Sunday 29 May 2016

MYTHS AND DOUBTS

Opificio del Dubbio come from Vicenza and were formed in 2013. Their name can be loosely translated as "doubt factory" and the line up features Riccardo Frigo (vocals), Roberto Faresin (bass), Stefano Rizzato (mandolin, banjo, bouzouki), Luca Menegozzo (electric guitar), Simone Buttarello (drums) and Giacomo Barone (flute). After a still immature Ep released in 2014, D'Istinto, containing seven folk rock songs in a style halfway between I Nomadi and Modena City Ramblers, in 2016 they released a more refined EP that could be of interest for prog lovers. This new work is entitled Epico and features only three tracks inspired by ancient mythology...

Opificio del Dubbio during the recording sessions

The opener "Mi hai dato le ali" (You gave me the wings) starts softly. Delicate notes of flute and acoustic guitar draw a dreamy atmosphere... Then the rhythm takes off for a ride on the wings of myth. This piece was inspired by the story of Daedalus and Icarus and here Riccardo Frigo plays in turn the role of father and son in a dialogue that is a metaphor of a dramatic generational conflict where the wings of wax can be seen as the symbol of a potential freedom that turns into a deceiving illusion...


Next comes the dark, dramatic "Era troppo bello" (He was too beautiful) that was inspired by the myth of Narcissus. Here the vocalist plays the role of the ghost of the unfortunate Aminias who fell in love with the wrong man, Narcissus, a cruel hunter too beautiful to love anyone but himself... Narcissus spurned Aminias and gave him a sword to commit suicide. The vendetta of the gods was terrible: as Narcissus walked by a pool of water and decided to drink some, he saw his reflection, became entranced by it, and killed himself because he could not have his object of desire. Nonetheless, here in Aminias' words there's a touch of pity and no room for hate... "He was too beautiful / He should have lived in the absolute Time / To be admired and loved by anyone...".


The excellent closer "Non ti voltare" (Don't look back) was inspired by the myth of Orpheus and here the vocalist plays in turn the role of Orpheus and Hades in a dramatic, theatrical dialogue. The music is powerful and blends acoustic Celtic folk passages with classical elements and aggressive electric guitar riffs in a very effective way, evoking infernal atmospheres and a desperate ride towards the light in the name of love...

On the whole a very promising work that in my opinion is really worth listening to... I'm looking forward to listen to a full length album!

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