tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17032408810865804812024-03-18T19:35:09.427+01:00ITALIAN PROG MAPA journey through the contemporary Italian Progressive Rock sceneandreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.comBlogger569125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-17330103625716286382024-03-17T06:51:00.000+01:002024-03-17T06:51:12.303+01:00A TIMELESS CRUSADE<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Il Cambio della Guardia (the
name means Changing of the Guards) took form in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiano_Romano" target="_blank">Fiano Romano</a>, a town
near Rome, in 2016 on the initiative of composer and lyricist
Alessandro Papili with the aim of playing original compositions
inspired by seventies prog bands such as Banco del Mutuo Soccorso,
Premiata Forneria Marconi or Le Orme. After a good live activity on
the local scene and a painstaking work in the recording studio, in
2023 they self released a very interesting eponymous album with a
line up featuring Samuel Marchionni (vocals), Alessandro Papili
(keyboards, acoustic guitar), Marco Centini (electric and acoustic
guitar), Davide Magalotti (bass) and Angelo Lo Porto (drums) plus the
guest Chicco Martini (vocals). It’s a concept album that, through
the imaginary story of a Crusader knight, tells of the absurdity of
wars fought in the name of God...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLj7HqSfwLtSzYdI8vawXA6jl6y6sm9Y6PApyY73BFtgfoVAsZMwLr25XHz-BaMQ-sj7rd1QPmVf-yCnkmTPV-GLvomW8tgdC626cFbmr8fru6VWRPLKSZelySBASGXtWIIpcPBiG5wldzlAORTL2AZUBD_lc-E-wwXhaNutNGb48GvTvpEAvdXbpE9c/s480/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLj7HqSfwLtSzYdI8vawXA6jl6y6sm9Y6PApyY73BFtgfoVAsZMwLr25XHz-BaMQ-sj7rd1QPmVf-yCnkmTPV-GLvomW8tgdC626cFbmr8fru6VWRPLKSZelySBASGXtWIIpcPBiG5wldzlAORTL2AZUBD_lc-E-wwXhaNutNGb48GvTvpEAvdXbpE9c/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
beautiful instrumental opener “Prologo” sets the atmosphere
alternating frenzied, aggressive parts with the keyboards in the
forefront and calmer, reflective passages. It leads to the dreamy
“C’è un’armata che mi aspetta” (There’s an army waiting
for me) that starts by a delicate acoustic guitar pattern. The music
and lyrics depict the feelings and the expectations of a Crusader
knight who embarks on a ship to join the Christian army in the Holy
Land. The crew raise the sails heading south as the scirocco wind
brings sand and songs from afar. Now the ship sails across the
Mediterranean sea heading for the promised land and new adventures...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Il
crociato - Parte prima” (The crusader - Part One) takes us into the
horrors of war. The music and words evoke borders marked by time and
desperate women and children on the move who leave behind cities and
villages reduced to rubble. Their pace is slow and they have the fear
of the Crusader soldiers in their eyes since the fight is merciless.
However, there’s no way to stop the holy mission, there’s a siege
and the Crusaders break into a fortress through a breach in the wall.
They kill all the infidels inside the castle and the dried blood
forms a kind of red path. It’s a cruel slaughter but the Christian
soldiers trust God’s forgiveness and celebrate their victory under
the sign of the cross...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
epic “Il duello” (The duel) depicts the challenge and the mortal
confrontation between the protagonist and a Muslim knight. It begins
with the confidence of the Christian knight who is longing to kill
his unfaithful adversary, a desecrator of altars who thrives on lies
and hatred. However, as the fight goes on, his perspective changes.
He can see no angels ready to help him and guide his sword nor
virgins waiting to cradle the soul of his enemy in an exotic
paradise. It is simply a man like him, the Christian knight now can
see the fear and the cruel reality with all the atrocity of war. In
the end the Christian knight wins and kills his rival but experiences
a strong sense of mercy and pity. His faith wavers and he feels that
something in him has changed...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NYIkEhkK8xQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="NYIkEhkK8xQ"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
melancholic, reflective ballad “In fondo al mare” (At the bottom
of the sea) evokes the pain and torments of the Christian knight. All
he really wants now is to be buried at the bottom of the sea, with
sand and salt weighing down on him and the sound of waves crashing on
the rocks under the moonlight. Like a leaf carried by the wind that
doesn’t know where to go, now he seeks for the peace of the sea...
</span>
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Gerusalemme
- Parte prima” (Jerusalem - Part One) starts by conjuring up the
images of a battlefield scattered with corpses, broken spears,
blood-stained shields, heads severed from the corpses. The landscape
after the final battle is gloomy, the cost of freeing Jerusalem from
the infidels rule is high and the taste of drinking from the Holy
Grail is bitter. At night, when the emotive storm calms down, the
music and lyrics focus on a camp nearby where the Christian knight
can be seen embracing a beautiful Muslim woman. It’s the beginning
of a very difficult and complicate love story, thwarted by the moral
sense. The absurdity of war reveals another dark side...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
long, complex “Gerusalemme - Parte seconda” (Jerusalem - Part
Two) tries to emphasize in music and words the strong contrast
between deeds and ideals. The cross on the helmet and shield of the
Christian knight recall the purpose of his mission. A crusader like
him does not fight for gold or out of thirst for power but for an
ideal. He offered his faith and his life to God but now, while his
bloody axe is red as the sunset, he can see nothing around him but
men hanging to life without strength in their fingers who loosen
their grip and fall down. “God, what have we done in thy name?” -
Asks the knight. But there’s no answer, he can’t hear the voice
of God...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBHC5Z2nRGYpYir_xBzF_Uw1Kdr0ropIWX4G5sMjQWnRqkEV-OT3W98N5o4mr7RH5IZFmAEvOlt704T_5Tfa_NhOcKeKavJZEy8OsNFxF1FzualmLrqmS_9V8UYWBkXu7bVoa37tZ38-Lr9a-N8bAHjW5GWpajbpssKS1OKHVwDBm96h_uBYDyB4S4Xw/s851/cdg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBHC5Z2nRGYpYir_xBzF_Uw1Kdr0ropIWX4G5sMjQWnRqkEV-OT3W98N5o4mr7RH5IZFmAEvOlt704T_5Tfa_NhOcKeKavJZEy8OsNFxF1FzualmLrqmS_9V8UYWBkXu7bVoa37tZ38-Lr9a-N8bAHjW5GWpajbpssKS1OKHVwDBm96h_uBYDyB4S4Xw/w400-h148/cdg2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cambio della Guardia 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Il
crociato - Parte seconda” (The crusader - Part Two) takes us back
to the present but the view, after all the time that has passed since
the Crusades, is in fact not very different. The music and lyrics
depict a new kind of Crusader knight, without armour and horse. He
wields a machine-gun and for him there are no mysteries. He comes
from New York or maybe from Moscow and he was told that he’s on the
right side. He’s ready to shoot a man fearing that he might be a
terrorist. A voice seems to echo in the air telling him to press the
trigger and kill, then to cross himself so God will save his soul...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
excellent instrumental “Oriente” (Orient) evokes a dark sense of
beauty and with its Mediterranean flavours leads to the last track,
“Il ritorno” (The return), where the rhythm rises to describe a
wild horseback ride toward home, through forests and narrow paths.
