FOLK DESTROYERS

I Treni All'Alba are prog band from the north western Italy that was formed between Aosta and Turin in 2002. The line up features Paolo Carlotto (acoustic and electric guitar), Daniele Pierini (acoustic and electric guitar), Sabino Pace (piano and keyboards) and Felice Sciscioli (drums and percussion). All the members are experienced musicians with different influences that managed to shape an amazing blend of folk and progressive rock. In 2008 they released their first full length album "Folk Destroyers" for the independent label Smartz Records. The album was recorded with the help of some guest musicians that contributed to enrich the sparkling sound of the band, with counter bass, flutes, sax, congas, trumpet, violin, accordion and many other musical colours.

"Watch TV, buy, obey the authorities, do not think, do believe in the collective truth, no ideas, no imagination..." . The only vocal parts on this album are some ominous warnings freely taken from "They Live", a 1988 film directed by John Carpenter where aliens rule on society and control humans through the TV broadcasts and mass media. The single tracks have no titles but each track is described in the beautiful booklet by a drawing by Domenico Sorrenti. The music flows away like in a long suite where quiet acoustic and folkloric passages melt in fiery percussion rides and vice versa. Some sources of inspiration could be find in the album "Anime salve" by Fabrizio De André, then you can find reminders of samba, tarantella, Ravel, Piazzolla, Le Orme and PFM...

Some words taken from a book by the Italian writer Stefano Benni that you can find on the booklet try to describe the right approach to this work: "We should always feel like we are leaving the next day, or like we have just got back. Everything becomes more precious: what we leave and what we find. To hear the tiny voice of hope , beyond the screams of pain. It could be interesting to come to a train station to find it... hope.". The name of the band, I Treni All'Alba, means the trains at dawn...

On the whole an excellent album!

Modern progressive folk music

I Treni All'Alba is a progressive rock band from Torino who have been around for many years, finally releasing "Folk Destroyers" in 2008 on Smartz Records. The band rests under the Eclectic moniker on PA and they certainly are everything eclectic, but I would describe the band as one of the most lively progressive-folk bands you'll ever hear.

Treni is almost a fusion of folk music, progressive rock, and post-punk energy. They conjure thoughts in my head of a great local band in a hole-in-the-wall rock club with low ceilings and awful bathrooms, whose patrons wander in and out fueled by nicotine, drink, and a lust for music with passion. She comes in spades here. Folk melodies and just plain good melodies, gorgeous ones at that, hit you one after another supported by frisky-as-hell dual acoustic guitars of Paolo Carlotto and Daniele Pierini. They work up their frisky rhythms and pick out some compelling lead work as well. Felice Sciscioli is the drummer who puts the fire in the belly of this band with his driving and never-tiring kit work. Holding together the rest is Sabino Pace on piano and synth, occasionally organ. I love the piano of course as it adds so much spice and beauty to these tracks. There are a few mellower or understated moments for contrast, occasionally the music seems to dance to itself as in 5:07 (the songs are oddly titled by only the running length.) But mostly Treni seems to be a band whose mission is to make you move your body, I can just imagine how some of their fans must groove to this in the live setting. My favorite is probably 4:27 with its blend of flute, clean electric guitar strumming, piano, bass, and a sense of moving at high speed in the core of the song...perfect driving music. I did some serious "drumming" on my car steering wheel during this song. A host of guests add further fireworks with saxophone tirades, perfectly suited violin, hand percussions, trombone, flute, and bass. The music is so rich and full of life you will never miss the lack of vocals. It is instrumental and as they used to do in the old days, a nice length of 35 minutes. No need for 75 minutes when you can get it done in half, and they do. There is no filler. Every second is engaging and spirited, colorful, delightful, rocking. Music for life.

The booklet deserves a special mention for the outstanding artwork of Domenico Sorrenti. The cover art is a lovely painting but inside it features very cool black and white drawings, one for each of the tracks on the album. It documents a day in the life of our subject as he looks for meaning in the grind of the big city (or so I'm guessing!) Bravo to Treni---one of my best discoveries of this year, sorry it took me so long guys!!