QUIA NESCIUNT QUID FACIUNT

The album QNQF has a more expressed harmonic-melodic component of the musical canvas of the band titled Roz Vitalis. It's like a narrative author's work, a fantastic epic for the film. The prologue, climax and epilogue of the narrative are clearly audible. We read music like a book, the letters of the notes will sound in our memory for a long time. The echoes of low whistle, flute and clarinet sound very natural and spontaneous. The harpsichord adds the harmonic thought of the Renaissance to the general background. The eastern rubab and doira in track 8 are an echo of the desert. It is pleasant to listen to the album in any mood. It both soothes and evokes a bright sadness at times that are pleasant for everyone to remember. For some, this is the period of childhood, for others - love for people and circumstances. This is a message to humanity in principle. It does not have to be pathos-heroic, it also happens to be lyrically romantic, like the next wonderful creation of this collective given to us.

I won't describe the quality of musical instruments, I will just tell you, what feelings this work has evoked. Day breaking makes you feel despair, acceptance, peace. Your thoughts are being stopped and focus on the fact where and when you are. This composition makes you accept life as it is, the rules it has.

Fountain makes you remember about hurt, tears you have in your life but it reminds that there is always hope that everything is gonna be ok.

Se camminiamo Nella Luce evokes anxiety, fear and again hope. It tells you we can overcome difficult period, but we should try and work in order to contribute to making things better.

Premonition - starting gradually, like growing. Brutal, strong and determined, with pauses to respite and rethink. Maybe you were doing something wrong. Maybe there are important things you weren't paying attention.

Walking - is brutal too, changing to cute. Sometimes people need to stop being strong and show their weaknesses, have some rest and after that again get into a diligent rhythm of life in order to get what you want.

Wides - the idea of taking an oath of fighting unfairness and cruelty runs through the entire album. Here in particular. In the beginning you don't know what to do, maybe feel confused. But then you realise that the only right thing is you never gonna give up. Bustle of hard work will fix troubles. But of course you have to take breaks when you feel tiredness, which is pleasant. You keep doing your thing following your oath.

The man whose wings were cut off - hurt and shock, confused and uncertain, sadness and brutal.

Beautifulness - admiration with beautifulness, but this beautifulness consists of kindness and love for other people.

Nocturne - makes you remember people you stop being close with and feel thankful for all time you spent together and unforgettable experience they gave you. You are just thankful that they were in your life. Light sadness and love fill the soul, even it's not mutual.

So this album has the great power to make a listener feel a bunch of emotions and immerses him/her in a different sorts of atmosphere. Sometimes it comforts, sometimes it inspires to go forward.

Roz Vitalis is a Russian band formed in 2001, whose main composer Ivan Rozmainsky needs no introduction to the world of modern progressive rock. The band has many albums behind them, but they attracted special attention with the albums that were released through Lizard Records: "The Hidden Man of the Heart" (2018) and "Lavoro d'Amore" (2015). In 2023, they return with a new album called "Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt", which was also released through Lizard records. The translation of the album name is "they know not what they do", and the name is inspired by the horrible and negative vents in the world. As for the music, the band continues the series of successful albums, and we have a very high-quality album filled with many fantastic compositions.

Musical ideas lie somewhere between eclectic, chamber, RIO/Avant, symphonic prog and Jazz. Throughout the music, the band repeatedly combines interesting harmonics, repetitive notes and chord patterns, with very complex ideas, and in this way they get a combination of a very demanding authentic soundscape and an immensely atmospheric, even hypnotic landscape, which is based on a very disciplined approach. Mathematically precise variations of sound patterns produce the desired effect and pieces seem light-footed and intense at the same time. A somber, dark atmosphere is interspersed with more meditative passages, made up of gentle arpeggios, but all that changes and becomes bombastic with a much more sustained and aggressive rhythm section. The amount of work done on keyboards is immense but directly proportional to the wonder that these pieces generate, between dry breaks and interweaving with a guitar and trumpet that create heavy, dreamy, and slightly atmospheric parts. The music is densely layered and tantalizing to decompose and reassemble in one's mind, listening after listening, melodic drawings are clearly intelligible, the atmospheres are enveloping and the symphonic elements are fantastic, rich but unobtrusive or unnecessarily gaudy.

The emotional level through compositions is capable of sudden and passionate outbursts, moments of profound tension and restlessness, as well as unexpected sweetness in evoking confused, distant emotions. The passion, mixed with sweetness and a constant sense of emotional tension runs throughout the entire album. The music gradually twists into a kind of spiral in which we have continuous flows of sounds. All in all, he pieces are expanding every idea to the maximum. The music is introspective and mysterious, but always with a thread of suspense that however preludes more stormy solutions with sounds that begin to roll gradually, increasing their power. Turning melodies into musical phrases, and the small oscillations of the melody around the same axis make the compositions flowing and direct, perfectly outlining that complex and layered ideology that the band wants to show us.

"Premonition" in its nine minutes shows all the power of the band, it begins with a melancholic-chamber motif, which leads its melodic structure very briefly and then comes to the thematic resolution and the band overturns and brings first-class, astounding harmonic solutions and wild escapades that complement each other perfectly, so there are many musical solutions that will leave you amazed with diverse spread of surprises. The album flows through an immense abundance of powerful prog vitalities, there is melancholy, dark harmonies, atmospheric/hypnotic phases, and subliminally bubbling abysses in the powerful instrumental language of this inspired band. Every quiet and loud note is full of passion and this album deserves your time.