The knight is in hurry, behind him he steel feels the ghosts of the
dead chasing him. He wants to know if what he left behind is still
there. At last he throws away his helmet and breathes the air of
home, then the sweet memory of a familiar face appears in the
courtyard of his manor and a smile eases his pain...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, a very interesting debut album that deserves credit.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOLnT3m9g3Q&list=PLTZi32foOvqRi0y_fsnJ6D2IfJjmoeYN5" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cambiodellaguardia/">https://www.facebook.com/cambiodellaguardia/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://linktr.ee/cambiodellaguardiamusic" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/cambiodellaguardiamusic</a> </span> <p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
</div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-65248429035259850142024-03-16T20:32:00.001+01:002024-03-16T20:32:19.905+01:00PROG IN ROME<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8Fi17m9iz_DGL3LxIStKnWdVHZZDhT4Pu_TYyhmH6aQzvq3suh2_UZLXgCFMASqxHgN77NybHoDZvDZ0je1vdkfPnEIMoxe0ZGtcbuqGXcwtNUU1CoWycvmM9zYybZkzPgh9PHgrnPxZN8rzQvEnLDDSLk2VopucAPk1L2p1f_05rs-pjRkPi-a_2iA/s720/locandina%20uovo%20di%20colombo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8Fi17m9iz_DGL3LxIStKnWdVHZZDhT4Pu_TYyhmH6aQzvq3suh2_UZLXgCFMASqxHgN77NybHoDZvDZ0je1vdkfPnEIMoxe0ZGtcbuqGXcwtNUU1CoWycvmM9zYybZkzPgh9PHgrnPxZN8rzQvEnLDDSLk2VopucAPk1L2p1f_05rs-pjRkPi-a_2iA/w448-h640/locandina%20uovo%20di%20colombo.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More info:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1504498916944892/?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/1504498916944892/?ref=newsfeed</a> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnSReH7XBk4PalFh03QdzW-3xSpI_fnu4QR3ItcmuEr6tHStqxtmN_7BGJeUquiH7-NBz8hZPO_z68w7DjGIrn-eL6WMldCU4RKl3YhB2xcvnzNuzO6-3oPjPRhLO9A9HMjCZrCTrSPumcW9MIwG7WWusnFtTM0GOBohyH7THpbAM66OE5-XBLvaMizk/s1132/20240413_MassimoPieretti_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnSReH7XBk4PalFh03QdzW-3xSpI_fnu4QR3ItcmuEr6tHStqxtmN_7BGJeUquiH7-NBz8hZPO_z68w7DjGIrn-eL6WMldCU4RKl3YhB2xcvnzNuzO6-3oPjPRhLO9A9HMjCZrCTrSPumcW9MIwG7WWusnFtTM0GOBohyH7THpbAM66OE5-XBLvaMizk/w453-h640/20240413_MassimoPieretti_2.jpg" width="453" /> </a><br /><br /> More info:<br /><a href="https://www.arciliuto.it/programmazione/concerti/801-massimo-pieretti.html" target="_blank">https://www.arciliuto.it/programmazione/concerti/801-massimo-pieretti.html</a><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-41855160867937004392024-01-20T07:09:00.002+01:002024-01-20T07:09:35.878+01:00BERGHEM PROG FESTIVAL<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJITikCRK_ZoLWLCBq7_ZNZ_Qcmqf_NdHZwADWy1gfMG_7zC8o9RDF-BFz8knzyiMkHfmKnXsbPi8seaOtSC1QjJ2lN959BJVoIVNe8ZbTesrDHXz9f6Iqwt0r_paopv7N4zY8TEKVN_dqsHPJahcI-tLgo1zSj9adH5AeDETDSWVHvNdd-seoZldDrbU/s720/berghem%20prog%20festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="509" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJITikCRK_ZoLWLCBq7_ZNZ_Qcmqf_NdHZwADWy1gfMG_7zC8o9RDF-BFz8knzyiMkHfmKnXsbPi8seaOtSC1QjJ2lN959BJVoIVNe8ZbTesrDHXz9f6Iqwt0r_paopv7N4zY8TEKVN_dqsHPJahcI-tLgo1zSj9adH5AeDETDSWVHvNdd-seoZldDrbU/w452-h640/berghem%20prog%20festival.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-10675050406280678142024-01-08T20:24:00.001+01:002024-01-09T06:59:20.707+01:00HIGH CRIME<div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anonima Sonora came to life in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin" target="_blank">Turin</a> in 2019 with the aim of playing original music inspired by the soundtracks of Italian crime action seventies B-movies (a genre known as <i>poliziottesco</i>), concocting an explosive cocktail of funky and prog in the vein of bands such as Calibro 35, La Batteria, Strato’s, L’Attimo del Dubbio or Apollo Beat. In May 2021 they self-released an interesting eponymous debut EP with a line up featuring Stefano Ruggero (bass), Marco Cerrato (sax), Carlo Peluso (keyboards), Matteo Pagliardi (drums) and Giovanni Peluso (guitar). The art cover gives an idea of the musical content... </span><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYDKqE7wthMVUAQgW3FEum0k3YaJWrBp2v2aYDx-o_yBZGeNluraGNLg8VIZGs26MspYDd3_7oxXWKVH2vlslrg6EnqWxZgTHGDYeGvg28L5-2UfwAWJ55yNpu7z-ZLdsMPH_MjeaFzexx2Xf4Kz77Gph4LlqIeKnaiXwXt6I2JMDkNMLm_o2nMNJ3iU/s700/as1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYDKqE7wthMVUAQgW3FEum0k3YaJWrBp2v2aYDx-o_yBZGeNluraGNLg8VIZGs26MspYDd3_7oxXWKVH2vlslrg6EnqWxZgTHGDYeGvg28L5-2UfwAWJ55yNpu7z-ZLdsMPH_MjeaFzexx2Xf4Kz77Gph4LlqIeKnaiXwXt6I2JMDkNMLm_o2nMNJ3iU/s320/as1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The first track, “Titoli di testa” (Opening credits), starts by a short narrative part, a threatening dialogue between two men that sets the atmosphere. Then the music takes off with a frenzied funky rhythm and a perfect interaction between all the instruments.<i> To leave is to die a little</i>... In fact, the four tracks of this EP include some short quotes taken from their sources of inspiration, short dialogues from films such as <i>Il cittadino si ribella (Street Law)</i>, directed in 1974 by Enzo Castellari, <i>Milano trema, la polizia vuole giustizia (The Violent Professionals)</i>, directed in 1973 by Sergio Martino and <i>Poliziotto solitudine e rabbia (The Rebel)</i>, directed in 1980 by Stelvio Massi, all proudly credited by the band. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">The following “Asfalto” (Asphalt) begins by a keyboard pattern and a nervous rhythm section building up a tense atmosphere. Then the music gives way to a narrative quote describing a hold-up in the street and the consequent police reaction. When music starts again, the rhythm is tight and there are some jazzy passages underlining a car chase and a shooting... <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GsfqnAUPeAw" width="320" youtube-src-id="GsfqnAUPeAw"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Un altro giorno per morire” (Another day to die) starts with a fast pace and pumping bass lines adding adrenaline. This piece has strong jazz rock flavour with the sax in the forefront. In the middle the rhythm calms down and on a dramatic organ background you can hear the hurried footsteps of a fleeing man and those of his pursuer, bursts of machine gun fire and groans of pain. After the murder the rhythm takes off again... <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">“Il cerchio nero” (The black circle) opens with an ominous warning about the risk of hiring a professional hitman who is too stupid, then the music takes you on another ride across a dangerous metropolitan landscape for a kind of safari where you don’t know if you are the hunter or the hunted... <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">On the whole, a very promising debut! <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">You can listen to the complete EP <a href="https://anonimasonora.bandcamp.com/album/anonima-sonora" target="_blank">HERE</a><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> **************** </span><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Tutti i dettagli in cronaca</i>, the second EP by Anonima Sonora, was released in 2024 with a renewed line up featuring Stefano Ruggero (bass), Marco Cerrato (sax), Carlo Peluso (keyboards, percussion, glockenspiel, melodica), Anna Truglio (vocals, samples, percussion), Enrico Beltrame (drums) and Giovanni Peluso (guitar). In particular, the voice of Anna Truglio, used as an instrument and that might recall <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edda_Dell%27Orso" target="_blank">Edda Dell'Orso</a>, expands the musical palette of the band in a significant way. In my opinion, this work marks a step forward for the musicians involved in this project and sounds more personal and mature if compared with the eponymous debut EP. The