PRESA DI COSCIENZA

I Giullari di Corte (the name means "the court jesters") took form in Bologna in 2002 on the initiative of bassist Matteo Balestrazzi, drummer Alessio De Angelis and violinist Michele Poggio. After a first, immature demo, in 2003 the band went through a long period of hibernation due to the departure of Michele Poggio. In 2017 the project came back to life with a renewed line up featuring, along with the original rhythm section, multi-instrumentalist Paolo Zacchi and in 2020 the band self-released an interesting debut album entitled "Presa di coscienza", a conceptual work about a story of spiritual rebirth where they blend vintage sounds and original ideas...

The opener "Nautilus" is a good instrumental track inspired by seventies sounds. According to an interview with the band, it tells of a smuggler thrown overboard from a ship by his accomplices who awakens on a deserted beach and begins his spiritual path thinking about his past. The piece starts by the dark sound of the sea, then a bass solo pattern and obscure organ waves take us on the empty land...

The following "Vent'anni spesi così" (Twenty years spent like this) begins by a slapping bass line and an electric guitar riff, then frenzied organ surges and a pulsing drumming add tension and deep purple colours. It's another good instrumental piece that leads to the jazzier, reflective "L'ombra di Sherlock Holmes" (Sherlock Holmes' shadow). According to the band, here the music tries to evoke a sort of introspective journey in search of useful clues to understand what does really matter in your life, to evolve and become a better person...

Next comes "La cicala e la formica" (The cicada and the ant) whose title was inspired by a famous Aesop's fable while the music alternates relaxed atmospheres and darker passages, all sprinkled with a pinch of jazz. It leads to the excellent "Viaggio in treno senza biglietto" (Journey by train without ticket) whose melodic lines every now and again could recall Genesis' White Mountain. It's the first sung track of the album, the music and lyrics evoke the image of a military train leaving the railway station directed to the front, a one way journey without ticket for many soldiers and their heavy burden of broken dreams and lost memories. Nonetheless, for the survivors a new awareness will rise...

"Presa di coscienza" (Awareness) opens with a nice piano passage and an atmosphere that could recall Il Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. In the second part of the piece a disquieting, almost out of tune vocal melody describes a rainy night where a new hope is growing... "Il prezzo" (The price) follows in the same vein complaining about the cost humanity has to pay for a war. What's the truth behind the conflict?

The instrumental "Il messicano" (The Mexican) is lighter and mixes the atmospheres of seventies Italian soundtracks with reggae and a carefree attitude. Then it's the turn of "Dolcetto o scherzetto?" (Trick or treat?), a lively track full of energy that resumes the experience of a man who tries to follow the flight of the angels and falls down betrayed by his vanity and a trick of the devil. Then the instrumental "Sabbatho Nero" closes the album paying homage to Black Sabbath...

On the whole, a nice home brewed work although, in my opinion, the vocal parts are not always up to the task.

No jest - pure time travel

Legend goes that I Giullari Di Corte (The Court Jesters) were born on a stormy night in distant 2002. After many years of inactivity, they came together again in 2017. What a revelation to hear this album released on the eve of the COVID years. For when the trippy opening subsides and "Nautilus" leaps from your speakers, it feels like you're experiencing some vintage RPI from the dawn of the '70s. While it may be symphonic prog, this is old school RPI of the gritty, slightly garage variety delivered by just three men, Alessio De Angelis, Matteo "Divac" Ballestrazzi, and Paolo Zacchi. This is not highly refined, "pretty" bench RPI with soft pillowy background, violin, and angelic harmonies. This is sweaty jamming with a hearty appreciation for hard rock along with the symphonic swirl.

When drawing parallels to who these guys reminded me of, my brain first flashed to Exploit's very rare Crisi album (where an original vinyl will cost you thousands if you believe Discog). Like Exploit, this is three-piece that thrives on an inventive and workmanlike approach to jamming to get where they're going, although Exploit used no guitar and these guys do. Other sound comparisons could be Capitolo 6 and Osage Tribe. I saw someone mention Le Orme, but I feel that is a more distant comparison. Not too many albums these days will eschew the myriad modern influences of the last few decades such as prog-metal and PT-type stuff, but the largely vintage instrumental Presi di Coscienza took me on a mind-trip to the fall of 1970, imagining a couple of barefoot teens sitting in an upstairs room cranking out the latest metamorphosis of rock, drifting into what we now call RPI. This is a unique and special album that frankly easily exceeds what Exploit did even if it falls a bit short of the Orme tag some give it.

I love the melancholic lilt in the many melodic adventures they undertake, so many beautiful piano/keyboard runs backed by fiercely belted-out bass lines and lively drumming. Vocals are used sparingly but effectively throughout. It is the large middle section of this album (from "Sherlock Holmes" through "Il Messicano") that shines the most, a truly excellent run of music. I found the second track and the last two tracks somewhat less convincing, but that's just me. I appreciated the symphonic/keyboard-led material more than the hard rock/guitar-led stuff. In any case, there is great potential here. The production could be criticized I suppose as there are times I feel the sound is too thin, and yet the compositional creativity and obvious passion for authenticity surpass all concerns about sound. This album brings the sauce, and we shall blast it down the halls of the villa. Really in the 7/10 range for me, but a whisker shy of getting to 4 stars. A second album is in the works, so keep your ears to the ground for that one.