Since I`ve listened a new album by Roz Vitalis I want to say that Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt is a breath of fresh air, a dose of sun in a whirlwind life. I regret that my English is not so good to express the feelings as I would like to. Any language, in fact, is a poorer instrument to express feelings than music. This music is light, maybe even the most lightful by Roz Vitalis I`ve heard, despite the dark circumstances of its creation. I believe it is so because it`s based on hope, love and other light feelings. I`m not an expert to judge the technical part, I can just say that it is pure and wonderful music.

Ivan Rozmansky and friends/collaborators are back with yet another interesting collection of loosely rendered songs.

1. "Bait of Success" (5:55) the opening motif was so cheezy and hokey that I nearly skipped the song. The slowed down middle section is somewhat better but sometimes I really think a group of teenagers could play, record, and engineer the music on these Roz Vitalis albums to a better end form than Ivan publishes them in. (8.3333/10)

2. "Daybreaking" (6:29) a saccharinely beautiful opening turns two chord rock at the end of the second minute before collapsing into some kind of multi-continental mish-mash in the third. (8.5/10)

3. "Fountain" (1:28) solo piano played delicately with feeling and poignancy. Probably the best song on the album. (4.25/5)

4. "Se Camminiamo Nella Luce" (LP Version) (5:49) a song that plods when it feels that the band should be able to easily step up at least double time (and when they do, what was the purpose of those first three minutes: respect for the dead?!) The bass is mixed so incongruously with the rest of the band. The Mike. Oldfield organ is my favorite (next to Vlad Korotkikh's trumpet play, of course). (8.375/10)

5. "Premonition" (9:07) Was Ivan/the band in so much of a hurry to publish an album before the end of the year that they never tested these songs on anybody before they pushed "go"? It's an engineering mess! The weave of separate and innocuous melodies emanating from multiple in the fifth and sixth minutes is so messy and contradictory. The song should be called "Tower of Babel." (16.75/20)

6. "Walking" (5:19) bluesy R&B/jazz? Why not: Ivan's tried it before. 1970s Bob James with Eric Gale on guitar, Hubert Laws on flute, and Ruslan Kirillov on distorted, mushy bass. Bob can't resist, of course, to show off his chops on his newest instrumental purchase: a harpsichord. Then the band jumps back on board to ? who? what? Who's the leader here? (8.5/10)

7. "Wides" (6:24) an attempt at some cinematic music in which the inability of the individual band members to stay in sync with one another is intentional (to evoke the sense of tension and disharmony on the movie screen). Unbelievable! Are they even in the same universe? This is a song that my brothers (and daughters) and I could pick and play infinitely better than this crew! (Not that we'd want to, though.) Maybe there is a limit to how much ethanol a Russian can imbibe while still maintaining functionality.(6.5/10)

8. "The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off" (LP Version) (7:48) Now here's something that is syncopated and yet everyone seems capable of staying together with. There must have been magic in the vodka during this recording session. Around the four minute mark I start to hear the VESPERO influence. Not quite as tight or smooth as their country mates, but a fairly decent product. (12.75/15)

9. "Beautifulness" (LP Version) (4:06) an odd mish-mash that sounds as if it could be a soundtrack to a Russian puppetry performance. I hear some skill in both the composition and performances but, once again, it just feels unfinished/unplished. (8.666667/10)

10. "Nocturne" (1:23) solo piano piece to wrap things up. Too bad they couldn't find a real piano anywhere. Guess the computerized one had to do. (Expedience, mates!) (4/5)

Total Time 53:48

Ivan and company obviously have skills--and I understand Ivan's desire and inclination to display his versions of blending world styles and sounds, but I don't know who his test audience members are because, in my opinion, his blends only work about one in five times; the rest of the times are awkward, sometimes conflicting or contradictory, and never mixed into a "polished" version. It is SO FRUSTRATING because I know these guys have talent and I like a lot of Ivan's ideas, they just rarely feel fully worked out much less finished. Alexey Gorshkov is the album's only saving grace for me. And, occasionally, Vlad Korotkikh's flute.

Were I a professional musician with any sense of pride whatsoever, I would never have published these songs in the states of partial-completion that they're in. It is, to my mind, disgraceful.

C-/2.5 stars; the worst album rating I've had to hand out in over a decade! It's so flawed and unpolished but, okay, listen to it for yourselves if you must!

New album of Roz Vitalis is finally done and available for listening on the Internet. And I can say, that I never waited for a new record with similar impatience. That's why I've already listened to it a lot and now ready to share my modest opinion.

By content.

On the album I found three super hits (Bait of Success, Walking and Wides) and one true masterpiece (Premonition). Well, what can I say? Beautiful original music with melodies, that will take your breath away and give you goosebumps. In addition, all this fully corresponds to my taste preferences, as well as ideas about progressive, rock and music in general.

Bait of success - the band usually describes this track as a dancing one. The only dancing one in its history) The music is pretty dynamic indeed, but my attention is always attracted to the melody line on the second part of the composition, which is performed by guitar. So, this guitar solo sounds very impressive on the album, but I had a chance to listen to it live and every time it was just fantastic!

