where the protagonist never fully overcomes the need for drink though he's fully aware of the consequences of his failure to do so. The melancholy which besets the character is reflected in the slow melody; the song was written by keyboard player Simone Piccolini who has been described by his father as possessing the appropriate DNA for penning Il Cerchio d'Oro songs. This is dominated by moderately heavy guitar riffs but has some nice piano and an interesting section which includes a theremin sound.

Il Rock e l'inferno (Rock and hell) plays on the idea that rock music is frequently though inappropriately associated with the devil, when it's actually a means of communication, just transmitting a mood. It's altogether heavier and the beat more simple than most of their other material, with the band stamping their melodies over distorted guitar riffs and classic Hammond sounding organ and wordless vocals which recall some classic early 70's RPI moments.

Some critics have pointed out the weakness of some of the vocals and there are times where I'd agree, though I think the music more than makes up for these moments. The band acknowledged the difficulty producing a suitable follow-up to the critically acclaimed Dedalo e Icaro and the time spent attaining their trademark 'vintage' sound without compromising cleanliness and quality was obviously worthwhile; it's a very good album. Though I'm not a great fan of the artwork on the cover, I do understand the links between the painting and the songs and I'm impressed that artist Pino Paolino, a former vocalist with the band, has used images set partly in a 17th century fortress located in Capo Vado, not far from Savona. By strange chance the area was devastated by one of the fires which raged in the hills along the Riviera in 2016, clearing the way for new possibilities.

For those interested, apart from a rich maritime history (Christopher Columbus lived in both Genova and Savona), striking architecture (from medieval to brutalist) and its RPI connections, Savona has a pretty good record store, Jocks Team (Via Pia 82/R, 17100 Savona SV, Italy) where I bought my copy of Il Viaggio di Colombo and where I would have bought a vinyl copy of Il Fuoco sotto la cenere but they only had the cover ' the record itself was along the coast in Black Widow Records!