FORME LIBERE

In Aliante, there couldn't be a more appropriate name for a new Italian prog band! Formed out of parts of Italian Neo- proggers Egoband from the Nineties, Aliante translates to `Glider' in English, and that couldn't be a better way to describe the way their instrumental music soars to great heights on their colourful and joyous keyboard-dominated 2017 debut `Forme Libere'. Despite being another of those bass-drums-keyboards trios that pop up in progressive music once in a while, Aliante rarely sound like Emerson, Lake and Palmer (the group usually instantly associated with that kind of set-up), instead they closer resemble parts of Le Orme and a wide range of the old RPI guard with their flamboyant symphonic approach, and this endlessly melodic first effort is a sonic treat to the ears of prog-rock fans, Italian or otherwise.

After a spoken word introduction, `Kilowatt Store' is a peppy, high-energy and infectious proper opener, packed to the gills with Enrico Filippi's spiralling Hammond organ and sparkling piano runs, backed by Alfonso Capasso's grumbling bass and Jacopo Giusti's punchy drumming constantly driving the piece forwards. The first stand out moment, `Tre di Quattro' begins as an elegant and deeply moving solo piano showcase before expertly building into a flurry of wig-out keyboard soloing and wild thrashing drum tantrums in the proud tradition of both legendary Italian proggers Goblin and Le Orme at the their symphonic grandest.

`Etnomenia' alternates between mellow percussion-driven ambience over lightly jazzy piano ruminations and tougher strident bursts, and `Kinesis' is a shorter joyful and victorious theme that joins with `Coda: Marea 03's swooning Mellotron lifts and runaway drumming. One of the more retro inspired spots of the disc, the near-nine minute `L'ultima Balena' is a extended suite of reprising little themes - striking classical piano flourishes laced with the pomp of endless Italian prog classics past one moment, Genesis-flavoured Moog runs and regal synth themes. Album closer `San Gregorio' then makes for an impossibly pretty farewell, carried largely by the most romantic and embracing of piano playing, sweetly murmuring bass, nimble snappy drumming and delirious synth noodling, and the classical fancy that permeates the piece ends the disc in luxurious fashion.

Running a welcome vinyl length of around forty-seven minutes which ensures it will be easy to re-spin often, here is an album that basks in its soloing-heavy proudly `proggy' heritage without being a mere uninspired or lazy vintage remake. `Forme Libere' calms and dazzles in equal measure, is intelligent instrumental music with endlessly memorable themes and full of warmth, colour and movement, and it's an album that reveals Aliante to be a group of talented musicians of restrained skill and great taste. More please in the near future, gentlemen!

Four stars - but if you love instrumental albums, add a whole other star.

Aliante come from Pisa, Tuscany, and took form in 2017 on the initiative of two former members of Egoband, Jacopo Giusti and Alfonso Capasso. The same year they released an excellent debut album, entitled "Forme libere", on the independent M.P. & Records label with a line up featuring Jacopo Giusti (drums, gong, percussion), Enrico Filippi (keyboards, piano, Mellotron, Moog) and Alfonso Capasso (bass) plus the guest Serena Andreini (narrative vocals). It's an almost completely instrumental album where the musicians experiment and express their own ideas and musical formulas freely inspired by bands such as Le Orme or Emerson, Lake & Palmer. According to the band, the art cover by Jacopo Giusti, an oil on canvas painting, tries to describe the idea that there's no need of something pre-conceptually established in any kind of artistic creation...

On the short opener 'Forme libere' (Free forms) you can hear the narrative vocals of Serena Andreini introducing the subject matter. Life teaches us how to know shapes, colours, emotions, how to love them and make them our own, it also gives us the opportunity to invent new ones, to mix new shades but we always have to change perspective in order to have new forms to observe, free forms to model and paint... The short introduction fades into the following 'Kilowatt Store', a powerful track full of energy and dizzying keyboard rides...

Next comes 'Tre di quattro' (Three of four), a beautiful piece with a spacey tinge that begins by soaring melodic lines and a dreamy atmosphere, then a pulsing rhythm section and more experimental keyboard sounds evoke dark, lunar landscapes and fantastic voyages towards far stars and unknown planets...

'Etnomenia' is sprinkled with exotic flavours and opens with ethnic chants in the background and a drum solo pattern, then the keyboards backed by the rhythm section draw dreamy melodies evoking far savage landscapes and adventure films of explorers and travellers...

'Kinesis' starts by a slow pace and a mysterious atmosphere, then the rhythm gradually rises for a nocturnal ride through the empty streets of a modern metropolis (at least it's what the picture in the booklet associated with this piece might suggest) while the short 'Coda: Marea 03' evokes a sense of impending change...

'L'ultima balena' (The last whale) conjures up scenes from whaling and could be a perfect score for a film about a dangerous voyage on a sail ship across forbidden seas and lands on barbarous coasts. Get ready for harpoon shootings and bloody fights against terrible creatures, imaginary or real...

The last track, 'San Gregorio' (Saint Gregory) was inspired by the life of Gregory of Utrecht, follower of Saint Boniface and abbot of St. Martin's Monastery. Three years before his death in 776 he was hit by a paralysis that gradually spread over his entire body. At the approach of death he had himself carried into church, where he passed away. This excellent piece is divided into five parts - 'Ottava nota', 'Utrecht', 'Il convento di San Martino', 'La paralisi' and 'Kinesis (Reprise)' - but the plot, of course, is up to the music and your imagination...

On the whole, an excellent debut work.