Flower
Flesh come from Savona and were formed in 2005 on the initiative of
Ivan Giribone and Alberto Sgarlato. After some line up changes, in
2010 the band began the recording sessions of their début album,
Duck In The Box, with a line up featuring founder members Ivan
Giribone (bass) and Alberto Sgarlato (keyboards) along with Daniel
Elvstrom (vocals), Marco Olivieri (guitars) and Andrea Fazio (drums).
The result of their efforts is an interesting mix of influences
ranging from The Doors and Quicksilver Messenger Service to Uriah
Heep, from Premiata Forneria Marconi and Le Orme to Kansas and Rush.
The album was finally released in 2012 on the independent label Black
Widow Records and I think it's worth listening to.
The
opener “Falling In Another Dimension” is a short rock piece
veined of psychedelia and full of energy that tries to take you in
another space, far from the daily grind. The following “My Gladness
After Sadness” begins softly, driven by a delicate piano pattern
backed by an acoustic guitar. It's a long, complex track that every
now and again evokes the ghost of the Lizard King and Daniel
Evstrom's hieratic vocals provide here an almost mystic atmosphere.
On an evocative marching beat you can see a woman's body materialize
through a crystal ball... “I'm thirsty, you know / And in your eyes
I can see the sea that I can't drink... The hourglass of Time stands
still / We are a sinking ship / But when everything seems lost / We
become energy of the universe / That's what I dream for us / You have
to know it, my very sweet Mary...”. An excellent track where PFM
meets the Doors. The lyrics are half in Italian and half in English
and I have to say that's a real pity that the band didn't exploit
more their native language.
“It
Will Be the End” evokes a dark night and a light in the distance on
the sea, there's a desert around you where truth and lies dance in
the mist while the music features a slight eighties flavour. Next
comes the psychedelic “God Is Evil (Like The Devil)” that recalls
The Doors. According to the band, the lyrics are about clergymen who
cover with religion their wickedness. The following “The Race Of My
Life” features an exotic flavour and many changes in rhythm and
mood. It's another track featuring lyrics half in Italian and half in
English that draw strange visions taking you beyond Moon and Time to
challenge fire and wind.
“Antarctica”
features a slight a new wave touch and tries to describe the icy
“landscape” that forms in a house when a relationship is falling apart. The last track, the complex “Scream
and Die”, according to an interview with the band, is about the
Soviet war in Afghanistan and quotes some verses by Arab poets from
the book “Versi di fuoco e di sangue”. It's an excellent piece
and a perfect conclusion for this work.
Flower
Flesh: Duck In The Box (2012). Other opinions:
Jerry
Lucky: Flower Flesh are a relatively new band, having started in
2005 and as such they bring an updated sensibility to the world of
Italian prog. Their sound is clearly symphonic, a kind that hearkens
back to an earlier time, primarily in the sound of the instruments
and also in the uncomplicated arrangements. It may take a couple of
listens to pick up what’s going on here, but in the end Duck in a
Box is a very satisfying set of tunes. I’m liking it more and more
each time I put it on... (read the complete review HERE)
Vitaly
Menshikov: The band is obviously not setting out to change the
world of Neo Prog – they simply make their own contribution to the
genre. Nonetheless, those who prioritize rock music more based in
melody than in details will likely find the album a solid success...
(read the complete review HERE).
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