vocalist took also charge of the graphic part... <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWAEffMt7M3kw54gOqS2orDjhbbaJ697WRUTSDOfximPyTQdA8mExuCTx_kBJ8nIE1JnnB4hvty1nQQClhkvt-UUXYqVYf3D9Qws3YKcCQyi4QzCdskBvPvrhkJYox89p1w3PE9vo1ZS0O4KvzL_XHo-SDuSNKbYWAI4nNqXOMYo0P4JpiV_E60pEHtc/s700/as2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWAEffMt7M3kw54gOqS2orDjhbbaJ697WRUTSDOfximPyTQdA8mExuCTx_kBJ8nIE1JnnB4hvty1nQQClhkvt-UUXYqVYf3D9Qws3YKcCQyi4QzCdskBvPvrhkJYox89p1w3PE9vo1ZS0O4KvzL_XHo-SDuSNKbYWAI4nNqXOMYo0P4JpiV_E60pEHtc/s320/as2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> This time the short film excerpts that the band used to add touches of colour to their music come from <i>Milano violenta (Bloody Payroll)</i>, directed in 1976 by Mario Caiano, <i>La polizia incrimina, la legge assolve (High Crime)</i>, directed in 1973 by Enzo Castellari and <i>La malavita attacca... La polizia risponde! (The Criminals Attack, The Police Respond)</i>, directed in 1977 by Mario Caiano. According to an interview with the band, those grim films are a legacy to be valorised since they convey a certain vision of society and its dynamics and there are many analogies with the present beyond the obvious historical changes. <i>Above all the coexistence of good and evil as opposite points of the same curve, dimensions so close that they almost no longer have boundaries...</i> <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The title track, “Tutti i dettagli in cronaca” (All the details in the crime news), opens the EP and starts by a dark solo organ passage, then there’s a sudden burst of energy and the rhythm rises. Vocals rising wordlessly and frentic instrumental parts lead to the following “Margot (Vedova di mala)” (Margot - crime widow) that opens with a dialogue between a bad girl and a bandit. The atmosphere is calm and dreamy, the man and the woman discuss about their future and the possibility to an existential redemption, leaving for another place where to begin a new life. Echoes of Piazzolla and tangos might suggest that a change is possible but in the middle section you can hear a wild shooting and a desperate, anguished attempt to escape as the music veers in another direction. Maybe the change is not for the better... <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ciikDbozhFE" width="320" youtube-src-id="ciikDbozhFE"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Chi di noi due sono io?” (Which of us am I?) is an excellent jazz rock piece that leads to “Marsiglia” (Marseilles), a track that seems to drive you across the pages of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Izzo" target="_blank">Jean-Claude Izzo</a> novel. It starts by a slow pace and a strong Mediterranean flavour, the mood is dreamy but soon the dreams turn to nightmare with a powerful sax solo and raging drums in the background. You’re not in an exotic paradise and you may have to deal with a violent detective asking questions in a vicious way and without a warrant. In short, violence is what we breathe here... <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">On the whole, a very interesting work that is really worth listening to. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">You can listen to the complete EP <a href="https://anonimasonora.bandcamp.com/album/tutti-i-dettagli-in-cronaca" target="_blank">HERE</a><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">More info: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.blogdellamusica.eu/anonima-sonora-intervista/" target="_blank">https://www.blogdellamusica.eu/anonima-sonora-intervista/</a><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-52305487912157852242024-01-06T20:08:00.008+01:002024-01-06T20:40:58.570+01:00FIRST AND LAST MIRAGE<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Frammenti</i> is the first
(and, for now, the last) album by Mirage, a band active in the early
nineties and based in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genzano_di_Roma" target="_blank">Genzano</a>, a town near Rome. It was released in
1994 on the Mellow Records label with a line up featuring Marco Di
Benedetto (piano, keyboards), Giuseppe Iampieri (piano, synth),
Roberto Cesaroni (bass), Stefano Cupellini (drums) and Walter
Cimoroni (vocals, flute) plus the guests Massimo Frittella (vocals,
backing vocals), Diego Confortini (drums), Paolo Mari (guitar) and
Rodolfo Maltese (guitar). Their style was mainly influenced by bands
such as Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Banco del Mutuo
Soccorso and the other progressive rock masters from the seventies...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVAh4CNrOiVXlnM-7dQjHrO9D_NAv_-yj24ilzqcTZlWtqoDmJ3yYMVMxEkDypktKRFHTlWMM-ZRca3M63wO4QhpNmiBLm5umxCfPkljFGA0af-eyk19JqyuJKnK-VbyiVr7tod4kT7WZkqLi4DiXcHxpAMlXKeMG_jRo0MqRzILRDsAOA15WqaaTsoE/s700/mirage1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVAh4CNrOiVXlnM-7dQjHrO9D_NAv_-yj24ilzqcTZlWtqoDmJ3yYMVMxEkDypktKRFHTlWMM-ZRca3M63wO4QhpNmiBLm5umxCfPkljFGA0af-eyk19JqyuJKnK-VbyiVr7tod4kT7WZkqLi4DiXcHxpAMlXKeMG_jRo0MqRzILRDsAOA15WqaaTsoE/s320/mirage1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
opener “Madre dei pensieri” (Mother of thoughts) might
occasionally recall Jethro Tull and takes you on an inner
journey across dark, cold landscapes. As in a dream, on the raging
waters of an unknown sea, the protagonist longs for a harbour where
he can feel safe and put the pieces of his broken personality
together. Finally he finds the right place and he can listen to some
strange songs during an evening celebration. There he asks the
priestess to shout up his name while she sings his fate...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
dreamy “Prisma” (Prism) evokes a precious gift falling from the
sky, the end of the winter and the return of spring. In the night the
protagonist can already see the light of dawn and, as in a kind of
trance, he can breathe his own thoughts as if they were nothing but
air. Now, outside every form of reality, he feels happy...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
complex “Il suono del tempo” (The sound of time) depicts with
notes and hermetic lyrics the relationship between man and time, the
desire to be reborn after death and the search for the truth behind
useless appearances. As the protagonist unsuccessfully tries to stop
the movement of the golden pendulum that marks the rhythm of life,
infinity gathers his thoughts...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOfERBghjNY" width="320" youtube-src-id="fOfERBghjNY"></iframe></div><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">L’eco
dei sorrisi” (The echo of smiles) opens softly with vocals on a
church like organ background evoking a game of memories, then the
rhythm rises dragging you into a vortex of visions... It leads to the
epic “Il giardino del re giullare” (The garden of the Jester
King) that depicts in music and words a surreal, timeless inner
shelter where you heal your wounded pride and recover your dignity,
shout for your joy and cry for your pains without fear, aware of all
your mistakes and doubts...</span></div><p></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Le
cose del nulla” (The things of nothingness) starts by a short bass
solo and tells about an otherworldly and cathartic experience, a
hypothetical meeting with Cerberus and an infernal journey to find
where the fears and all the things that never arrived are hidden...
Then the dreamy, acoustic “Illusione” (Illusion) ends the album
with an ethereal atmosphere.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, an interesting work that deserves a try.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://mellowlabelproductions.bandcamp.com/album/frammenti" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the band split up keyboardist Giuseppe Iampieri continued his musical
career under the pseudonym of Mistheria turning to metal but he has never
denied his first love for Italian prog. Giuseppe Iampieri a.k.a.