Walking - is another super hit of the album. It sounds very delicate and the guitar line is outstanding too here. And to be honest, I'm not sure if it's rock or progressive rock. It's just music with a wide meaning of this word, which I just admire.

Wides - another super hit of the album. For me it's a composition with a very tender breath-taking melody idea. I'm not sure the arrangement was 100% unmistakable, but I'm sure you must really enjoy the main melody line performed by flute.

And finally about Premonition, which is to my mind, the real masterpiece. This composition is the most detailed one of the band, every time making a magical impression on me. And every time I would like it to be much longer, because this is the case, when you don't want the music to end. In general, it's a real masterpiece, comparable for me with the best progressive rock masterpieces of all time. If you like, it's a beauty in the flesh.

Also on the album there is the composition Daybreaking, which strong sides I totally recognize, however, I just like it a little less, than the things I've told above. And apart from comparisons, this composition is indeed an outstanding one and I really like it!

The composition The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off, was first recorded in covid period as a studio experiment with exotic string instruments and electronic bass and drums. Here it was re-recorded with full live sound and a new final part. All changes in total made composition more solid, but didn't transform it. Unfortunately, I can say the band couldn't squeeze maximum out of this very perspective composition. That's why, in spite of changes, it still leaves an effect of understatement on me.

Two short piano passages (Fountain and Nocturne) left a completely neutral impression. I treat them as space fillers (which is normal practice) and respites between other powerful tracks.

But the compositions Se Camminiamo Nella Luce and Beautifulness did not make much impression on me.

And despite this, the content of the album is a complete delight. True big album with very original material. Definitely the album of the year for me. But that's about the content.

By form.

Here I must say several fairly critical words, because the album is not unmistakable by form. To be honest, I don't like how it was recorded.

First of all, It feels like it was recorded in saving mode on everything, including the sound. It sounds like it was recorded at home, but not in a professional studio. And for me it's a small disaster, considering the content, which is simply amazing.

Further. I really like the previous album Hidden Man of the Heart. And I consider the composition Passing Over as one of the main in the group's work. And it's because, being presented in different forms and scattered throughout the album, it unites it into a solid musical work. Unfortunately, in comparison with a previous album, the new one (as an album) looks like a set of new songs, nothing more.

And the last point: there is a feeling, that the band did not have a qualified sound engineer during the recording. Who could look at the record, arrangement or individual parts with a fresh eye. In some places the parts are unnecessary, in others something could have been added, in others it was played sloppily, in others it was too dry, and besides everything, the sound is not very good, etc.

But in spite of all of this I put 5 stars to this album. I know that everything is important: the sound, the parts, etc. But as for me, the music itself is much more important. So I vote for the content, which is just amazing for me.

The group "Roz Vitalis" has finally released a new album, Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt, after 4 years of work. We can safely say that these years were not wasted. Some of the album's compositions, like Bait of Success, Wides, Premonition, can easily be considered among the greatest successes of this band in its entire history. As always true for this team, the compositions of the album are deep and thought-provoking. In some Eastern traditions, a sign of an advanced level of an adept is the ability to meditate not on specific objects, but on abstract, general concepts - life, death, happiness. Some of the album's compositions just such meditations on the most important issues that concern a person, but not cold and distant meditations, but passionate and heartfelt ones. Congratulations to this talented team on this amazing collection of musical gems!

Roz Vitalis (originally from St. Petersburg, Russia) has existed since 2001 as a keyboard-dominated studio project by composer Ivan Rozmainsky, and has evolved over the years into a large instrumental progressive rock collective. Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt's style could be described as an "unclassifiable branch of progressive rock", but it has become quite normalized for 3 albums now, presenting a much more orthodox, coherent and inspired progressive. Roz Vitalis nevertheless remains a captivating band offering a music that is no less captivating, especially by its ability to merge various elements to make a truly accomplished whole. And as the melodic dimension is now placed in the foreground, Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt stands out as an important work by its author and of the current prog movement...

Essential 4.5

The 11th full-length studio album of the Russian prog-rock band Roz Vitalis "Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt" was released on the Italian label Lizard Records.

After listening to this wonderful album, I was very impressed. Emotional keys. Flutes are like hopes that are not destined to come true. A luxurious trumpet. An extremely meaningful bass. The score has a very harmonious polyphonic canvas. And in general, it leaves a very bright impression on the soul.

Such music as that of Roz Vitalis lifts a person above the ordinary, calls the soul to flight.

It feels like reading some great book from a literary classic. A whole separate universe

Mikhail Palochkin

Review #146!

(A Quick Forward) I have gone through a few Docx and Google Document files today, and uncovered a few reviews I never got to posting. I realized that this little guy was left sitting in alonely file since September! (The Actual Review) Roz Vitalis's album 'Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt', translated from Latin as "They know not what they do'', is the wild, devious, yet fun amalgamation of Himiko Kikuchi's album 'Flying Beagle', Chon's 'Grow', and King Crimson's 'THRAK', which are all albums I'm sure this band has heard. A jazzy, groovy, yet occasionally mathy, and always cerebral and instrumental recording, this album is sure to keep any enjoyer of the aforementioned genre entertained and on the tippitiest of their toes. Sometimes acoustic and chamber-folky, sometimes electric and metallic, and sometimes electronic and synthpoppy, this album, almost all the way through, never fails to captivate the listener with emotion-filled music, no matter which emotion it evokes. The only thing I think that drags this album down from a solid five-star rating is the overuse of synthesized instruments. As an artist who often finds themselves having to use these to replace those I don't own or have the money to, I completely understand, but this acknowledgment doesn't fix the problem. But at least, it improves my respect and understanding of the situation. And for context as to what other bands this album sounds like: Squid, Triumvirat, some Peter Hammill (just the music, of course), and even a hint of 'The Ladder'-era Yes. As a severely underground and unheard- of gem, hear my decree: check this album out as soon as you can! It's worth the listen!

