CONQUEROR

A smooth mostly-NeoProg band from Italy that is new to me. Another band with the unusual lineup (for Italian bands) of having a female (Simona Rigano) in the lead vocal and keyboard positions.

1. "Fino al Limite" (6:32) NeoProg like so many others from the 1980s, 1990s, and 21st Century. The guitars are so dated (going back to GENESIS' Wind and Wuthering). Vocalist Simona Rigano has a very comforting if cotidian voice--reminding me in the second half (when it's doubled up) of ADIEMUS' Miriam Stockley. I like the presence of the woodwinds but find myself recoiling a bit to the reminders of classic RPI bands like MUSEO ROSENBACH or IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO. (8.75/10) 2. "In Cerca d'Ali" (5:51) opens with a soprano saxophone-led passage that sounds very much like 1980s Smooth Jazz song for the Adult Contemporary audiences. When Simona starts to sing in the second motif it shifts a little into something a bit more Italian lounge-like, but the Smooth Jazz motif reappears in the sections between her vocals--until, that is, 2:33 when the music moves into a more portentous motif for instrumental soli. Ominous electric guitar and soloing Prophet-5 synth give this s different mood. Even when Simona returns for singing the song retains this more proggy element of danger, but then at the five-minute mark the violin returns and the band kind of stumbles through a closing coda. (8.7/10)

3. "Verso un Nuovo Mondo" (8:59) pleasant and innocuous enough, nice guitar soloing--especially in the final 90 seconds--but there's really nothing very new or exciting here. (17.25/20)

4. "Kedr" (10:26) UNAKA PRONG! The opening two minutes of this song could definitely come straight off of one of the North Carolina band's first two albums: very funk jazzy. Then there is a clean break which is gradually filled with some spacious electric piano play over which Simona's reverbed voice gently sings. At the 3:00 mark we move into what could be a sedate RIVERSIDE or other Polish Heavy Prog electric guitar-dominated soundfield as Simona continues to sing. The rhythm tracks aren't very complex, but they make for a nice foundation on which Simona can sing and guitarist Tino Nastasi can wail. At 5:17 we stop in Kedr's children's garden to admire the flowers and butterflies before a CICCADA-like pastoral prog folk passage establishes itself. At 6:30 Simona rejoins to sing over the pastoral music. Man! Is this like CICCADA! Pretty but also dangerously close to being directly lifted from one of the Greek band's classic albums. In the second half of the eighth minute the music suddenly turns more insistent, CAMEL-like with some Andy Latimer electric guitar and Pete Bardens-like synth soloing going on at the same time. I like the solos but I like the drum play here even better: very creative and fitting without being over the top or too showy. If all of this band's songs were as diverse and unpredictable as this one this album would be a masterpiece! (19/20)

5. "Un Disegno Perfetto" (8:45) sounds like a RENAISSANCE for the opening minute. Soprano sax, not so much. The swinging instrumental weave beneath Simona's beautiful melodies work for me. In the third minute there is a stylistic shift into more 1980s Smooth Jazz to support Simona's voice and the sax and twangy guitar soli of the fourth minute. Then Simona returns to tie up loose ends for this motif so that the band, led by electric piano and drummer Natale Russo's tom play can usher in the next passage--which does present more of a return to the RENAISSANCE feel of the opening--especially when Simona's voice is beautifully double-up. Then, at the end of the fifth minute, there is a clear stop--as if another song is about to begin--which it does with those dated guitar arpeggi, militaristic snare play, and pastoral flute playing together--somewhat at odds with one another (though I never feel any discomforting tension: the flute and underlying keys and bass are too calming for that). As this pastoral section builds I am filled with quite the CICCADA feel (a melody from the debut album). (17.75/20)

6. "09.07 a.m." (1:24) I love the chamber feel to this--it sounds like a winds and strings presentation or overture. (5/5)

7. "Star on the Moon" (4:56) a pleasant song that sounds like a pop folk-rock song from the 1970s but leaves something to be desired in terms of being a progressive rock or even RPI song. Even Alan Parsons or Ambrosia wouldn't create something this saccharine and simple--maybe THE STARLAND VOCAL BAND. Very hypnotic melody lines. (8.5/10)

Total Time 47:53

B+/4.5 stars; a nice album that I would never consider top tier prog--or what Robert Fripp would call "musicians who can do nothing else"--because it is too imitative of others, but it is clean, clear, engaging, melodic, and well-performed (if a little dated in some of the instrumental sound choices).

