BAROCK PROJECT

The song is a tour-de-force with a heavy Celtic influence with festive strings through much of the first half and an impressively smooth movement into a rousing keyboard section in the second half. All in all, a very worthy four star rating. Again, hoping for an album to follow...!!!!

Seven Seas funnily enough opens with the song 'Seven Seas', beginning with only a muted guitar, piano and vocals. It's interesting to see how this song effortlessly develops from very little into a dark, thunderous guitar riff, with the rest of the band joining subtly without you really noticing. That's my take on it, others might disagree, but however it is a song that is enjoyable, emotional, displays excellent musicianship, and all in five minutes - very short for both a prog band and for that amount of good material in it. A good and suitable opener for a great album.

'I Call Your Name' is very much the pop song of the album, but do not be daunted, prog fans! It opens with a capella, somewhat suspiciously characteristic of prog ('Looking for Someone''I've Seen All Good People''Dancing with the Moonlit Knight' to name a few) and classical music (making a point here?). This evolves into a lively guitar-led tune, with the drums, bass and keyboards following. It's energetic, fun, and has odd time signatures and a middle section to make it up to the proggers.

Next, the soft 'Ashes', beginning with a lovely piano ostinato, and fairly soft vocals. This carries on for about two minutes until the whole band comes together and plays a very colourful melody, compromising guitar, drums and bass with very classical piano and strings arrangements. However, that's not it, it then breaks down into a very jazzy piano ostinato, joined by the thunderous as ever guitar, soon evolving into a hard rock riff with vocals - but breaks down again into a (sort of) reprise of the first part. It's another highly musically varied track, something that occurs very often in the prog of today.

The first opus of the album, 'Cold Fog' opens with elegant strings and the omnipresent piano, and from there, I won't ruin it for you. I'd also be here writing for a while. It contains further fantastic musicianship, great tunes and a very nice acoustic section with a guitar solo (as I may have mentioned in another review of mine, always a winner with me.).

After the foggy mistiness of 'Cold Fog', 'A Mirror Trick' ensues ' beginning with an acoustic guitar melody that sounds very much like a certain simple piano piece I know of called 'Allegretto Grazioso' by Cornelius Gurlitt. It is a short, quiet song, led by the lovely classical guitar.

'Hamburg', the longest song, starts off with more acoustic guitar, led by what sounds like an oboe. The drums come in, with a brilliant guitar solo, reminiscent somewhat of Pendragon's Nick Barrett's playing (in my opinion). It breaks down for the first vocals, but soon picks itself up again for a very heavy section lasting until about, I'd say, seven minutes through. Then a very nice piano-dominated section that lasts until the end.

This is probably my favourite songs on the album. It makes a perfect combination of classic neo, the guitar and synths to perfection, and the beautiful baroque piano ' and a balance between complexity and just good tunes.

'Brain Damage', the next song, is not a cover of the Pink Floyd song, but a very original emotional, sentimental ballad of a kind only Barock Project can write - well, until about the middle, that is. A lovely classical guitar begins the nine minute opus, which at about four minutes through becomes electric and the rest of the band joins in with a bang. The heavy guitar is soon accompanied by a spacey synth solo which becomes wilder and wilder until you can't believe that it started out a bit like a neo version of a Simon and Garfunkel song.

Then, 'Chemnitz Girl', also beginning a bit like a neo version of a Simon and Garfunkel song, but unlike 'Brain Damage', stays that way. Not that that is a bad thing, though, in fact quite the contrary - it works wonderfully. 'Chemnitz Girl' is followed up by the heavy 'I Should Have Learned To', that provides a cheerful break from the somewhat melancholic earlier tracks.

'Moving On' follows, heavier still, that is reminiscent of the heavy prog of Porcupine Tree (in my opinion, at least), with an imaginative middle section. What is interesting is that there are virtually no classical elements in 'Moving On' - the entire album, even, seems more rock orientated than perhaps their earlier work. That is my opinion, others may disagree.

The final track, 'The Ones', I will not try and ruin with crude words, and say only it is one of my favourite Barock Project songs and an excellent outro.

So, since I have not said a word against any song I have described here, why have I so cruelly rated it four stars? To help, my personal requirements for a five star album:

1. The songs must all be excellent.

2. It must work brilliantly as an album.

Even then... both of them are satisfied. The thing is, brilliant though this album may be, would I put it above, say, Misplaced Childhood by Marillion? The fact is, no. So, for the fact it simply is not as classic to that level... four stars.

