LA PRIMAVERA DEI SORDI

In the second half of the Seventies I bought my first Classic Italian Progrock albums: Banco their eponymous fifth album (aka V) and the Italian version of The World Became The World by PFM, this was the start for my Italian progrock fascination. I was blown away by the mindblowing blend of great vocals, virtuosic work on guitar and keyboards and adventurous, dynamic and varied compositorial skills. In the late Eighties and early Nineties I was very pleased with the Japanese and Italian record labels that released cascades of Classic Italian progrock gems on CD, from albums by Museo Rosenbach and Corte Dei Miracoli to Panna Freda and Semiramis. It turned out that the USA progrock labels Laser's Edge and Syn-Phonic were my gateway to Prog Heaven. In that era I started to write for Dutch progrock paper SI Magazine and soon I discovered that the Italian progrock scene was still alive and proggin' when we received lots of promo CD's from bands like Il Castello Di Atlante, Abiogenesi, Nuova Era and Calliope, again I was In Prog Heaven! Early 2004 I started to write for Prog Archives, one of the first things I did was writing about all those old and new Italian progrock bands and adding Classic Italian Progrock like Rustichelli & Bordini and Cherry Five. Unfortunately the following years it was a bit poor and I started to focus on the very prolific progrock scene in Latin- America (from Nexus to William Gray). But since last year I have hope with new Italian progrock bands like Moongarden, Hostsonaten, Ainur, Il Baccio Della Medusa and .... I Pennelli Di Vermeer, what a stunning debut CD!

I Pennelli Di Vermeer (the name is derived from our famous painter Johannes Vermeer) is rooted in 2002, in 2007 they released the mine-CD Tramedannata and one year later the debut CD entitled La Primavera Dei sordi. During my first listening session I was blown away, what a varied and unique prog this is with an important role for the vocals, from an opera-like female voice to theatrical vocal harmonies or even a small children choir. The variety in the 10 compositions is great: a tango-like rhythm in the first track Tre cadaveri nel cassetto, "Madness meets The Shadows" in the cheerful Manifesto 70 x 100, wonderful interplay between violin and Grand piano in Cinque minuti...una notte, a Hawkwind-like atmosphere with a hypnotizing beat and synthesizer beeps and bleeps in S.K.L.ero, vintage keyboards (Farfisa - and Hammond organ and flute-Mellotron) and a wide range of singers in Luce and a synthesizer sound in the vein of The Stranglers (late Eighties-era) and a spectacular synthesizer solo in Incuboinuncubo. My highlights are the two most 'traditional progrock efforts': an intro with warm vocals and twanging acoustic guitar, then a slow rhythm featuring wonderful work on violin with soaring organ and excellent male and female vocals in Nel giardino di belzebu' and sumptuous church organ and howling guitar in the alternating Carogna.

If you are up to an adventurous progrock journey (this music will not be everybody's cup of tea), check out this genuine progrock effort by a very unique new Italian band, what a thrill that 30 years after the Classic Italian Prog-era, a new Italian band succeeds to present such an unique, daring and adventurous prog, a big hand for I Penneli Di Vemeer!

Thanks to my Dutch PA friend Angelo for his recommendation.

I Pennelli di Vermeer are an Italian prog band from Naples that was formed in 2003 by Pasquale Sorrentino (vocals, acoustic guitar), Giovanni Santoro (bass), Raffele Polimeno (keyboards), Pasquale Palombo (electric guitar) and Marco Sorrentino (drums, vocals). All the members of the band are fond of painting, so they decided to call their project "I Pennlli di Vermeer" (The Vermeer's Brushes) in honour to the Dutch painter Vermeer (1632-1675) and this passion can be found also in their music, a wonderful patchwork of different influences and styles ranging from symphonic rock to ska, tango, baroque, nursery rhyme... "La primavera dei sordi" (The springtime of the deaf), their first full length album was released in 2008 by the independent label La Canzonetta and features some guests appearances (among others Lino Vairetti, leader of Osanna) that contribute to enrich the sound. The result is excellent: the ten tracks were composed mixing together different colours like in painting, combining shadows and lights with sarcasm and irony. Lyrics are full of double meanings and are often sung in a very peculiar and theatrical way...

The opener "Tre cadaveri nel cassetto" (Three corpses in the drawer) is a kind of dark and witty nursery rhyme built upon a strange marching beat, while the next "Manifesto cm 70x100" is sarcastic and committed piece featuring a bizarre rhythm of ska condemning a policy made of words without actions that let rubbish cover the streets of Naples (you can watch a video of this track on PA). The mood changes on the following track "Cinque minuti... una notte" , a dreamy and "colourful" ballad...

"There is a reason behind every scream / Pain, joy, rage, a simple emotion...". "L'urlo" (The scream) is a piece inspired by an Edward Munch's famous painting and features Osanna's Lino Vairetti as a special guest: it's an interesting mix of country, hard rock and even opera compressed in less that three minutes... Then comes "Nel giardino di Belzebù", a kind of journey through the dark paths of love that features beautiful female vocals and a delicate melody...

"S.K.L.ERO" is more aggressive and "electro" and deals with drug addiction while "Luce" is a funny piece where different musical influences (ranging from baroque to rock, from folk to "varieté française") are the perfect background for light words that seem to be conceived as "touches of colour". The futuristic "Incuboinuncubo" (Nightmare in a cube) is about "trash TV" while the ironic and irreverent "Carogna" features an almost operatic atmosphere and a good guitar work. The last track "Autogestione" would be a perfect soundtrack for recent protests of the Italian students and features a children choir and a funny swinging march rhythm...

On the whole "La primavera dei sordi" is a very interesting album, funny and fresh. Even if it lasts less than 40 minutes, there are no weak moments and it's really worth to check out

This band is at best original. It might need to be investigated even if the traditional ISP fan might be astonished with the result. The music proposed is varied and holds lots of influences. Even some Spanish flamenco style like during "Manifesto?" can be dicovered.

I would say that it is a pain that most of the songs are shortly formatted (ten songs for about thirty seven minutes of music). What you will discover is a definite Italian prog accent; but there are little (to none) symphonic moments available. I would say that the experience is more rock oriented. At least during the first two opening numbers.

Vocals are mostly theatrical like described in Andrea's review. Some sort of "Ange" Italian counterpart at times. But too shy of these French masters IMHHO.

There are too many pure rock songs featured on this album: "L'urlo?" or " S.K.L.ERO " for instance. the former is even mixing hard rock with pure baroque passages. Nothing really in line with ISP but interesting. Still, I am missing the complexity and fantasy of the great genre we all love and which can be felt during " Nel Giardino Di Belzebù". One of the two songs in excess of four minutes on this album?

Actually, I don't like this album very much. I still wonder why the band needs to sing these stupid French lyrics during the basic rock song "Luce". Pretty much dispensable as far as I am concerned. The weird "Carogna" only adds to the feel: some fine guitar work but weak vocal parts.

I can't go over two stars with my rating here. Too weak overall, no passion (or little) and close to none excitement.