It's difficult to write reviews of instrumental prog rock albums, especially if it's music of the highest quality, and it's very difficult to find fault with it. As is the case with the new album by Roz Vitalis, which was released recently. All the best stylistic features are still preserved in music, as well as the direction chosen in the early 2010s; the avant- garde is becoming even less, which in my opinion is good for the band (this is a purely subjective factor in the perception of their work). The guitar again conveys the magical feeling of prog rock of the 70s, like Pink Floyd and Gentle Giant - special thanks to the guitarist of the band for this. The other instruments are also "not far behind", especially the wind instruments. I don't know about some listeners, but "stability" is that rare case when the band confidently moves in its wake, because for the complex music that Roz Vitalis creates, unnecessary jumps into experiments are hardly necessary, because difficult transitions and an unusual formulation of the concept, as well as melodism, are already embedded in the music itself. On the new album, the "muscular" tightly packed rhythm section is also very pleasing, sometimes referring the listener to the early Uriah Heep or Phil Collins, in his best days at Genesis. In addition, with atmospheric keyboards, the music sounds simply unreal, while the sound itself is very modern and meets the highest standards of what is called "Neo- progressive". This album is an indicator not only of the highest skill, but also of the extraordinary organizational talents of the leader and chief conductor of the group, Ivan Rozmainsky, who makes the listener literally feel the emotion of each instrument without merging into an incomprehensible mess. Probably "Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt" is the most "rock" album from the entire creative heritage of the band, and I want to believe that their music will really make listeners think about what is in the very name of the release. To think about a conscious perception of creativity, beauty and fragility of the surrounding world.

Roz Vitalis is one of my favorite prog bands. With their purely instrumental music, they manage to express lots of emotions and carry an uplifting message of hope and deliverance in times of trouble. Their most well-known previous releases are Patience of Hope (2012), Lavoro D'Amore (2015), and, of course, The Hidden Man of the Heart (2018) which stands out as the band's magnum opus. Each of those albums has impressed me very much, each in its own way. How about the new one?

First of all, I have to say that you have no second chance to make a first impression. Basically all compositions on QNQF album have been previously released as singles or as live performances, so the element of surprise is not present here. But I must mention that most of the tracks have gone through a lot of transformations, therefore the new album is worth your attention even if you own all those singles and live albums. Roz Vitalis is a very creative and improvisational band, so we have a chance to hear different versions of each song, which for me is especially interesting. And this new album has lots of surprises even for die-hard fans. I am not an expert in music composition or sound production, neither in classic 70s prog (which of course is a major inspiration for Roz Vitalis, but not so well known to me), and my perception of music is mostly emotional. Being an amateur drummer myself, I also take special notice of rhythms and grooves. Having said that, let me try to give some personal comments to each individual track.

1. Bait of Success

Well, this song slightly disappointed me at first, but it grew on me after more listens. Maybe it lacks some kind of delicate intro? It starts at full speed with a simple synth melody in 4/4, then switches to a rockier groove with a guitar riff in 7/8. Everything is cool, but kinda lacks variety. After a few loops in this style, we enter a "transit zone" with harpsichord and synth melodies and effects (that remind me of the Compassionizer project), and then a second part comes in where things become more epic. We have a ? surprise! ? reggae groove here, while the guitar starts a solemn solo in a 3:4 polyrhythm. Later the melody is picked up by the trumpet to make it more epic. Prog and reggae ? that's something new. Let's call it Proggae ))

2. Daybreaking

This one does have a gentle intro that I really enjoy. The whole melodic and tender side of Roz Vitalis is here in full bloom, with a beautiful flute melody supported by the whole band. But as soon as you start relaxing, you hear ominous guitar chords in 7/8 which take us to the next section, where acoustic guitar, percussion and trumpet give us some dark flamenco vibes. After the anxious section, we are back to the main sweet melody, this time both the flute and the trumpet have a chance to shine. I would propose "From Dusk till Dawn" as an alternative title to this song ;) This song is similar in structure to the first one, but it sounds more coherent and complete. All in all, a beautiful composition in the style of Progantino ))

3. Fountain

This is a nice small piano interlude which allows us to take a breath before next prog tracks.