Smooth rock reminiscent of early 1970s hard and pop classic rockers as well as some Neo and early RPI rockers. I like the fact that there is a presence of over 50% female energy here.

1. "Ouverture" (6:00) rockin' Neo Prog palette with a few symphonic twists and turns. (8.25/10)

2. "Mosaico di Colori" (5:13) pleasant opiate prog lite with woodwinds, melodic base and the soothing voice of Simona Rigano--quite different than the vibe of the previous song. (8.5/10)

3. "No Photo" (7:07) Prog by the numbers: Hammond, flute, and entrenched off-beat rhythm track. A watered down MYRATH feel here. Pleasant piano interlude appears in the middle feels & sounds like a folk melody from the Greek band CICCADA. Whole band joins in and plays upon it until 3:35 when there is a return to the opening motif over which Simona sings in her siren voice. Like LAGARTIJA's Sara Aliani, she has me eating out of her palm. (13/15)

4. "Pagine di Poesie" (6:45) built around vocal and flute melodies that Riccardo Principe's posse of female singers would be proud of, the tempo shift at 3:20 brings a welcome bit of excitement and complexity. Great keyboard/synth play as well. Again, Simona's warm and enchanting voice could get me to walk off a cliff. My favorite song on the album. (13.25/15)

5. "Klaus" (5:42) a little more pep and pizzaz than previous songs, the edgy-ness achieved here could almost be termed "aggressive"! All in another CICCADA-like song. (8.5/10)

6. "Morgana" (31:16) apparently, as legend has it, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay escaped Arthurian Britannia to create her crystal castle on the shores of the island of Sicily (where this band just happens to be from). As hard as they try, I can't give this more than a "good" rating. Simona's voice is far better suited to the warm and seductive than mythic storytelling. (51/60): - i) Il Sogno Rivive - nice flute and glockenspiel tradeoff before other instruments join in. Feels like a set up for a gentle ballad but flute takes the first lead, electric guitar in brief motif before Simona begins singing about the legend. - ii) Il Castello - Simona's vocal is, unfortunately, often off-pitch among this jazzier section. Nice guitar, keys, and bass work--some nice keyboard work. - iii) Negli Abissi - the best theme of the suite--love the bass sound, vocal, flute, and keys. - iv) Morgana "Theme" -Love the harp presence in this Celtic-themed piece. Wish there were no drums. - v) Puri Zaffiri - multiple vocal tracks is interesting in this poppy tune. - vi) Immagini a Distanza - interesting themes sewn together to bring the wuite to an end. Not of sure the story's conclusion, but it was probably dramatic and sad..

Total Time 62:03

My favorite elements of this album are its overall sound as well as the preponderance of beautiful melodies delivered from flute and the sultry voice of singer Simona Rigona.

B-/3.5 stars; a band with all the right sounds and intentions but with more growing to do.

"In orbita" is the sixth studio album by Conqueror, a Sicilian band whose roots date back to the nineties. It was released in 2019 on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records with a renewed line up featuring Simona Rigano (keyboards, synth, lead vocals), Natale Russo (drums, percussion), Tino Nastasi (guitars) and Sofia Ferraro (sax, flute, EWI 5000) plus the guests Edoardo Ragunì (bass, backing vocals) and Giovanni Alibrandi (violin). It's an excellent conceptual work inspired by the life of Russian space hero Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin  (1934 - 1968) where the music and lyrics try to express emotions and feelings through a sort of empathy with the protagonist rather than just telling a story. The colourful art cover by Giusy Lo Conti in some way depicts the emotional content of the album...