Mistheria: <i>You might not know that, before to begin my career as a
classical/metal soloist and before launching my Vivaldi Metal
Project, I got started with an Italian Prog-Rock band called
"Mirage". The one shot work "Frammenti" is the
album that was released in 1994, the first ever album of my career,
an album for which I wrote five songs out of seven, both music and
words. It's an album that I therefore remember with great affection
even though my musical journey went elsewhere later on</i>... </span>
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.mistheria.com/">https://www.mistheria.com/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-47067162839983411702023-12-31T18:23:00.002+01:002024-03-16T20:38:24.633+01:00FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES<p></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Ambigram came to life some
years ago in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piacenza" target="_blank">Piacenza</a> on the initiative of two experienced musicians
such as Beppe Lombardo and Max Marchini who gathered around them a
kind of super-group to give form to their musical ideas mixing
seventies influences and up to date sounds. In 2021 they finally
released an excellent eponymous debut album on the independent
Ma.Ra.Cash label with a line up featuring Francesco Rapaccioli (lead
and backing vocals), Beppe Lombardo (guitars), Gigi Cavalli Cocchi
(drums, percussion) and Max Marchini (bass) plus the guests Annie
Barbazza (vocals), Max Repetti (piano, keyboards), Marco Rancati
(backing vocals), Paola Folli (vocals), Camillo Mozzoni (oboe) and
Paolo Tofani (guitar). By the way, an ambigram is <span style="font-style: normal;">a</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
word or d</span><span style="font-style: normal;">rawing</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
that retains meaning when viewed from a different direction or
perspective </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and t</span>he
art work by drummer and graphic artist Gigi Cavalli Cocchi gives an
idea of this concept, with the name of the band on the cover that can
be read the same way if viewed upside down...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEVqZSeX75wkS5dRUZQMoh8dZ_LMm9nhTWtOx_iFSGzM8ezyS8Pb84MHrv_gyNZfrPa4Z9hp1vz4cToJLcKJectT4nbVKJUQoHQkXzkR1PZKaOcNOyXUM24_aODPEh7n9pFerHZCf6IdVgcC09Jo39gGQKfBKLpjwI4sGppDE0IGxmOmkA9XhK3MOUSA/s1200/ambi1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEVqZSeX75wkS5dRUZQMoh8dZ_LMm9nhTWtOx_iFSGzM8ezyS8Pb84MHrv_gyNZfrPa4Z9hp1vz4cToJLcKJectT4nbVKJUQoHQkXzkR1PZKaOcNOyXUM24_aODPEh7n9pFerHZCf6IdVgcC09Jo39gGQKfBKLpjwI4sGppDE0IGxmOmkA9XhK3MOUSA/s320/ambi1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
opener “A Mediterranean Tale” starts softly, the atmosphere is
dreamy as the music and lyrics evoke ancient legends and myths
related to the Mediterranean sea under a starry sky. From the images
of Troy to a charming singing of mermaids, the sea seems to bring its
secrets up to the surface and the wind carries them away on the
changing rhythm of the waves...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dreams
turn into nightmare in the following “Cerberus Reise” that
describes in music and words the meeting with an infernal
three-headed beast raising from a concrete rock to angrily rape and
kill. But the protagonist is a poisonous, lethal prey that wields a
sword of light and is ready to fight back the evil creature...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbCQ9_Izq-VKeSFZgOb_-WDohY8SM6RGwdT4rRbc-FzP7wCvhYLq6BlcTkX2ZwLXUSdmWJwewWc8StgyCHxbFOjgU9x5JhxPIHwaj2HcLt19WY2N5l-HT9P8aXLh5XDAKmmp2BhAX1WT_ksTQ1qNgDs3r3i4xkrHrLLjTljCY0HPu_Px2ET4CmptxU1E/s1080/ambi2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbCQ9_Izq-VKeSFZgOb_-WDohY8SM6RGwdT4rRbc-FzP7wCvhYLq6BlcTkX2ZwLXUSdmWJwewWc8StgyCHxbFOjgU9x5JhxPIHwaj2HcLt19WY2N5l-HT9P8aXLh5XDAKmmp2BhAX1WT_ksTQ1qNgDs3r3i4xkrHrLLjTljCY0HPu_Px2ET4CmptxU1E/s320/ambi2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Pig
Tree” starts by an aggressive electric guitar riff, then the music
and lyrics lead you on the frontier between good and bad, where there
are deep, dark waters under your feet and flashes above still clouds.
It might be just a matter of points of views but we live in a world
where money rules and where even Alice gives no pills for free to let
you enter in wonderland, a world that hides many moons and where
many suns shine...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Sailing
Home” every now and again could recall Yes in the first part while
the middle section features the female vocals of the guest Paola
Folli and recalls Pink Floyd. Your destination is still hidden by the
horizon but, as you sail on a calm sea, you can already smell the air
of home and dream of the end of your journey...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AkwuGIau_Rg" width="320" youtube-src-id="AkwuGIau_Rg"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
reflective “Imaginary Daughter” portrays with visionary lyrics
and nervous notes a rebellious girl who follows her wild nature and
dreams of being a mother in a hostile, poisoned world... Then comes
the dramatic “L’absinthe”, a piece dealing with the problem of
alcohol addiction. The protagonist wrongly believes that alcohol can
destroy his nightmares and help him fighting his inner ghosts. The
absinthe sings with voice of a gentle giant lighting the candles of
illusion and bringing lost songs from the sky. But eventually the
protagonist’s soul cries as he’s led away by madness, broken
down...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
introspective “Patchwork” depicts in music and words snowy
landscapes and a frozen lake reflecting your thoughts. In just thirty
seconds you breathe on curved air, it’s a time with no space nor
meaning to create, the moment in which you must begin your personal
search to love... Then it’s the turn of “Pearls Before Swine”,
a short piece about the cruelty of pig killing: did God create a
paradise for them?... A radio edit version of “Cerberus Reise”
ends the album...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, a very interesting work.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ambigram" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ambigram: <i>Ambigram</i> (2021). Other opinions: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kevin Rowland: <i>These guys should be considered crossover in its truest sense as they are mixing together loads of different styles, and while they often are in neo they definitely bring in other elements while never going to the style often associated with Italian bands of huge banks of keyboards. This is a debut prog album well worth discovering, which repays repeated listenings...</i> (read the complete review <a href="http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=2875037" target="_blank">HERE</a>) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ambigramband/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ambigramband/</a> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-18244750923242310922023-12-22T19:12:00.001+01:002023-12-26T20:06:35.518+01:00IN AND OUT OF FOCUS<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Bokeh</i> is a double album