4. Se Camminiamo Nella Luce (LP Version)

Translated as «If we walk in the Light», it portrays exactly what its title implies (yes, I also looked at the single's title photo). We start with a slow piano melody, then the whole band comes in and the flute leads, reminding me of "Lavoro D'Amore". Then the groove goes double time and we have epic trumpet solos over 70s-style synths and rhythm section, which gives me a taste of spaghetti westerns and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks. Is it the only song on the album that is only in 4/4? Sometimes less is more, and simple grooves work perfectly here. Great song, bright and cinematic. I'd call it Proggicone ))

5. Premonition

This is the longest song on the album, and it's the most epic, symphonic, classic prog rock with elements of prog metal. We start with a flute intro over an ominous backround. Then the main part kicks in, with the famous prog 5/4 groove (think "Mission impossible"). The guitar riffs, roaring bass and drumwork (we even hear the double bass here, is it the only Roz Vitalis' song that has that?) can be classified as prog metal. But there's more. Soon the good old 70s bass sound (that reminds me of «Nights in white satin» by Moody blues) leads us into the final part of the composition, where we have a pleasure to hear more beautiful flute melodies and a powerful Gilmour-style guitar solo. Wow. Weird titles are not applicable here. This is a good solid piece of «haute cuisine» without extra spices. This song is just awesome.

6. Walking

I'm not exactly sure what they call "walking bass", but that was my first thought. Syncopated bass line, drums and guitar work in the beginning of the song remind me of RHCP. In the middle, we have a cute medieval section with harpsichord and other interesting sounds. Imagine strolling through an old European town and finding an old castle haunted by ghosts. After that, our pleasant walk changes to some kind of panic run, as the tempo alternates between 11/8 (with some neat polyrhythmic syncopation on the bass) and 4/4 with galloping bass. I don't know if it was intended or just my sick imagination, but the whole song gives me RHCP vibes, and even the sweet flute and trumpet melodies can't stop me or make me give it away )) Let's call it Red Hot Roz Vitalis. A great song, by the way.

7. Wides

Well, well, well, that's a very interesting one. This song is not the longest one on the album, but definitely the most action-packed one. We start with a catchy 3/4 groove led by bass and supported by ethnic percussion on a background of jungle animal noises, then the groove seamlessly (special respect to the rhythm section for that) shifts to 4/4 and the flute comes in with a sweet melody. Beautiful and pleasant. Then other instruments follow. I'm happy. But wait, there's more! Suddenly the drums go double time, while the bass line changes to some kind of funky disco. When I first heard this transition, it made my eyes wide and my smile big, and it still does at every listen. The guitar chords also mimic this unexpected change of style, while the 70s synths play around the main melody in a Doors-like manner. Additional syncopation makes you wanna dance, but be careful, because all of a sudden the whole train at full speed shifts back to 3/4, and the bass starts playing Terminator 2 beat (WTF?!). Then we have a distorted guitar solo, then comes another dancing section, this time in a medieval style with harpsichord, then more guitar. What a party! And especially for us drummers out there, we have a couple bars here and there with a cute little polyrhythm. The extravaganza ends with the whole band playing the well-deserved T2 theme. Mission complete. This whole description may sound crazy and comic, but this song sounds great and runs so smoothly. In my opinion, this is the most creative, original, versatile composition Roz Vitalis has ever released. My favorite song on the album! Ima callit Proogie Nights ;)

8. The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off (LP Version)

The track title is a fair description of feelings of many people during latest 2 years, although it was originally composed in 2019 and released during COVID times of 2020. The song content basically corresponds to its title. This is the most avant-garde / chamber style composition on the album, recorded together with participants of Ivan Rozmainsky's other project, Compassionizer. It also serves as a nice preview of what Compassionizer music sounds like, and I definitely recommend you to check out that project too. The composition itself is quite sophisticated. The sense of anxiety is with you throughout the whole song. Time signatures and their changes are too many to keep track of. There are lots of unusual sounds, including ethnic instruments rubab and doira and even a little ukulele. Bass and drums are not always present which adds to the avant/chamber atmosphere. The middle part is a more straightforward 7/8 instrumental prog march (Subdivisions by Rush comes to my mind) where all instruments participate. But that would be too simple )), so later we seamlessly shift to 4/4 and back. Then we have a quiet outro with acoustic guitar and synths. Welcome to the world of Compassionizer. Generally a good track, very creative and rich in sound palette. However, to me something is missing. Maybe there is too much happening and the flow is not as smooth as in the previous song? Maybe I wanted to hear the message of hope? I'd call it Prog Noir.

9. Beautifulness (LP Version)

Oh well. Here it gets personal. I first heard the single version (released in 2020) at a very special time and place, and it immediately grabbed my heart. The first notes of the slide guitar sounded like greetings from George Harrison, and the whole composition was so bright and uplifting, it was a physical pleasure to hear. I literally had it on repeat. It had a lot of air and that sweet sound of slide guitar blended so well with gentle melodies of flute (although synthetic), clarinet and keys. However, it had some drawbacks, especially lack of real instruments, so the band recorded a new version and released it on the album. What do we have here? It's still a beautiful slow ballad with delicate rhythm section, but this time the whole arsenal of instruments is present. Here most of the solo parts are played by flute while other melodic instruments play a supportive role. The slide guitar is barely heard, and it's a pity for me. Ballad sections alternate with slightly avant-garde parts, and the ending gives us some "morse code" (similar to YYZ, but somewhat different) played on guitar and marching snare drum. Looks weird, but sounds nice and feels good. Beautifulness it is. A great track, especially the new flute melodies, but my heart is still with the single version. It had that slide, lots of air and some kind of special tenderness. The title of "My sweet Prog" goes to the single version. The album version could be nicknamed "Fluty Beauty". But that's my personal biased opinion. Please listen to both versions and decide for yourself.