The dreamy opener "Fino al limite" (To the limit) starts softly evoking beautiful landscapes where all the natural elements dance in symbiosis with colours and moving lights... The words and lyrics try to take us back in the childhood of the protagonist, born in the rural village of Klushino, in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. The child, curious and interested in everything, develops an almost transcendental fascination for flight and is determined to pursue his dreams, a bit like Jonathan Livingston, the seagull...

The tense "In cerca d'ali" (Looking for wings) tells of an episode from the protagonist childhood. The music and lyrics describe the evolutions of two planes, red stars falling from the stars avoiding the crash with an audacious combination of geometrical manoeuvres... In a cold winter night, two jet fighters of the Red Army are forced to make an emergency landing in the snow because of a mechanical breakdown. All night long the pilots wait for the rescuers without leaving the damaged air-crafts and the children of the village can admire their courage and tenacity.

The dynamic "Verso un nuovo mondo" (Towards a new world) is about the feelings and sensations that the protagonist experiences during his hard training for the space mission. The music alternates lively, almost funky passages with calm, dreamy sections evoking symphonies of colours and rains of sounds while heart and mind of the cosmonaut are focused on the goal of the mission...

"Kedr" starts by a nice organ solo pattern, then the rhythm rises as the protagonist is going to board the space-craft. This piece depicts in music and words the emotions and feelings that the protagonist experiences before and during his space mission, the first space flight of the Vostok programme and the first human space flight in history. The title refers to the call sign used by Gagarin during the mission. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961, with Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard, from the space he can see that the the Earth is just a far, small blue planet and everything takes a different perspective...

"Un disegno perfetto" (A perfect drawing) is a reflective track that deals with the effects of this extraordinary experience on protagonist. There's a new awareness, a new maturity, the whole soul of the cosmonaut is transformed and he finds a new balance where serenity and troubles melt... Per aspera ad astra!

The title of the short instrumental "09.07 A.M." refers to the departure time of the space mission. It's a beautiful, classical inspired track that leads to the closer "Star On The Moon". Despite the English title, the conclusive piece is mainly sung in Italian with backing vocals in English. It's a light, melodic track that draws solar visions from the space, stars over a sailing moon lost in the sea of the universe in a never ending journey towards new worlds and dimensions...

On the whole, an interesting concept and a wonderful work!

Italian band CONQUEROR was formed in 1994 by drummer and composer Natale Russo. Several line-up alterations came between the foundation and the release of their debut album "Istinto" in 2003, which has been something of an ongoing challenge for this band, from what I understand. So far they have five studio albums to their name, and also this latest production, the live CD/DVD "Un'Altra Verita" outing, which was released through the Italian label MaRaCash Records in 2015.

As this is Conqueror's first ever live production, fans of the band have noted its availability and bought it already, I'd expect. For those not overly familiar with Conqueror, this production comes across as a good introduction and documentation for what the band is about. The DVD part may be mostly of interest to existing fans, of course, but even so, this is a good quality production, and one that, I suspect, will find favor among those who know and love '80s neo progressive rock, Camel and Pink Floyd, and, naturally enough, in particular those who like all of them.

CONQUEROR are from Italy and this is their fifth studio album. My favourite of the four I own is still the debut. I was surprised to see that Sabrina who played sax and flute has left prior to this recording. She joined the band for their second release. So like the debut we get a four piece of keys, bass, drums and guitar along with the pleasant vocals of Simona.

