THE LEAF AND THE WING

The beer flows flooded by the song of the cicadas...this is how the new album of the Florentine group RAVEN SAD begins, ten years after the remarkable "Layers of Stratosphere" one of the very best works of RPI of the decade 2010. After this refreshing but energetic opening we get to the heart of the matter with "The Sadness of the Raven" introduced by the acoustic guitar of Samuele SANTANNA, then the piano of Fabrizio TRINCI (the two remaining members of the original line-up of 2008) and we discover with unfeigned pleasure the vocal cords of the new singer Gabriele MARCONCINI, excellent from this title with a remarkable diction of the language of SHAKESPEARE which is not always the case with the transalpine formations not expressing themselves in their mother tongue, a delight of progressive symphonic music from the start of the album, so of course difficult to go higher thereafter (10/10).

Change of scenery with "City Lights And Desert Dark", more rock, more complex, less symphonic, which highlights the rhythm section made up of Marco GERI on bass guitar and Franco CARNESECCHI, two of the newcomers in RAVEN SAD as well as the electric six-string this time by Samuele (in the middle of the title then in the finale), a piece that is less easy to listen to but which I managed to tame after several attempts, well helped by the quality of Gabriele's voice ( 9/10). Let's move on to "Colorbox" the most extensive piece of the work, which begins with a piano/light voice duo, before the intervention of the guitar which will guide the piece towards the heights of what we like so much in this flamboyant rock. progressive Italian, full-blooded symphony in this colorful box, carried by a powerful and lyrical voice which we should talk about again, if only for comparison when we have other records from other formations to analyze ( 10/10).

It's time to calm down, Mr. Chronicler! With "Approaching The Chaos" we remain in the high qualitative spheres except that the title is instrumental, where we hear a little more the keyboards of Fabrizio TRINCI, piano in the lead and twirling moog, it's magical and magnificent to the time (9/10). Second track extended then, with the almost twelve minutes of "Ride The Tempest" of easy translation and what to say that we have not said so far? A softer and more intimate track in its first part, everything is in place, brilliant and energizing music, without false notes, before swooning six-string arabesques, the only solution, buy and listen, those and those who follow, know my severity sometimes, here none of that (9/10).

Finally comes the worst track of the album which does not mean that it is bad, simply the rest is so majestic that... Phew would I be tempted to say and height of irony this "Absolution Trial " is the title that was chosen to present the disc to the media, a little too basic for my taste... (8/10). The second part of "Legends" the concluding instrumental track is simply magical like the vast majority of the album, illuminated by the guitar of Samuele SANTANNA (9/10). There is no doubt that this "leaf" and this "wing" will remain at the top of my pyramid for a bunch of months or more...

To conclude, an essential opinion concerning the vocal range of Gabriele MARCONCINI, you take a shaker and you mix the throats of Bernardo LANZETTI, Alessandro CORVAGLIA and Alessio CALANDRIELLO and you serve hot!!!