10. Nocturne

This is another nice small piano piece which is a perfect closing track for this exciting album.

My favorites are: Wides, Premonition, Beautifulness.

Good solid songs: Daybreaking, Se Camminiamo Nella Luce, Walking.

Less convincing for me were: Bait of Success, The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off.

So, for the album in general. It's not a big conceptual opus as the Hidden Man was, it's rather a patchwork-like collection of various songs. But to me, the strength of the album is this variety of styles, sounds, moods and emotions. The new side of Roz Vitalis is their capability to play with different stylistic elements while at the same time maintaining their own signature style. After all, Progressive is about progress, but very often we see artists that fall for that "bait of success" and start repeating themselves. This is absolutely not the case with Roz Vitalis and Ivan Rozmainsky. How often do you hear reggae, flamenco, funk, disco, metal, avant, ethnic and other genres on the same album? Well, that's what prog is for me. The band is evolving and exploring new musical territories, and that's great.

Roz Vitalis also plays great live shows, so their live albums are also worth exploring. I was also blessed to visit their concert in April 2022 (the album Peace Live is also available here), and I definitely recommend to see them live if you have a chance. Compassionizer, Ivan's new project which is anything but rock, is also very interesting and highly recommended. Like, share, subscribe, buy the albums, support the band, go to the show to feel the warm thrill of confusion))

And finally: this music, despite being instrumental, conveys a strong message of compassion and hope that the world needs to hear in these times of darkness.

Many thanks to Ivan and the band for a great album! May the Force be with you as you walk in the Light! Looking forward for more musical adventures with you!

The last quarter of 2023 witnessed the release of 'Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt', the first Roz Vitalis studio album since 2018, which of course, was great news. Prior to this, they had given us a live album entitled 'Peace Live', which I enjoyed a lot, and which carried a very special message, inspired sadly by the war Russia and Ukraine had been fighting in the past couple of years.

Now, maybe with a bit more light in the context, the band gives us a new production where we can find elements from their essence: avant-prog music, Crimsonian sounds, tension, classical and cinematic music, but I think this time with a lighter sound. It is comprised by 10 tracks that make a total time of 53 minutes, songs that as I understood by the description in their Bandcamp site, were composed in the 2010's but developed live in concert years later.

It kicks off with 'Bait of Success', which could be 3 songs in one because it has several changes, in a very prog rock melody. I love the bass lines here and the addition of trumpet, and of course, it is worth mentioning that one can easily notice both the guitar and the synth work, as usual. A pastoral sound enters in 'Daybreaking', a beautiful track with a peaceful yet melancholic atmosphere, 4/4, nothing out of pocket, however I believe this passage is quite sublime, so you can close your eyes and feel enchanted by it. But wait, because after the second minute it completely changes and the sound has now more energy, with a bit of tension, and then a nice mixture of prog rock with mid-eastern flavor.

'Fountain' is a short song, a classical piano interlude that open the gates for 'Se Camminiamo Nella Luce', whose first two minutes follow the same piano-oriented path, then acoustic guitar, drums and synth enter in a soft way, slow rhythm but nice and delicate sound. Seconds later new elements are being added, such as flute, electric guitar, bass and of course, that wonderful trumpet which is a highlight in this album, in my opinion.

'Premonition' is the longest composition, nine minutes of delicacy made prog rock. I like here the band rescued that obscure sound they usually put in their albums, but the difference is that in spite of that dark elements, it still sounds delicate and even peaceful. Of course this is a track full of contrasts where you can hear rockier moments with more energy, and some others with more experimentation and with some symphonic-prog sound, mainly made by keayboards, though all the musician's efforts are equally important. It is also worth mentioning there are moments where you might think every member goes in a different direction, but it's just a proof of their understanding.

'Walking' is an interesting piece because it brings a different mood, sound and rhythm. Maybe it is catchier, but at the same time its richness of musical genres makes it unique. Roz Vitalis also creates music that could wonderfully fit in a movie, and one example is 'Wides', which to me sounds like the background of an old European black and white film. It has a delicious mid-eastern flavor provided by percussion and harpsichord, and later new sounds are being introduced little by little, such as flute and a new-agey atmosphere make by keyboards. The second half will persuade you to dance, which was unexpected (and a little bit funny).

'The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off' has again a cinematic essence, and the experimentation is always present, you can tell it by its constant changes in rhythm, mood and musical styles. Though I like they are always challenging themselves, I sometimes think there are too many changes, too much experimentation that in moments could make the listener feel confused and maybe lost.

The last five minutes come first with the song 'Beautifulness', a pastoral theme with a classical essence. The flute will give you charm and comfort, while drums, guitar, bass and synth wonderfully complement this peaceful experience. And the album finishes with the one-minute epilogue called 'Nocturne', a sweet piano piece that says goodbye.

Nice to see Roz Vitails so active, music always gives messages and in many, really many times, saves us.