containing the remixed and remastered version of Logos’ eponymous
album<i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">from</span> 1999 and
the remastered version of the following <i>Asrava, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">from</span>
2001. It was released in 2023 on the Andromeda Relix label and
distributed by Pick Up Records. According to the liner notes, this is
a photograph of the early years of the band, when their artistic
identity was still out of focus but their project was full of fresh
energies and enthusiasm. As you can guess from the art cover, the aim
of the band was to look back at their youth and save those memories
from oblivion trying to improve the sound quality of the old tapes
but avoiding re-recording and overdubbing to let the magic of the
moment linger...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVCFlqHUKiUuBh_6HbzW9vvE3gU1Nu4EySak8vAJiWUSXWGp66v-HHqvf8aHLJIp4Wb9p9BMh_Jth7O-yq5puYqzV-11cDJ02iAqkOW5CZzuL4FM6HUpqaRmnzvRHnBxjjf0TZROHxSQQxQLg9z3H4IEtw2GEqVzuz9BGV5_ifpCfl7oZ9Vg_o3XyBx0/s700/bokeh.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVCFlqHUKiUuBh_6HbzW9vvE3gU1Nu4EySak8vAJiWUSXWGp66v-HHqvf8aHLJIp4Wb9p9BMh_Jth7O-yq5puYqzV-11cDJ02iAqkOW5CZzuL4FM6HUpqaRmnzvRHnBxjjf0TZROHxSQQxQLg9z3H4IEtw2GEqVzuz9BGV5_ifpCfl7oZ9Vg_o3XyBx0/s320/bokeh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
eponymous debut album was recorded in the spring of 1998 and
self-released in a few physical copies the following year with an art
cover by Luca Zerman inspired by the style of the painter Giorgio De
Chirico. According to the official website of the band, it was
recorded live in the studio with an old 8-track deck, with all the
members playing together, except for the overdubbing of the voices
and some guitar solos. From a sound quality point of view the result
was very far from perfect, but the band is still very proud of it, in
particular of the long suite “Il grande fiume”, inspired by
Herman Hesse's novel <i>Siddhartha</i> and of “Sentiero nel prato,
porta nell’universo”, which tells of the meeting between a child
and an alien. Given the quality of the sources, the band couldn’t
do miracles but, in my opinion, the result is remarkable...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dbHpeAIPJcE" width="320" youtube-src-id="dbHpeAIPJcE"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Logos’
second album, <i>Asrava,</i> was recorded in Verona between August
2000 and January 2001. The art cover by Luca Zerman tries to describe
the musical and lyrical content, harder and darker if compared with
their previous work. The overall sound quality is better since the
band spent a lot of time in the studio working painstakingly to
properly record all the pieces in a satisfactory way. Originally it
was self-released in a few physical copies and, unfortunately, in
2001 it went under the radar but it’s an excellent work and the new
version offers to possibility to fully appreciating it...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, I think this double CD is an excellent chance to complete
your Italianprog collection with two very interesting albums in a
restored version and a beautiful packaging. It’s a kind of gift the
band made to their fans and I’m happy about it.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Judge
by yourselves, you can listen to the complete album <a href="https://logosprog.bandcamp.com/album/bokeh" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.logosprog.it/" target="_blank">https://www.logosprog.it/</a> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-64685883409324174342023-12-08T10:39:00.004+01:002023-12-08T10:48:44.223+01:00ARRIVAL AND RESTART<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Moto Perpetuo began life in
1996 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallarate" target="_blank">Gallarate</a>, a town in the province of Varese, Lombardia. They
were mainly inspired by artists such as Chuck Corea, Pat Metheney,
Yellowjackests or Weather Report and the name of the band refers to
their ever changing attitude in mixing jazz, rock and classical music
with their own creativity and sensitivity. After many years of live
activity on the local scene and two self released works that went
almost unnoticed, in 2023 they self-released an excellent album
entitled <i>Untitled</i> with a consolidated line up featuring
Alessandro Lualdi (piano, keyboards), Orazio Martino (guitars),
Costantino Corbetta (bass) and Roberto Ragazzo (drums) plus the guest
Matilde Lualdi (violin). According to the band, <i>this is </i><i>a
small point of arrival and restart, </i><i>a</i><i> book with a
question mark on the cover whose content is left to the imagination
of those who will listen to</i>...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4jfRsRhdj9Es_D09l7jNMyEgdeXETc_4zYs2c_jGUDGFBjtbsZal-Qm2xIIDji1z_QrR2Dod6ZP-W5DfSlO299F1RUles-dsb66xrqvAK0-I9G3Mg7-M5KF0H70MkxzQbnC5zhKiOFZIPyAGs103TlB_vcc8Cy0InIKCCt1PQOm1iOipgYsK3YfQ8xg/s700/moto%20perpetuo%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4jfRsRhdj9Es_D09l7jNMyEgdeXETc_4zYs2c_jGUDGFBjtbsZal-Qm2xIIDji1z_QrR2Dod6ZP-W5DfSlO299F1RUles-dsb66xrqvAK0-I9G3Mg7-M5KF0H70MkxzQbnC5zhKiOFZIPyAGs103TlB_vcc8Cy0InIKCCt1PQOm1iOipgYsK3YfQ8xg/s320/moto%20perpetuo%20cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
lively opener “Gasoline” takes you on a ride across American
deserts and open landscapes full of vitality and positive energy
while the following “Clave Surprise” is calmer and darker, with
classical inspired piano passages and dreamy atmospheres preluding to
unexpected changes...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">J.J.
Blues” starts with the electric guitar in the forefront. There are
some excellent organ passages, the rhythm is relaxed and takes you
away, along a blue line for mystic miles... Then it’s the turn of
“Lonely Walk” that, according to the band, would be an ideal
background for a solitary walk to let off some steam...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OYaY40ZlS3Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="OYaY40ZlS3Q"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
delicate “Irish Lullaby” is an excellent piece that features the
guest Matilde Lualdi on violin and was inspired by Irish landscapes,
Mother Nature and the strength of stability of maternal feelings...
Then comes “Operation: Suitcase”, a piece that could describe the
feeling of nervous expectation that you can experience before taking
off for a holiday on a far exotic paradise, when you have just to
focus on the content of your suitcase savouring the sense of freedom
that’s going to come...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Grain”
has the soft, steady step of a pink panther while “Joint Point”
is a lively track whose title evokes a point of union and communion.