"Gina" is the longest track at 11 minutes. I enjoy the first 2 1/2 minutes with those nice female vocals and especially the prominent bass and guitar at times. The instrumental interlude after 2 1/2 minutes is hit and miss for me. I really like the start of it but not the sound before 4 minutes or 5 minutes in. The guitar before 6 1/2 minutes is enjoyable though. Vocals are back before 7 1/2 minutes as it calms down. "Di Notte" features a lot of synths that I like during the instrumental interlude. Back to the vocal led music which is okay. The instrumental section is back but much longer this time and it starts with those synths I like but developes into a heavier sound before the guitar starts to lead until synths end it.

"False Idee" sounds great when the guitar comes in soloing in a relaxed manner. This gives way to pulsating keys as the instrumental work continues. Soon the guitar and pulsating keys join forces. Vocals arrive 4 minutes in with strummed guitar in this mellow section. Drums join in as well as the vocals become double tracked. This helps as her voice isn't that strong. "Un'altra Realta" is another laid back piece with the vocals leading the way along with the steady drumming. It turns instrumental before 1 1/2 minutes with plenty of keyboards. The vocals return then it ends with a long instrumental section.

"Sole Al Buio" is laid back with relaxed vocals. A much better sound 2 1/2 minutes in when it turns instrumental, especially the bass. Then the guitar takes over with a repetitive melody and pulsating synths that come and go. A change before 4 1/2 minutes and then we get some aggressive organ which surprised me the first time I heard it but man this is a welcomed change. It's followed by a really good guitar solo where he doesn't hold back. Then back to the vocal led piece as it began. "C'est La Vie" is different with more passionate vocals, well a little more passionate. They are the focus until a synth solo before 1 1/2 minutes. Guitar then takes over before a calm with piano before 3 minutes. I like the sound that follows though. The guitar is back before 4 minutes as the song continues to change in tempo and mood.

"Sigurta" features reserved vocals that come in fairly early and the sound is very relaxed until both are pumped up a few notches. An intrumental break follows with a variety of keyboard sounds throughout. A calm 5 minutes in as we get that opening soundscape again as it builds. Beautiful guitar leads follow. So good. It stays instrumental to the end with the keyboards leading the charge including some aggressive moments late. "Echi Di Verita" is my favourite. I really like the instrumental sound that we get for the first 4 minutes. A definite highlight for me. Vocals 4 1/2 minutes in as it settles back. Back to that instrumental sound after 6 minutes to the end. A great way to end it.

I can't give this anything higher than 3 stars but it does have it's moments.

Hailing from Santa Teresa di Riva, a small town in the province of Messina, Sicily, Conqueror have been part of the Italian prog scene for more than twenty years and Stems is their fifth full length studio album. It was released in 2014 on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records, four years after its predecessor Madame Zelle, with a renewed line up featuring Simona Rigano (keyboards, lead vocals), Natale Russo (drums), Ture Pagano (guitars) and Peppe Papa (bass). Sabrina Rigano left the band in 2010 and without her flute and sax contributes the overall sound of the band is more keyboard and guitar driven than in the past but still extremely crisp and convincing. According to the band's website, on this album you can find eight tracks with a common thread, eight poetical frescoes of daily life memories where the passing of time changes the perception of reality. Anyway, each piece takes on its own very distinct personality and in the booklet you can find a photograph associated to every track that in some way helps to describe the mood of the music and lyrics...

The beautiful opener "Gina" is a long, complex track that evokes memories of warm hugs lingering in the night while time is nothing but a blurred concept. Who is Gina? There's no clue to know it, she might be an elderly woman or a little child... The music starts softly then a drum roll leads to darker passages and a disquieting marching beat seems to evoke the ghosts of an impending tragedy... What is left of the mysterious Gina is just the souvenir of a crown of coffee-beans and a smile, the perfume of a lost happiness, the sound of words that are still able to stir your imagination, a tenderness that stems from the soul and still shines in the memory...

The reflective, dreamy "Di notte" (At night) conjures up a melancholic quest in the dark for the signs of the days that are gone, a search for soft whispered words, breaths and sounds drowned into the light of a reality that leaves no room for memories and regrets and where your thoughts get lost in the perpetual motion of the daily grind...