Luca Zabbini is a genius in my book. If you like keyboard driven jazz rock fusion and wish there was a band like Journey or Queen that would break use odd time signatures and/or break into complex jams reminiscent of Return to Forever or Jan Hammer, check this album out!

Here's a 'track-by-track' rundown if you are into this level of detail.

SEVEN SEAS - starts very subtly with a sound reminiscent of the clicking of a fast clock. Composer, arranger, keyboard wizard and acoustic guitarist Luca Zabbini handles lead vocals with specialist Alex Mari providing additional vox in the background. At around 1:15 into the piece, some power begins to make its way into the equation. At around 2:30 an anthemic big chorus is introduced. A grandiose symphonic interlude is followed by a calm verse which sets up a magnificently powerful organ solo at about 3:30. This solo is expressive and well executed. It does not, however, reveal the true extent of Zabbini's mastery of fusion keyboards. That will have to wait until later on in the album!

I CALL YOUR NAME reminds me of old PFM songs like "Celebration". Of course this is a modern production with a more powerful edge in the chorus, but the vocal vibe on the verses (along with the fact that the singer is an Italian singing in English as a 2nd language) is probably what evokes my memories of classic PFM. I particularly like the way this song hinges upon a syncopated guitar riff which makes the 7/8 time signature invitingly intuitive to follow (even to non-proggers IMO). Clocking in at 3:46 and with a catchy groove, this could be a "hit single" in an alternate universe where prog still makes regular appearances on the pop charts.

ASHES - introduces a combination of gently melodic, intricate piano playing, and dramatic vocal styling that will characterize much of the rest of this CD. This song is probably a pretty decent litmus test of whether this CD will be to your liking. It has complex, lush arrangements with very high quality composition and performances throughout. At about the 3:10 an energetic passage features distorted guitar. A couple of monster keyboard solos are added. But by 4:40, it gives way to a gentle - yet majestic - wave of symphonic jazz rock fusion to end the song.

COLD FOG - The mood cools down even further as this song begins with a pastoral symphonic jazz fusion introduction. At about 1:30, bass guitar, drums, and a carefully crafted keyboard sequence adds energy. At 2:00, the chorus adds a bit more energy - even so, everything is still rather gentle with piano and rhythmic keyboards at the forefront. At 2:30, a rock beat finally takes over. The arrangement rarely "sits still". By 3:00 a short vocal section introduces an elegant piano led fusion solo. The bridge carries us to another rock beat explosion for a 30 second chorus before introducing a guitar solo from 4:32 to 4:55 or so. At the 5 minute mark, acoustic guitar accompanies a bridge section which features a lower octave vocal double of the lead singer's line to great effect. The guitar solo at 6:30 boosts an already anthemic bridge progression to more expressive heights. At 7:07, it gives way to a piano interlude accompanied by a lush yet understated symphonic background. At 7:51, everything gets energetically symphonic. The song ends with one more pass at the rock led chorus and a final fusion ending.

A MIRROR TRICK - This gently bouncy song is led by acoustic guitar. It reminds me of some of Gentle Giant's less complex appropriations of Renaissance and medieval musical sensibilities. Symphonic elements come and go throughout. At 3:29, this composition will almost certainly leave fans of this style wishing for more. HAMBURG - Begins with atmospheric sounds of seaguls and the seashore. Acoustic guitar accompanies a symphonic score. Acoustic piano joins without overpowering the symphonic leads. At 11:25, this is the CD's "epic". At 1:25 drums, bass guitar and lead guitar enter to carry the song into elegant jazz rock fusion territory. Fans of Kenso would love this passage I would think. At 2:45, acoustic piano takes over to set the stage for a gently dramatic vocal verse. This seems to me like what the band Queen might have sounded like in the early 70's had they been more symphonic,complex , fusion oriented and progressive. At 4:35, the chorus is still slow and deliberate but larger and louder. At 5:00, a 30 second jazz rock interlude threatens to take the song in a new and more powerful direction yet at 5:30, we dropping right back into the deliberate pace of the large anthemic chorus. At 5:46, a soaring melodic guitar lead is introduced. Then a soaring vocal line joins to match the same line. This melody line is both fresh and yet also intuitively 'listener friendly'. That is quite an interesting combination. The guitar soars in a higher octave as it repeats this same melodic line and then starts improvise from its base. Again, this is great guitar fusion. At 7:18, solo piano resets the tone to gentle yet again. The song returns to the symphonic piano led arrangement which it began with. Everything remains gentle long enough for the anthemic chorus (at around 9:45) to sound full of vigor and powerful yet again. The soaring guitar solo returns briefly. Then quiet solo piano carries us to the same atmospheric 'sounds of the sea' from which we started.

