NICO, GIANNI, FRANK & MAURIZIO: CANTI D'INNOCENZA, CANTI D'ESPERIENZA...

PA has the feature to rate and rank how many albums one has reviewed per specific genre. And that's how I know that this is my 108th review for the Italian Symph genre. I just mentioned this since this album has little to do with the delicate and sophisticated style that I like so much.

Musicianship is of course above average, several songs being well crafted, that's for sure. But this band just doesn't belong to the style I praise so much. If you would ever like to listen to heavy Italian rock music, this is a good entry album. But don't expect great symphonic moments, nor subtle Italian music.

Heavy keyboards à la ELP, even heavier sounds à la Purple, some (very) high pitched vocals and complex music are at times a great combination like during the excellent and Crimsonesque " L' Amico Della Porta Accanto" which is by far my favourite song from this album. Intricate, heavy and at the same time so inventive. The Italian style stroke again.

"IBIS" is of course the heavy reincarnation of the "New Trolls" and therefore can belong either to the heavy prog genre (more of their essence) or to the Italian symph one. Since most of the songs featured on this album are very much more inspired of the heavy sounds, I can hardly rate this album with more than three stars. A good album indeed, but not at all fitting its own shoe in the Italian Symphonic genre.

Reffered incorrectly most of the times as an album under the name IBIS, ''Canti d'innocenza,canti d'esperienza'' was actually an album made by a band with no name,later known as IBIS.Found by ex-NEW TROLLS guitarist Nico Di Palo,this band was the result of the arguing between Di Palo and NEW TROLLS-leader Vittorio Di Scalzi,which led Nico and three other members of NEW TROLLS to follow a separate career.The result was this album (released on Fonit in 1973) ,presenting a big question-mark on the cover and promoted with the names of the band's members.

The sound of the album was not very far from what NEW TROLLS were realeasing on ''UT'' in 1972.Hard Progressive Rock with lots of time changes and light Classical influences with guitars on the front, multi-vocal parts and heavy Hammond organ work around.Most of the compositions are guitar-driven with fantastic breaks close to early-70's DEEP PURPLE or even ATOMIC ROOSTER and a supporting bombastic rhythm section doing an excellent work as well.Vocals are handled by three members (except keyboardist Maurizio Salvi) in a very intense style with aggresive vocal lines and harsh polyphonic arrangements.Couple of tracks feature also nice acoustic parts,while Salvi's influence definitely appears on two or three Classical-oriented instrumental parts with fine piano,organ and synth passages.This is mainly an effort for lovers of the prog rock's harder sound,Italian Prog followers,as well as most of early-70's NEW TROLLS fans.A quite good release and a recommended one.

Some time had passed since I last listened to this album. I had nearly forgotten how great it is. I suppose most people look to the second album, Sun supreme, if one one is to go by yhe number of ratings, but I think this one is as equally (or more) interesting. Like their fellow countrymen New Trolls Ibis performs a jazzy, classically infused hard prog that to me is very urgent and potent.

So, when the time had passed and many moons gone by I reconnected with this album, one morning on my way to work through a snowy Stockholm. It hadn't gone more than a few notes into the first track before I came to realize just how good this album really is. The blend of jazz, classical and furious hard rock is really a treat. The hard rock of the album is more prominent but the inclusion of said genres makes it an interesting listen. I sometimes think there are similarities to Rovescio Della Medaglia's Contaminazione, only more leaning towards hard rock and less of the classical bits.

The opening track "Innocenza esperienza" is classic hard rock/prog with a great drive, riff and lots of energy. The vocals are soaring and sort of takes my breath away. Very classy!

"Signorina Carolina" has a calm opening leading into a classical piece played on the piano in the middle. A very impressive piece at that. It all ends wiith a hard rock section. Then there's the respite, "Simona" which is a short ballad. Quite nice.

"L'amico della porta accanto" is again very hard rock in it's approch. This track holds a magnificent organ and intense guitar solo. Really good stuff.

"Vecchia amica" is yet again a hard rock/prog track with great variation and depth. It has everything. A great and simple riff, calm middle section, scorching organ and a jazzy ending, like icing on the cake. Terrific and one of my favorites. "Angelo invecchiato" ends it all on a mellow, spacey and dreamy note.

This album, sporting this great question-mark, is an extremely well crafted piece of art. So many things goes on and yet it never loses sight or focus. Apart from all the great musicianship, which is flawless, this album holds, which I really adore, a very raw and dirty sound. It never gets slick. The hard rock tendencies are allowed to fly the flag without restraint while the jazzy bits brings some peace to the ears. That to me is impressive and makes this album a real gem within the RPI genre.

Though time passes and other albums take the frontseat, I seem to come back to this album and it has become one of my favorite works of prog. I do not mean that only in the sense of RPI but rather in sense of prog by large. So, do take a listen. At least you won't have wasted your time entirely.