Next comes the ethereal "False idee" (False ideas) that conjures up a mysterious atmosphere. After a walk under a dark moon, a strummed acoustic guitar passage evokes never forgotten silences that come back echoing around you until the first rays of the morning sun... When the sun will rise you'll have to make up your mind to see a new light and regenerate your faded energies, trampled by false ideas. In your dreams white butterflies are flying free among orchid petals. It might be a good omen...

On the following "Un'altra realtà" (Another reality) the soaring vocals of Simona Rigano interpret the thoughts of a woman that closes her eyes and pretends that she doesn't see what's happening around her. She dreams of another reality where good prevails over evil... Call it hypocrisy or just fragility or weakness but she wears a metaphorical mask and hides her feelings, biding her time to find another way of living...

The melancholic "Sole al buio" (Alone in the dark) features some bluesy passages and tells of the contrast between the promises of the childhood and the choices that you have to do when growing up. Now all the illusions and the promises of the past are gone, abandoned like old pictures in a box, left alone in the dark... But you can't forget that past and sooner or later you'll pick those pictures out of the box to look at them under a new light.

"C'est la vie" is a lively track that recalls PFM and tries to depict in music and lyrics the frenzied rhythm of progress in a modern age where you can never stop and look behind. No rules to follow, no time to breathe, no room for reflection, everyone is always in hurry and reason sometimes is left behind while the world runs like hell in a direction that we can't even imagine... Stop to think, at least for a while, soon the celebration of modern life will start again!

The calm, evocative "Sigurtà" depicts in music and lyrics the magnificent landscape of a natural park and the emotions provoked by the colours of its plants and flowers. You can walk along the paths of this enchanted place following the timeless ghosts of Romeo and Juliet... By the way, the title refers to, Parco Giardino Sigurtà, a beautiful natural oasis located in Valeggio sul Mincio, near Verona, the home city of the famous lovers.

The closer "Echi di verità" (Echoes of truth) is another great track where the music and lyrics depict in a poetical way curious lies and melancholic half truths, deceiving mechanisms that make you lose the sense of reality by deforming feelings, images, sounds and smells... How can you face such a labyrinth of mirrors and escape from the maze of your false perceptions? How can you decide and choose? How can you understand what is really important in your life as times goes by? Well, the answer is up to you...

On the whole, a wonderful album that marks the maturity of this band.

Once more Conqueror's line-up meant to meet some further shakes.Guitarist Mario Pollino had been a member of the band before ''Sprazzi Di Luce'', replacing Tino Nastasi, but only for the first time he headed to a studio recording with the group.Daniele Bambino was replaced at the dawn of 2009 by Andrea Trimarchi, who spent about six months with the band, before leaving his place to Gianluca Villa.This core recorded the fourth full-length album of Conqueror ''Madame Zelle'' at Ludnica Studio in Santa Teresa di Riva with Ottavio Leo as a sound engineer (he helped the band on guitars in the previous EP).It was released in 2010 on MaRaCash Records and marked another concept work by the band.Who the hell is Madame Zelle though?No other than Margaretha Geertruida Zelle aka Mata Hari, the Dutch dancer who was accused as being a spy during during World War I.

More or less Conqueror's style remains grounded in modern Symphonic Rock fields, however there are a few new introductions in their sound.Firstly there are some Ethnic touches during the listening and generally the folky content of the album is quite pronounced compared to the previous albums, propably to advance Mata Hari's connection with exotic and Ethnic dances.Second comes the constant use of Sabrina Rigano's flute, which is another reason the album tends to the Symphonic/Folk Rock side.Do not expect though something close to Prog Folk, the music is still 100% Symphonic Rock with dominant keyboard passages and ethereal melodies, while the rockier sensibilities appear once more in the more guitar-based parts.Simona Rigano's voice is again the absolute trademark of Conqueror: Crystalline, flawless and absolutely efficient singing.''Madame Zelle'' contains long, instrumental themes with beautiful guitar melodies, varied flute work, either with Classical or more traditional acoustics, and bombastic keyboards.The excellent production reveals the sheer dynamics of the album, which moreover contains lots of careful interplays and complex passages.But melody and groove still remain Conqueror's main elements in this new effort.