BRAIN DAMAGE - This song also has a very gentle beginning featuring quiet yet dramatic vocals (this time accompanied by solo acoustic guitar). At about 2:20, vocal harmonies contribute a very nice feel. At around 3:05, gently picked electric guitar (on a very clean setting) enters the scene. At around 4:15, rock power enters in a big way almost reminding me of Rush's output in the late 1970's! A monster fusion synth solo follows. I fully understand that some proggers will not want to persevere through all the gentility to finally reach a section like this, but I must admit that the quietude did serve to make this section seem all the more powerful when it finally arrived. It gives way to the gentle proceedings after only 90 seconds. But don't give up on the song. Soon enough, the power returns with a wonderfully syncopated fusion jam. Again, the jamming is not entirely unlike 1970's rush except it features intricately powerful fusion keyboard solos. Fantastic composition and powerful performance. We finally get a big rock ending.

Luca Zabbini plays every instrument (even percussion!) and sings every vocal on the gentle tune CHEMNITZ GIRL. It is also the only song on the album with lyrics penned by Zabbini. Some of his Italian accent belies his English pronunciation but that doesn't bother me. This is a beautiful song.

Luca also sings lead on "I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED TO". The track placement seems wise. This upbeat sing-a-long song doesn't strike me as particularly "prog". On the contrary, it reminds me of a very professionally performed and recorded theme song to an expensive Disney movie. If a listener has "hung in there" to reach track 9 of an 11 track CD, they probably won't abandon everything because of the unexpected shift.

Alex Mari takes back over the microphone to sing on the song MOVING ON which returns us squarely to the genre of progressive rock. This song is exceptional in that the music is co-written by guitarist MARCO MAZZUOCCOLO and drummer MARCO MAZZUOCCOLO. A harder groove and more powerfull riffs abound.

THE ONES - is a pensive, gentle, lushly romantic piano based song which gains some weightiness after the 2 minute mark. At the 3:15 mark, we encounter a passage very reminiscent of "The Great Gig in the Sky" from Pink Floyd's classic "Dark Side of the Moon". It only lasts a little over 30 seconds and - as such - serves as a very nice nod of affection toward a masterwork of yesteryear.

On their debut album entitled Misteriose Voci (2007) Barock Project delivered strong Italian vocals (with a very pleasant emotional undertone), an accessible and melodic sound (loaded with the distinctive Hammond organ) and a tasteful colouring and strong interplay by guitar and keyboards. The more mellow parts with twanging acoustic guitar and good vocals Barock Project reminded me of Angelo Branduardi. In the more symphonic rock interludes with omnipresent vintage keyboards I noticed strong elements of Dutch keyboard driven pride Trace.

These elements we can enjoy even better on the more elaborate and captivating second effort entitled Rebus (featuring guitarist Max Scarcia).

The ten compositions (running time around 70 minutes) are loaded with variation, strong musical ideas and outstanding work on guitar and keyboards. The element rock we can trace in the track Enemy (blended with prog metal and a biting guitar solo) and in some songs in which the rock has strong classical undertones (indeed , Barock rocks!) like Don Giovanni (rock opera vocals, orchestral keyboards and a fiery wah-wah solo) and Duellum featuring a wonderful Minimoog and Hammond sound along a swinging piano solo.

Then the tracks Polvere Di Stelle (fine swinging bass) and Veleno (captivating electric guitar solo with a Spanish flavor) that remind me of Al DiMeola his excellent jazzrock (Elegant Gypsy-era) with exciting interplay, especially the interaction between the guitar and kebyoards is sensational! Next 24-carat symphonic rock (with hints of 76-77 Genesis) in the Corsa Elettronica, Akery (wonderful vintage keyboards sound) and the first part of Veleno (beautiful howling guitar runs).

