BANCO

This is my first Banco record, I won't compensate for possible lack of importance due to the fact this record consist of songs from other records, re-recorded in English.

Thanks to Erik Neuteboom, who was willing to sell me his old vinyls, I was able to get my first two Italian sympho records, one of them Banco. From the records I got from him, this might the best addition to my progressive collection. Why? I can't think of one record that is so extremely good as this one.

Banco's sound is a hodgepodge of different styels. The symphonic music of Genesis must have had an influence, the piano virtuosity of Keith Emerson seems to appear and the Italian artistic vocal style is something new alongside the original music influences. This brings me to my frist point. Such great vocals, I can't even be bothered by the bad English pronounciation, such devotion, such a great combination of strong rock vocals with classical opera techniques.

The second apparent element of the music seems to be the outstanding keywork. I've never seen this work: an opening with modern senthesizors working perfectly together with classical piano sounds, jazz-elements and bombastic prog melodies. A highlight of progressive music in general however, is middlesection of Metamorphosis with the piano and drums working together (in 6/8 time signature) like never seen before. There are no words to discribe how intelligent this composition is, 11 out of 10. Futhermore the combination of a senthesizor puls and a jazzy chord progression on Outside is also the work of a genious. The style of Gianni Nocenzi (grand piano) and Vittorio Nocenzi (organ, senthesizor) is technically high developed, still especially the grand piano parts are touching my very soul. They never lost 'the music' while noodling.

The drummer of Banco is also an highly professional musician, while the bass and the guitar are not the main attraction here: they are functional, though some guitar solo's are highly rewarding.

The mix of different disciplines on this album is however what makes it a masterpiece. A senthesizor opening track, an up-tempo symphoprogger with opera vocals, a part melodic prog/grand piano epic, another highly rewarding symphoprogger, a gentle song with beautiful arangements and finally a theatric epic with element of Banco combined.

Conclusion. This is almost unbelievable, such quality of music. I'll do anything to get more records of this band! Five stars, but even that seems to be irralevant here. Just get music from Banco! Though I would rather have had their Italian albums, if this is al you can get, get it!

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