Another solid work by one of the best Italian bands of the recent era.Nice concept, solid music and pretty amazing vocals.No less than strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

After the release of an EP in 2009, "Sprazzi di luce", in 2010 Conqueror released on Ma.Ra.Cash Records their fourth full length studio album, "Madame Zelle", with a renewed line up featuring Natale Russo (drums and percussions), Simona Rigano (vocals, keyboards and synth), Sabrina Rigano (flute and saxophone), Mario Pollino (guitars) and Gianluca Villa (bass). During the recording sessions they were helped by Ottavio Leo who contributed to enrich the sound with sitar and other instruments. The result is very good and the band confirmed here all the qualities of their previous works. "Madame Zelle" is a concept album inspired by the life and legend of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, better known as Mata Hari. Simona Rigano's inspired vocals do not tell a story, they interpret with heartfelt empathy the feelings and emotions of an unabashedly independent, sensitive woman while the music is full of colours and nuances.

The long, complex opener "Margaretha" sets the atmosphere. It begins softly, the mood is dreamy and the music features an exotic flavour. Memories from the childhood and the formative years of the protagonist emerge as little isles in the North Sea. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in the Netherlands in 1876. After her father went bankrupt, in 1989, she went through a very difficult period that marked her rebellious beauty and this nice suite honours the everyday battles of her growing up... "Where the tides break in through the borders of an incomparable land / Where starfishes emerge from the seabed, playing with nature / That's where my memories recall the smell of every single day I passed at the mercy of a youth long time gone / That's where my thoughts tell the ingenuous but extrovert smile of an already prohibited charm...".

The following "Indonesia" begins with percussion and sitar. It's a beautiful instrumental track where the music conjure up mysterious Oriental charms. Margaretha got married with a captain of the Dutch Colonial Army and followed him to Java. She was unhappy in her marriage but during this period of her life she learned a lot about local culture and about the art of seduction...

Next comes "Occhio dell'alba" (Eye of dawn) that describes the birth of a legend. Margaratha and her husband went back to the Netherlands in 1902 where they separated. In 1903 she moved to Paris where she began her artistic career as an exotic dancer under the name of Mata Hari, an Indonesian name that means "eye of dawn". Her provocative style and her free-willed attitude made her a very popular woman... "The last veil of sin sets my wings free / Upon me, upon me, only upon me / Endless shapes alight upon me...".

The excellent "Fascino proibito" (Prohibited charm) describes in a poetical way the mystery of Margaretha's charm. The music and lyrics evoke perfumes and colours, wonderful flowers and falling leaves, the whirling game of senses... "It's desire that condemns and hurts the soul...". Next comes "Eleganza perfetta" (Perfect elegance) where the emphatic vocals of Simona Rigano draw the amazing portrait of a sensual woman, fragile and strong in the meantime... "I'm waiting for your fragile instinct / I'm getting lost in the sunrise that lights my eyes / And in the silence that surrounds me I can shine again... Venus no longer rules my senses / It was Venus who was caressing my smile, my face...".

"H 21" is titled after the code name that the German secret services gave to Margaretha during World War I. Charm is a key that can open many doors, there's richness and madness in this track where tension and sensuality shine through all along the way... "In the apparent perfection I will deceive the most attentive eye / Please, let me dance once more / Let me hide the cold loneliness behind my fragile body...".