Funky rhythms and organ parts that could recall Jimmy Smith... Next
comes “N.B.F.” whose title could be an acronym for Natural Born
Fifteen or, if you prefer, Nervous Breakdown Fever. It’s a track
that, according to the band, was inspired by a wild, odd teenager,
combative and idealistic...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">Untitled”,
the title track ends the album leaving to the listener the task to
set his imagination free to give form to the images that notes
suggest. It begins by a calm piano pattern, then goes through many
changes as to evoke the different scenes of a beautiful dream...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, a very good work that it’s really worth listening to.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://motoperpetuo.bandcamp.com/album/untitled" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />More info:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/motoperpetuoband/">https://www.facebook.com/motoperpetuoband/</a></span> <p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p> </p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-44561284918964850252023-10-23T19:29:00.001+02:002023-10-23T19:36:04.304+02:00A PINK ELEPHANT<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Violet came to life in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nola" target="_blank">Nola</a>, a
small town near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples" target="_blank">Naples</a>, in 1998 on the initiative of some friends in
love with the music of Pink Floyd. After a first work self-released
in 2000, <i>Procrastination</i>, the band members parted ways and
took different career paths. It wasn’t until 2020 that the band
reunited for a new album. It’s entitled <i>A Big Elephant In The
Room</i> and was self-released in 2022 with a line up featuring Fabio
Corsale (vocals, guitars, bass), Mario Cocchiara (keyboards) and
Giulio Cozzuto (vocals, guitars) plus the guests Lucio Fontana
(drums) and Tania Maria Cristall Patruno (backing vocals). The
artwork by Giulio Cozzuto and Alex Stubbe Teglbjærg tries to give
you an idea of the musical and lyrical content...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmYxIKmzuu3MxBpp3WciJVIbpeqaSaHgI5nBOfSpc8Jn704pyEUJT2m_eJFQQRfr9tRs3K_OJWr5jgYFSeI-O_SrmmeMLXkfV-Qgiel4HW4y6ySXy88Oyxt3zgAUbIr7EobKc1MOBtoJgPLJw0QZah2r9nOfmlB9Du21u-aJdfnHzzATkIxnZ7MWQDKU/s700/vlt%20cov.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmYxIKmzuu3MxBpp3WciJVIbpeqaSaHgI5nBOfSpc8Jn704pyEUJT2m_eJFQQRfr9tRs3K_OJWr5jgYFSeI-O_SrmmeMLXkfV-Qgiel4HW4y6ySXy88Oyxt3zgAUbIr7EobKc1MOBtoJgPLJw0QZah2r9nOfmlB9Du21u-aJdfnHzzATkIxnZ7MWQDKU/w320-h320/vlt%20cov.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
influence of Pink Floyd is apparent from the very first notes of the
short opener “Burlesque”, an atmospheric piece where you can even
hear the voice of Vera Lynn in the background and that introduces the
subject matter by evoking hordes of mutants disguised as human beings
that are walking in the streets of our cities... Then the rhythm
rises and comes the disquieting “In The Garden Of Elah” that
conjures up distant memories, regrets, virtual reality and troubling
dreams. You run like hell in a garden full of strange and bizarre
things, one of your arms is rather weird and you have a metal hand
that works for you...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3-N79JKgkigVU1fRkIKFHz_uyCGmVKgLpZbTVJ1Qf4m6_KlcDunsJlD24e0xhi0I971KVJXH-5krU4iawKpfJ8biiPxVPWngRS-J6DTWRZsS8AooLbW5CbK6OtPudRARrEZCQP7MhnoeLMh40EjAmwBn2Td91FNgmUeglxdDn-6Fze0kkrNzFCcjQnc/s895/vlt%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="895" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3-N79JKgkigVU1fRkIKFHz_uyCGmVKgLpZbTVJ1Qf4m6_KlcDunsJlD24e0xhi0I971KVJXH-5krU4iawKpfJ8biiPxVPWngRS-J6DTWRZsS8AooLbW5CbK6OtPudRARrEZCQP7MhnoeLMh40EjAmwBn2Td91FNgmUeglxdDn-6Fze0kkrNzFCcjQnc/w400-h135/vlt%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet, 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
short, reflective interlude “Moments” and the following “Sunrise”
depict the reasons behind the need to take out from the drawer your
forgotten dreams. Poems and songs waiting for a new chance are like
blossoms waiting to bloom... Next comes “Children” that depicts
the relationship between parents and children as time passes by, the
need to follow your dreams and to paint life in bright colours
blotting out the darkness of a weary world... Then “Hush” ends
the first part of the album with the image of a reassuring mother
lending her hand to a child...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MiQpDc6eUpo" width="320" youtube-src-id="MiQpDc6eUpo"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
melancholic ballad “On The Brighton Pier” opens the second part
with a comfortable numb feeling and a sense of confusion and loss
that leads to the surreal, tense atmosphere of “Darling, Where Did
You Put My Sunglasses For Nuclear Sunsets?”... Then “Witches In
Heaven” blows away the shadows inviting to leave behind the valley
of tears where you were stuck and mark a new start for a brighter
future... “Only A Bridge Of Pain” ends the album bringing a
lighter mood, hopes and <i>words blooming in a puff of sand</i>... </span>
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, a nice work the deserves a try.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://violet2020.bandcamp.com/album/a-big-elephant-in-the-room-full-album-with-violets-cut-sides-a-b" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />More info:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/violetnola">https://www.facebook.com/violetnola</a></span> <p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
</div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-29852262319966624542023-10-20T18:34:00.001+02:002023-10-20T19:24:19.209+02:00A SHORT VISIT TO ONEIRA<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A Maze Of Mist And Waves</i> is an EP by Il Fedelissimo Bracco Branco that was self-released in 2023 with a consolidated line up featuring Federico Panighel (keyboards), Stefano Crovato (guitar), Loris Ceccato (bass) and Guido Morossi (drums). After the excellent debut album, <i>Appunti di navigazione</i> (2017), the band from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motta_di_Livenza" target="_blank">Motta di Livenza</a> focused on the composition of a long instrumental suite showcasing all their musicianship and creativity. In my opinion, the result of their efforts is just a tasteful appetizer for their next full length album where I hope that they won’t totally drop vocal parts and Italian lyrics... <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx62Ndt4Ut2Z_mXFMPcm40jbyyCjCLM-gngP41_HJTi5XEiXPPdEOxhrnGBP5YfMlS9vs2HLVPT3DLUG05JIAS_nerBjhOK9DnMqRzmG9TJD1nhMiu89g1lAtpKCWQjB9t78_14Xb4TaeV4i1OFzmUd8SQ4uW-8ZwE76xVU4zI-Ct_VSSBzzXSKSbsZQA/s700/a3734998853_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx62Ndt4Ut2Z_mXFMPcm40jbyyCjCLM-gngP41_HJTi5XEiXPPdEOxhrnGBP5YfMlS9vs2HLVPT3DLUG05JIAS_nerBjhOK9DnMqRzmG9TJD1nhMiu89g1lAtpKCWQjB9t78_14Xb4TaeV4i1OFzmUd8SQ4uW-8ZwE76xVU4zI-Ct_VSSBzzXSKSbsZQA/s320/a3734998853_16.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />This long, complex piece is divided into four parts for a total length of more than seventeen minutes and, according to the band, the photograph by Roberto Giorgini chosen for the art cover perfectly represents the emotional landscape they tried to convey with their music... <i>It is an abyss, an eternal night where immense purple and blue nebulae float in the distance. Sometimes, we think we can glimpse pieces of landscapes, settings whose tortured perspectives disturb the eye and provoke a slight feeling of vertigo. Idyllic towns, strange castles, desolate moors, tormented forests, endless shores, torn mountains, subterranean regions full of mysterious echoes appear. But these visions, as if borrowed from the imagination of a drunkard or a madman, remain rare and fleeting. There is only a big void otherwise, an infinity without law or time offered to all possibilities, a void that is waiting to be crossed, inhabited, shaped by the dreams of the living, their memories, their hauntings and their hopes. Such is Oneira, the Third World, that of dreams and nightmares...