Finally I would like to mention the musical surprises in Save Your Soul (Jethro Tull-like flute traverse, Minimoog runs like Celebration from PFM and folky piano evoking the Balkan sound) and the PFM-like conclusion of Nostradamus featuring dreamy flute, acoustic guitar and warm English vocals.

I had to get used to the huge variation but in the end I am delighted about this second Barock Project album!

Those who are fond of high quality, modern progressive rock will have taken note of Barock Project already I surmise. If by chance anyone haven't done so, this album showcase just why this is a band that merits and inspection in an excellent manner. If you like your progressive rock to be open, inviting and with a keen focus on melodies and harmonies, without loosing track of being sophisticated on a structural level, "Detachment" is an album with your name written on it.

Live albums can often be a hit or a miss, depending on a number of factors. This one will be more likely to be a hit than many other I have listened to, as it documents the skills of a high quality modern day symphonic progressive rock band that are as good on stage as they are in the studio. And with a long studio track tucked in as a bonus feature, existing fans get a nice little boon for buying this album as well. A live production well worth investigating if well made, symphonic progressive rock is a style of music you tend to enjoy.

1. "Driving Rain" (1:03) piano-based opening could be an opening for an adult contemporary jazz song.

2. "Promises" (5:05) taking the same arpeggiated melody from the opening "introduction" and moving it to a synth bass and speeding it up, the band bursts into a very complex (all instruments working furiously to keep up with the others) symphonic beginning, the song settles into a STYX-like driving rhythm with way more complexity to it. This is truly an amazingly constructed and performed song! The cynical lyric is also quite interesting--what if it's really too late to recover from the damage we've inflicted?! (9.5/10)

3. "Happy to see you" (7:37) slowing the pace down a bit and using some computer-sequenced synth rhythms a la IQ gives the opening of this song a familiar feel to it. The Arabic themes put forth from the synth "violins" gives the instrumental parts of the song a bit of a OFRA HAZA or YOSSI SASSI sound and feel to it. Nice organ, nice hand percussion, nice acoustic guitar play in that dynamic fourth minute. Things then slow down into a PHIL COLLINS-feeling section (gone are the Arabic flavors). Excellent guitar work in that Mellotron-drenched sixth minute. Gorgeous! Then we return to the Middle Eastern themes and sounds for an up-shifted key for the final minute. Nicely constructed song. (9/10)

4. "One day" (7:23) opens with some flashy solo acoustic guitar soloing before strums at the 50 second mark set up a fabric for the joining in of 12-string, keys and singing. A bit ANTHONY PHILLIPS, a bit Eastern European. The amping up with electric guitars and medieval sounding instruments in support at the three minute mark cause me to back away and lose interest. Then, with the start of the fifth minute, we're off to the races (anybody else here the similarities here to the work of THE PSYCHEDELIC ENSEMBLE?). (8.5/10)

5. "Secret therapy" (5:37) way too poppy in a 1980s kind of way for my tastes. Nice, clear sound mix in the very middle. (7/10)

6. "Broken" (feat. Peter Jones) (9:10) bouncy, upbeat, almost-classical feeling piano-based start with Peter Jones' recognizable voice to lead us into a dynamic symphonic section that could have been taken straight from a MARTIN READ-era BIG BIG TRAIN song (an era of BBT that I LOVE--and like much more than this song/sound). (8.5/10)

7. "Old Ghosts" (4:07) opens with eerie reverse synths over which a MARCO GLUHMANN-like voice talk-sings in a low voice. At 0:45 the song shifts into a very Spanish-sounding Spanish guitar-based weave. For the first time, lead vocalist LUCA ZABBINI's English singing voice sounds accented. The song flounders a few times, losing my attention and interest (even through repeated listenings). I get the musical choices that fit with the title/subject, but... (8/10)

8. "Alone" (feat. Peter Jones) (3:14) piano-based story sang by PETER JONES (TIGER MOTH TALES, COLIN TENCH PROJECT) (8.5/10)

9. "Rescue Me" (4:55) muted-strummed electric guitar portends something far more aggressive. Meanwhile, somewhat muted, distant vocal opens the story. When FIXX-like rhythm guitar sets us up into a new section (for the chorus) we're given both CY CURNIN vocal melody and synth sounds. Interesting! Weak keyboard and guitar play in the third minute instrumental section. A disappointment. (7/10)