I've been listening to Roz Vitalis for about a year now, and in my opinion, it is a wonderful album full of unsolved riddles, difficult choices and undying hope, and I love the way all these phenomena were presented in every song, intertwined with one another. Every instrument felt like a different path, different life, different character, which I probably could say for every album of this wonderful prog band. And although some melodies felt a bit odd for me, the way they were performed is absolutely stunning, and from that perspective, it seems obvious why it took about 4 years to make ? every transition has something in it, unfolding a story worth hearing. To sum up, although I don't consider this album a magnum opus of Roz Vitalis, I'm certain that this album is definitely worth listening to, at least for me it was quite an adventure. 4.6/5 :)

"Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt" (2023)

Dear friends, good afternoon! Today I want to write about the new album of the very famous progressive rock band Roz Vitalis from St. Petersburg. The album "Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt" (from Latin - "They do not know what they do") is the 11th album, it took the musicians long time - four years to compose. This album began to be created in 2019 and then the main compositions of the album were recorded. And it seemed that it happened, the album could be released, but musicians made a very difficult decision: to rework the material completely and record it again, so the recorded material at past time was considered inappropriate to the level of the band! And only in 2023 the album was released finally! The music of Roz Vitalis is interesting and multifaceted! Listening to the new album you can hear rock and piano sketches, salon music of the 18th-19th centuries (when the harpsichord is played), brass music, some church music, when we hear an electric organ, ragtime 20-30s. XX century, something reminiscent of music for films of the 70-80s. Also the work of the Roz Vitalis group is distinguished by the complex construction of compositions when one track can have 2, 3 or 4 parts, and each of that can be very different from the previous one, so in fact these are 2, 3 or 4 separate compositions united by one tittle. Dear friends! In my opinion, this is a great album! After listening to it, you will get a lot of positive emotions! The musicians have made high-quality interesting music, excellent composition, memorable melodies! This album will stay in your heart forever! The title track "Bait of success" is, without exaggeration, a masterpiece! It starts at a fairly fast pace. This composition consists of 3 parts. The first part - the sound and melody is reminiscent of music from films popular in the 70s and 80s. This fragment could even be heard in the classic James Bond movies. You can especially highlight the sound of bass and synthesizer. But after the second minute the music stops... only to begin again with lovely single notes and harpsichord chords. This is the second part of this wonderful composition! Yes, we are immersed in the atmosphere of romances of the 17th and 18th centuries. Then we move back in time again, we hear the ragtime of the 20-30s. But not for long, literally a minute. And then the third - final part - begins. We are already back in the 80s, the drums come in, a romantic saxophone solo sounds, the electric guitar gradually enters into a kind of dialogue, then the bass immediately joins. And then the trio - solo guitar, bass, keyboards. They sound intertwined. At the end of the composition, the sound of brass is added again, the keyboards follow rhythmic chords and the lead guitar turns into rock distortion. That's all! The sound cuts out and echoes for 10 seconds. The orchestra called "Roz Vitalis" has finished playing! And it's not immediately clear that this masterpiece is finished! And also the fact that 6 minutes passed simply unnoticed! Bravo! The second composition "Daybreaking" has a very gentle introduction, brass, acoustic and electric guitars shimmer in a single sound. But then, after the second minute, this lyrical part ends, and the second, fast one begins. The tempo increases, and something nervous begins to brew in the music; the mood is created by the pseudo-moog synthesizer of Ivan Rozmainsky. It is also worth noting the interesting drum moves and sounds of the Spanish guitar in the magical hands of Vladimir Semyonov Tyan-Shansky. After another 2-2.5 minutes, the tempo of the music calms down again, we hear the solo of a lonely and romantic trumpet, and at the end of the track the music fades away, as if it were being gone away with the wind. The third composition "Fountain" was written and played by the band's drummer Evgeniy Trefilov on keyboards. Sentimental piano. This leisurely musical sketch is like a sip of fresh water from a fountain on a hot day! After two previous such powerful-sounding compositions this track gives you the opportunity to "unload" and feel that the creation of the Roz Vitalis band is so diverse! The title of the fourth track is in Italian - "Se Camminiamo Nella Luce (LP Version)" and means: "If you walk in the light." The composition begins with the piano, as if it were a continuation of the third composition. The theme develops, and someone of you can think this is also a piano composition, especially when the virtuoso hands of the master begin to play the overtones as if at a "Chinese tea ceremony," we even hear the rustling of the clavier sheets being turned over. But no. The ensemble enters. Brass, electric guitar. It is worth to underline the sound of bass guitar, in places it is in the foreground, a very interesting shift in the melody towards this instrument. And now when almost four minutes have passed at a leisurely pace, great rock begins! Solo guitar and horns are in the lead! High tempo. Close your eyes and imagine it's like a night, summer, you are alone or with a girl, driving a beautiful car at high speed motor way along to the sea! And you listen to this wonderful music, it is very romantic. The ending is divinely lyrical, as if autumn is coming after summer and the sea! The fifth piece on the album "Premonition" begins again with a reference to the 80s of the 20th century, alarming and exciting-sad music, but this track is a continue of the rock started in the 4th track. There is quite fast and powerful rock with channel stereo separation of instruments. And in the middle of the composition, the music breaks away from the near-Earth orbit and flies into space! The band "moves" into a spaceship and flies between alien planets to a distant star, we hear the breath of the galaxy and the sounds of the cosmic ether! And that's it, in the final part we hear slow pleasant music, pleasant and melodic, but still the same native and classic rock! I believe that the composition "Premonition" is a classic, it is an absolute gem of the rock genre, it should be included in the collection of the best rock compositions, or at least in the symbolic collection of the best compositions of the band! The composition, which is number 6 on the album, "Walking" begins with electro-jazz. Very beautiful melody, delicate performance. We hear a kind of jazz ballad performed by 2 guitars, bass and gentle drums. Then a guitar solo is heard, a rock edge. Again a small return to jazz, the winds coming to the fore, again jazz and... salon romance performed by a harpsichord, melodic bells. And in the third movement there is again slightly modified jazz, the initial melody, but with wind instruments. The rhythm is quite fast, I think the drummer would definitely warm up after performing this composition. At the end, the guys from Roz Vitalis again refer to rock and that's it! The 7th composition "Wides" begins that we are again flying in space between asteroids, then we fly out into clear space, but the flight is slow at first. Brass and guitars lead the way, and the sound of the lead guitar intensifies. And now we feel that our ship is accelerating, nothing is stopping it. Because of the sound of the electric organ and other instruments, I got the feeling that my parents were young again, on the threshold of the 70-80s. 20th century, and I'm listening to a record of popular Western European dance music at that time, and I imagine I watch like my favorite hero from a children's cartoon is running through the streets! Please pay attention it was played very masterfully! There is no doubt that you will really like it! Track number 8 is "The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off (LP Version)." It begins with the distant sound of a lonely guitar, which becomes closer as the melody develops, then the rest of the instruments start to play. The sound is somewhat muffled at first, apparently to create an underground atmosphere, according to my feelings. The composition makes good use of the move to separate the solo instruments for the listener into right and left channels. The composition is very complex technically: frequent changes of rhythms and instruments, deviding into channels and mixing back into a single musical stream. In this composition, in addition to classical instruments, you can hear such an interesting Asian plucked instrument - the rubab, the Uzbek version. You can hear more of this instrument if you listen to the albums of another project of Ivan Rozmainsky ? "Compassionizer". This composition is the story of "a man whose wings were cut off." The rocky sound of the first and main part of the composition seems to tell us about the development of this person, his ups and downs, but moving forward and upward. But then, apparently, there was a fall. This man is like Icarus, whose wings came unstuck after he began to approach the Sun and he burned up while falling. And in the second, final part of this composition we hear an acoustic guitar, harpsichord, keyboards, electric organ and spiritual music, which already suggests that the soul is eternal, the wings, the body burns, but the soul is eternal, it remains, it turns into space, it is getting everywhere! A leisurely ballad is the ninth track of "Beautifulness (LP Version)", this is a romantic composition. Brass, harpsichord, guitars, leisurely drums. This is a chamber track. Playing keys on a piano, playing wind sounds, playing guitar strings. Small musical fragment from the Chinese tea ceremony, a short segment when all the instruments of the band play together. Who composes this cool music? - Roz Vitalis! The end of the composition brings us to the next track. The band has very talented musicians. And the final tenth composition "Nocturne" is an excellent proof of it: so the band's drummer sat down at the piano again and composed such a wonderful composition! I would call this romance "Nocturne Of Love". This is a farewell track, and it's a small, no, honestly, very, very sad that this, I'm not afraid of the word, great album ends with this bright and beautiful composition! But, time moves forward, the band creates new compositions, and we will hear their next singles and albums! And this thought takes us away from sadness and gives us hope! And, if you liked the new album of the band Roz Vitalis, then you can also enjoy other tracks from previous albums. Dear friends! Thank you for reading to the end! The band's contribution to the development of progressive rock is invaluable! I wish you good music to listen like this and take care of yourself!