</i> (quote from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Pevel" target="_blank">Pierre Pevel</a>, <i>Le Paris des merveilles</i>). Well, Oneira, I think it’s exactly the place to where this strange maze of mist and waves elaborated by the band could lead... <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4X8kFzGBPic" width="320" youtube-src-id="4X8kFzGBPic"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The first part, “Exodus”, starts softly. The pace is slow, the atmosphere is dreamy. Then electric guitar and piano alternate moments of calm and tension leading progressively to a dramatic storm of sounds. The calm is restored in the second part, “Revelation”, where organ chords bring a mystic touch before another emotional explosion and a pulsing ride that leads to the third part, “Contact”, and to a spacey passage with a strong sense of expectation. It precedes a calm and solemn section with a romantic piano pattern, then last part, “Synthesis”, closes the circle leaving you still wandering in the land of dreams and nightmares and wanting for more... <br /><br />On the whole, a beautiful piece that is really worth listening to. <br /><br />You can listen to the complete EP <a href="https://ilfedelissimobraccobranco.bandcamp.com/album/a-maze-of-mist-and-waves" target="_blank">HERE</a> <br /><br />More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ilfedelissimobraccobrancomusic/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ilfedelissimobraccobrancomusic/</a> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div> <br /> andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-10355817448163291292023-10-19T17:05:00.004+02:002023-10-19T17:05:43.072+02:00THE MASK OF DELIRIUM<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>L’era della menzogna</i> is the second studio album by Delirium I.P.G. after their come back in 2003 and it’s the mature work of a band that’s still alive and kicking and full of vitality despite the personnel changes. It was released in 2015 on the independent Black Widow Records label with a renewed line up featuring Ettore Vigo (keyboards, backing vocals), Martin Grice (saxophones, flute, backing vocals), Fabio Chighini (bass, ukulele, backing vocals), Alessandro Corvaglia (lead vocals - best known for his work with La Maschera di Cera), Michele Cusato (guitar) and Alfredo Vandresi (drums, percussion, synth) plus some guests such as Roberto Solinas (acoustic guitar), Andrea Anzaldi (acoustic guitar), Fiorella Zito (triangle, backing vocals), Serena Vandresi (backing vocals), Adriana Rombolò (backing vocals) and Alice Vigo (vocals). Delirum’s historic collaborator Mauro La Luce took charge of the lyrics, all dealing with the contemporary climate of social and political decay, while the artwork by Silvana Zago gives a visual form to the musical and lyrical content... <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Pzbga5ZV69Q7xmnWQX9-4ooAHLUEPHKYYBs_wHMP4bAokibHXNBJjve9LGgAQwZZxthvjTWVn9zsmJWHdsGAdDdbJE_iha29gR34Y7P1fKQc_NMlhl6jt_2X62S6VmxNvbtJMpGABfGdP7jA1282TK01_warMjGwZiPPI5_A2KkOslAxZlJSBEQ4-a0/s225/dl1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Pzbga5ZV69Q7xmnWQX9-4ooAHLUEPHKYYBs_wHMP4bAokibHXNBJjve9LGgAQwZZxthvjTWVn9zsmJWHdsGAdDdbJE_iha29gR34Y7P1fKQc_NMlhl6jt_2X62S6VmxNvbtJMpGABfGdP7jA1282TK01_warMjGwZiPPI5_A2KkOslAxZlJSBEQ4-a0/w320-h320/dl1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> The threatening opener “L’inganno del potere” (The deception of power) tries to depict in music and words the revolutionary rage of people full of hope, projects and fiery ideas that try to change the world. They’re ready to throw stones and break windows, they’re ready to take off for a metaphoric flight in the wind. After a calm, reflective middle section comes a sarcastic rant against the men of power so able to play their dirty tricks making vain promises and reassuring speeches drawing on old formulas to maintain the status quo... <br /><br /> The reflective “Il nodo” (The knot) evokes the incertitude of a present where you risk to feel always out of place, with a slipknot on your neck. It’s a slipknot that you have to untie with the help of someone who can still think independently, speak up and stand out from the crowd. You have to believe in yourself and in your dreams to find the courage and boldness to imagine a better future and try to make your dreams come true... <br /><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M1pC3FqZkpQHBSp2QVR-YMCpY5kX_uqQc9kwU2OALysQkH2nmJhnI3QbDkoumKV6vT4ATr0cJnGaOYMI7HXGqvqUZ75q6cKOZO_GUinbqw-BuUHDQ-R7aWgDuXTaISubumqyWQiMsM_xhQrLLj_IsrymIL9BZMeibpt9hb8phtPCB3Amo3vJhSc4_kc/s1600/dl3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M1pC3FqZkpQHBSp2QVR-YMCpY5kX_uqQc9kwU2OALysQkH2nmJhnI3QbDkoumKV6vT4ATr0cJnGaOYMI7HXGqvqUZ75q6cKOZO_GUinbqw-BuUHDQ-R7aWgDuXTaISubumqyWQiMsM_xhQrLLj_IsrymIL9BZMeibpt9hb8phtPCB3Amo3vJhSc4_kc/w400-h203/dl3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delirium, 2015<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> “L’angelo del fango” (The angel of the mud) is a melodic ballad full of hope. The music and lyrics evoke the image of someone emerging from the mud in the East, like a king. Around you there’s nothing but rain, wind and mud but with him everything can change, he’s an angel that can free us from false myths and cowardice and let us live in a better world without suffering unwanted choices... <br /><br /> “Fuorilegge” (Outlaw) is a lively, ironic piece that every now and again could recall PFM with Fabrizio De Andrè. The music and lyrics give voice to a man who’s fed up with an incompetent, dishonest political class that leaves him with only one right: to starve! Anyone who opposes the men of power or feels outraged by their behaviour is labelled mad or outlaw but the rage is growing and sooner or later it will overthrow the ruling scoundrels... <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i0gFxfdUUOU" width="320" youtube-src-id="i0gFxfdUUOU"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> The dreamy, evocative instrumental “La deriva” (The drift) leads to the title track, “L’era della menzogna” (The era of lies), that expresses the sense of confusion and distraughtness of men who can’t distinguish the true from the false any more, surrounded by occult persuaders and sneaky influencers who steal, eat and soil the world with their lies and fake news. The only hope is rally and fight together for values such as dignity and loyalty... <br /><br /> “La voce dell’anima” (The voice of the soul) is a beautiful song that every now and again might recall a Delirum’s single from the early seventies entitled Jesahel. The music and words invite you to heed the call of your soul to understand the world and give a sense to life. Man has everything he needs inside himself but because of boredom or pain he just doesn’t listen to the inner voice screaming inside his heart. The protagonist of the song wants his voice back to shout and freely express himself... <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfD5OHYZ3jYyKzSeRXf35iSDqOKOok9XyimfWMhyzB7KOdM6H6FGXlH_xsgglWwwf0O2tbMZlEZM1nJ79Mh7Qmneia-Jt92jGa-WHTOdoKCGPjom3sgbDGYvCTdV0-8Cg6fy71GTC9eGwz_Qf4WowSQIMVO-414wkAK4HDCrGDD3Y1Y6I8S80dfILtuI/s454/dl2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="454" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfD5OHYZ3jYyKzSeRXf35iSDqOKOok9XyimfWMhyzB7KOdM6H6FGXlH_xsgglWwwf0O2tbMZlEZM1nJ79Mh7Qmneia-Jt92jGa-WHTOdoKCGPjom3sgbDGYvCTdV0-8Cg6fy71GTC9eGwz_Qf4WowSQIMVO-414wkAK4HDCrGDD3Y1Y6I8S80dfILtuI/w400-h200/dl2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> The apocalyptic “Basta” (That’s enough) is another sarcastic piece that deals with a sense of saturation and bewilderment, loss and suffocated rage. The protagonist is disgusted by the behaviour of a hypnotized crowd blindly following the rites of their corrupted leaders. Dark shadows and bad omens loom large on the time to come... <br /><br /> The long, complex “Il castello del Mago Merlino” (The castle of Merlin the wizard) starts softly, then goes through many changes in rhythm and atmosphere. The music and lyrics evoke the need of a shelter from the evil you can find in the world and from the fear of the future, a shield to protect your dreams. Maybe it’s just an illusion, the sap of your dreams. Nonetheless, if you look deep into your heart you’ll find a burning fire and all your fears will vanish. What you are looking for is a comfortable place where everything seems to come to life again, where time stands still and your soul can find peace and freedom, an enchanted castle where you can feel safe... <br /><br /> On the whole, an excellent work and a must have for every Italianprog fan. <br /><br /> You can listen to the complete album <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mn7CUOiz5s&list=OLAK5uy_nkLbZD0yE22FdMhb47ryBFCgjzLJv943k" target="_blank">HERE</a> <br /><br /> Delirium: <i>L’era della menzogna</i> (2015). Other opinions: <br /> Matti Pajuniemi: <i>For the most puristic, vintage-flavouring proggers this music may feel too 'new' and over-produced, but it certainly has an enjoyable energy and sonic richness to rival the prog's halcyon days. The compositions have enough variety too. The proggy highlight is undoubtedly the 11½-minute final epic 'Il Castello del Mago Merlino'. Wow!! Strongly recommended to all prog listeners, not only to RPI specialists...