"Doppio gioco" (Double-crossing) describes the feelings of Margaretha on the last night before the end of her career as a spy... "Two scraps of velvet cover my body / One is black, soft and elegant / Its colour is defined by a subtle embroidery / The other is red, worn and torn / By the fierce flames that fate has thrown at me... This is the last dance / This is the last night...". "Da sola" (Alone) is a suggestive, reflective track that describes the feelings of Margaretha with reference to the change in her fate and to the charges against her... "I live in the infinite space of my ideas / I turn away from me the fear of the dark, of apparent loneliness...".

The last track, "Ad occhi alti" (With a proud look), closes the circle. Margareth is alone in her cell before the execution. She has been condemned and in a few hours she will be killed by a French firing squad. Her thoughts go back in time, her life has flown away like a raging river but she's not ashamed of what she's done. She can go to her randez-vous with the death with a proud look... "As the evening falls, so cold and dark / Ice takes hold of my body, once charming / I get ready for the last act / After all I was just... Mata Hari".

After two years of intense live activity following ''74 giorni'' Conqueror return with a self-released EP entitled ''Sprazzi Di Luce''.This short release, clocking at only 20 minutes, is mostly a musical collaboration between Simona and Sabrina Rigano, regarding the pair of new compositions.

The eponymoys opener is a great soft prog ballad, much in the style of HOSTSONATEN. Sensitive vocals accompanied by melodic flutes, symphonic synths and delicate piano work with background guitars.The following ''...E Mi Manchi Tanto'' is another soft prog ballad, actually a cover of an Alluni Del Sole track, perfectly suited to Conqueror's style. Flutes, piano and crystalline vocals have again the basic role with a nicely combined synth/sax solo by the end.''Semplice'' is more of the same, but the lovely sound leaves you wanting for more and does not get boring even for a minute.Symphonic flute/piano smooth interplays lead the track all the way with Simona Rigano's marvelous vocal chords adding a beautiful emotional color.This EP will close with a live version of ''Pensieri Fragili'' from the band's debut ''Instinto'' and this one is an absolutely great version of the track, fresh, powerful, slightly melancholic and typical of Italian Symph Prog style with some great breaks and plenty of emotional content.

The only reason I dont give this album a solid 4-star rating is its short length.But again all 20 minutes are no less than excellent, melodic and trippy Italian Symphonic Rock.Even this Conqueror EP deserves some strong recommendations...3.5 stars upgraded to 4 for the site.

A couple of years after the very good ''Storie Fuori Dal Tempo'' Conqueror try hard to make an impact to the prog world and they really started to set the seeds.The band moved to on to their third release,for which bassist Daniele Bambino replaced Fabio Ucchino.The new album was titled ''74 giorni'',distributed by Mellow Records.

This is a concept release refering to the number of days two Italian sailors, Ambrogio Fogar and Mauro Mancini, struggled to survive after the wreck of the ship ''Surprise'' back in late- 70's.Musically this is another fantastic work by Conqueror and while the album starts off with a piano-ballad led by the sensational voice of Simona Rigano,it soon will switch into a fascinating modern Symphonic Rock trip,similar to the likes of FINISTERRE and LA MASCHERA DI CERA.The compositions alternates between vocal-based melodic themes and complicated instrumentals with light interplays and a fair amount of adventurous breaks.A great balance between the band members' sees all of their work in the front: Simona Rigano delivers lovely piano passages and grandiose atmospheres through synths,Sabrino Rigano will add the symphonic flavor of flutes and occasionally the charm of her melodic saxes,while guitarist Tino Nastasi prooves to be a major part o the band,offering both melodic and jazzy at times performances.And while the tracks are mainly short,all contain a vast spectrum of changing moods and interplays,however it is impressive how the band manages to keep a steady deep atmosphere throughout the album.

With ''74 giorni'' it is guaranteed that every Conqueror release will contain challenging, intricate and balanced material.Another superb effort by the band,highly recommended to fans of high- quality Symphonic/Progressive Rock,no matter you are fond of Italian lyrics or not.