The Latin title of this album can be translated to 'Because They Don't Know What They Are Doing' and it would be interesting to ask Ivan Rozmainsky (keyboards) who he is aiming that at, although one can surmise. It has been five years between studio albums, during which time the world has changed for musicians in Russia and Ukraine, but finally here we are back with their latest release. There has been a slight change in personnel since the last one, but Ruslan Kirillov (bass), Vladislav Korotkikh (low whistle, flutes), and Vladimir Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (acoustic & electric guitars) are still involved, while long-time drummer Philip Semenov has now been replaced by Evgeny Trefilov who also provides some keyboards. As is usual, we also have some guest musicians providing additional instrumentation, of which the most key is the trumpet of Alexey Gorshkov.

I have been following the music of Roz Vitalis for well over a decade now, and there is no doubt they are one of my very favourite Russian bands, but one is never quite sure in what direction they are going to lead us, and this album finds us in a different mood to what I normally expect. While there are still RIO elements, there are less of the modern classical (although some songs, such as "Fountain", still demonstrate those roots), and in many ways this release finds the band both experimenting with their sound and becoming somewhat more commercial. This means it is one of the easiest of their albums to enjoy the first time it is played, and I certainly do not agree with some of the comments I have seen regarding the content, arrangements or production as while this may not be as dynamic and off the wall as their wonderful live albums, they are a quite a different band in the studio and this is far more reflective.

This is their eleventh studio release, and it is nice to see a band continuing to explore what they wish to achieve and how they are going about it as opposed to going through the motions. I continue to be excited when I see they have a new release available and while this may not be as essential as some of theirs, it is still one I have enjoyed immensely and isn't that what listening to music is supposed to be about?