10. "Twenty years" 6:06 for the first two-and-a-half minutes this is stripped down, fast-picked acoustic guitar story told by Luca with some "strings" in support, but then a different course is chosen: a fast, breakneck paced full-band production with a Gary Richrath/REO Speedwagen-like guitar solo played over the top. Then synth-derived strings do the soloing before the song finishes with a cool section of vocally-harmonized acoustic guitar flourish. (9/10)

11. "Waiting" (5:43) accented voice sings in English over synth arpeggio. DEPECHE MODE/TEARS FOR FEARS programmed drum sound plays in second section. Piano in the third. Chorus section is more rocking but melodies or lyrics aren't very engaging for me. Love the sound of the organ & harpsichord solo at the end of the third minute before Russian piano and accordion duet take over. Nice drumming and synth solo in the next section. Then multiple-voiced choral section takes over--unfortunately, over a synth sound that feels/sounds so 90s. Interesting outro. (7.5/10)

12. "A New tomorrow" (7:39) drums, synth and piano open before very pleasant singing voice and chord and melody choice draws me into this one. Great up to the 1:10 mark when the chorus starts. The second verse uses some really awesome multiple-voiced vocal harmonics (not unlike a Simon and Garfunkle efffort). AT 2:20 things amp up quite a bit with electric guitar power chords and Farfisa-like organ providing an interesting contrast to the previous sections, but also diminishing the song's overall feel to more of the early 1970s URIAH HEEP-kind of sound. Great section of vocals in the fifth minute before everything breaks down to a nice section of piano and bass. Almost JOHN TOUT-like! Then back to the GRAND FUNK/early Wakeman hard rock section. (8/10)

13. "Spies" (7:23) opens with an inviting weave of guitars, bass, drums and nicely-effected PETER MURPHY-like voiced vocal. Very engaging if poppy and more simple in construction and performance demands than previous songs. A break of silence at 3:13 makes one look to see if the song is over, but then a spoken voice comes in over a kind of cabaret piano. Heavier section soon ensues with effected male voice (not Luca?) singing. Then everything drops away again leaving a soft weave of piano, synths, guitars, bass and percussives (both live and computerized). It's very nice. Keeping the title of this song in mind, one can come to grips with all the twists and changes in directions this song takes. The final minute is even, engaging, and sublime. Interesting! (8.5/10)

Mega kudos, Luca! The compositional quality here is often right in the top tier of prog song-making but often falls back into old used and often tired sounds, riffs, and styles. And you have quite a capable and talented group of musicians to draw from and challenge. Still room to grow, Barock Project!

Four stars; a very nice addition to the world of modern progressive rock music, one that I recommend to all prog lovers.

But after hearing Detachment on a prog stream service, I fell head over heels and immediately ordered Barock Project's new album. Now, I listen to Detachment more than Skyline! And, I like Skyline a lot.

Skyline and Detachment are strikingly different albums with all the right things in common such as searing guitar solos provided by Marco Mazzuoccolo's emotion drenched guitar picking and chamber strumming, slightly reminiscent of Marillion's Steve Rothery.

Special kudos to Eric Ombelli / drums, percussion. Ombelli reminds me of a less bombastic John Bonham. Eric Ombelli's percussion and drumming is fun, unique, and offbeat accented with memorable drum fills I find myself waiting in anticipation for.

In the last two years, Luca Zabbini has become my favorite modern keyboardist. Why? Zabbini's Bach flavored compositions are complex yet extremely melodic, hook filled ear candy. If you swooned over the sweeping melodic originality of Bach, Rick Wakeman, and Keith Emerson's keyboard styles you must give Barock Project a listen. Don't worry, Zabbini isn't derivative. Zabbini writes catchy proggy melodies that you can hum and bang your head to. And to my surprise, there isn't a drop off from Pancaldi's vocals to Zabbini's. As an added bonus Pete Jones of Tiger Moth Tails sings lead on two wonderful tunes. One upbeat song and one heartbreaking dirge. In my mind Barock Project/Zabbini's strength is composition. Like Steven Wilson and Big Big Train, Luca Zabbini writes gorgeous songs! Songs you can sing to. Shiver up your backbone songs. It's hard to write complex yet catchy prog.

Ironically, I can share Detachment with my wife as it's her favorite album since IQ's Road of Bones. I'm crossing my fingers Barock Project rereleases their back catalog as they continue to forge forward creating consistently resplendent music. I won't hesitate to jump on the next preorder.