</i> (read the complete review <a href="http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=1458899" target="_blank">HERE</a>) <br /><br />More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063910472003&locale=it_IT" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063910472003&locale=it_IT</a> <br /></span><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div> andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-66827559803825922172023-10-18T06:53:00.004+02:002023-10-18T06:54:16.563+02:00MORE PROG NIGHTS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkFGW-sj1T4IwlAGf61I6RFiKNfAMQkYrAwfeF0lSH6f1GoD7SjO-DDY9kPU8Dtku1ykk-hvXnUW0UbitdZwZirXPd6kAlYGL64-thMc-7phA_8_hAsYc-oIOTCY8449_bT6qGoZ_aKPW_y3B_FUpMWP422kYH0oiEp6ienJFJy85LkAx2TmD8C6_dIg/s1080/bologna%20prog%20legacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1080" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkFGW-sj1T4IwlAGf61I6RFiKNfAMQkYrAwfeF0lSH6f1GoD7SjO-DDY9kPU8Dtku1ykk-hvXnUW0UbitdZwZirXPd6kAlYGL64-thMc-7phA_8_hAsYc-oIOTCY8449_bT6qGoZ_aKPW_y3B_FUpMWP422kYH0oiEp6ienJFJy85LkAx2TmD8C6_dIg/w400-h209/bologna%20prog%20legacy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">More info: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alchemicaclub" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/alchemicaclub</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKj1W9R1MnK7yKowSznoC2Ey-EdkRmTR4MeyhtiWAxlJi8HQ5RIc5_WfBhIhNkPqgyjQF5Gw7nfqOuqon8i-F93hc3l5Vgso0dz1PuGbLSUc_OeOF6sy5j2TjUVO_jhMfOlYuuM1l9hgYULbQ5VlOwxktCVy_plfOrc_qXkEscOmunNHO8fsuKoE9Q-8/s526/syra%20prog%20fest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="526" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKj1W9R1MnK7yKowSznoC2Ey-EdkRmTR4MeyhtiWAxlJi8HQ5RIc5_WfBhIhNkPqgyjQF5Gw7nfqOuqon8i-F93hc3l5Vgso0dz1PuGbLSUc_OeOF6sy5j2TjUVO_jhMfOlYuuM1l9hgYULbQ5VlOwxktCVy_plfOrc_qXkEscOmunNHO8fsuKoE9Q-8/w400-h209/syra%20prog%20fest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">More info: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1703694300132868?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/1703694300132868?ref=newsfeed</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-566199441565902582023-10-17T07:09:00.001+02:002023-10-17T07:11:36.046+02:00ROOTS AND THORNS<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Spine</i> (Thorns) is the second full length album by Sicilian band ArcaMiri and it was self-released in 2022 with a confirmed line up featuring Vincenzo Arisco (drums), Peppe Capodieci (bass), Simona Minniti (vocals, synthesizers) and Ivan Ricciardi (piano, synthesizers). It’s the work of a mature band that confirms all the good qualities of their previous compositions with its tasty brew of classical influences, avant-garde, jazz and progressive rock in the vein of artists such as Opus Avantra. As you can guess from the art cover that seems to invite you to look under the appearances and search for the roots of things, this work needs an attentive listening to be completely appreciated...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMxaiwQ6PF9ukAe1BcjIE2eCcU6ERfIDfTgRYs4Zte2yKp2Ty5Bg6TOyAZ6-YSvILyiDVuHcECgSldV3BeepNVhFL6RITD-Yvfoku6lFf-SQ4dcPBx5HMjFNhKvtN02KPmXz84QnKiqSUVnxGS_0pQtaaJ_gjQssL1g_ynvDhwzUgM4xRbpyKUw75MMg/s700/spine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMxaiwQ6PF9ukAe1BcjIE2eCcU6ERfIDfTgRYs4Zte2yKp2Ty5Bg6TOyAZ6-YSvILyiDVuHcECgSldV3BeepNVhFL6RITD-Yvfoku6lFf-SQ4dcPBx5HMjFNhKvtN02KPmXz84QnKiqSUVnxGS_0pQtaaJ_gjQssL1g_ynvDhwzUgM4xRbpyKUw75MMg/w320-h320/spine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The title of the beautiful opener, “Sumi-e”, refers to a Japanese term that indicates one of the art forms in which subjects are painted with black ink in all possible gradations. This way of painting was introduced into Japan by Zen monks and tries to express reality by reducing it to its pure, bare form: you have to learn to capture the essence in order to get to the heart of reality as it is. The piece starts with a dark, almost threatening atmosphere, then veers to jazzy territories and goes on through many changes of mood as the music and lyrics conjure up a thin white canvas against a wall of blossoming cherry trees and inks that can capture and transform images and feelings. The paper can’t be a prison for past stories, promises or vows as the hand of the painter tries, digs, drives and let the brush find forgiveness and truth... </span><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Differenze” (Differences) portrays in music and words a fifteen year old girl called Giada who seems alienated from the world around her. With dull eyes she imagines the warm desert after sunset. She follows the wind and stops the sounds with liquid innocence, alone on the gates of darkness. Nobody can understand her, she’s different and her presence is a bit disquieting...</span></div><p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/20wwG-RQLOE" width="320" youtube-src-id="20wwG-RQLOE"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The introspective “Es” (Id) sets a mysterious atmosphere and deals with hidden instincts and desires that are very hard to put under control. In the ego psychology model of the psyche, the id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual desires and emotional impulses present at birth, the source of bodily needs and wants. Here the music and lyrics depict the strain of the protagonist trying to tame her instincts and hide her claws facing the moon, like a lycanthrope who struggles to remain human and gets lost heeding the call of the prey... </span><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The jazzy, ethereal “Polvere” (Dust) tells in notes and hermetic verses of the suggestive call of a strange entity covered by the dust of time coming to life. Now it’s waiting for you, naked and empty, it invites you to taste its skeleton and skin, to touch its stem and thorns while a veil of dust dries its tears and blots out the world... <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “In viaggio” (Travelling) describes in a poignant poetical way the night before the departure of a migrant who is going to leave his family. At dusk you can see the light of a bonfire on the coast. A gust of wind stirs leaves and embers, then takes up ancient voices running after new moons. At dawn a ship set sails leaving behind women, children, homes and roots...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h85A1UAsVlWz3yduVpgrMAx-kdon0OgVEhRQizV7jtSejUN3mRnq1dcEJ1dvf0ogDI9GupXjJQBbuNTvyg-tr-NxcbPk4Lw-GyNtwP8nkpIH-YGoPblJLxmf86sjcDV9ptU8U5GskM9PUnKlDhpI-DI87AWvYi11UvjJ0n6tHPaYkTdVkgdzY89Vzac/s960/arcamiri.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h85A1UAsVlWz3yduVpgrMAx-kdon0OgVEhRQizV7jtSejUN3mRnq1dcEJ1dvf0ogDI9GupXjJQBbuNTvyg-tr-NxcbPk4Lw-GyNtwP8nkpIH-YGoPblJLxmf86sjcDV9ptU8U5GskM9PUnKlDhpI-DI87AWvYi11UvjJ0n6tHPaYkTdVkgdzY89Vzac/s320/arcamiri.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ArcaMiri, 2021<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"></span>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The spectral “D’autunno” (In Autumn) is a dark, Gothic piece evoking the voice of a ghost. A woman dies and steals the light from the sun. She tells she’s seen everything and now she knows what’s hidden behind the dark and what the infinite conceals but she’s dying anyhow. She says she’s understood everything but the smell of freshly cut grass in the air recalls her death and a fading Autumn time... </span><br /></div><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The title of the last track, the complex “Meccano”, refers to a line of toys created in 1898 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hornby" target="_blank">Frank Hornby</a> in Liverpool, England. It’s a model construction system that enables the building of working models and mechanical devices. Here the Meccano is used as a metaphor to evoke childhood dreams and innocent memories in a game of lights and shadows. Happy children play noisily together, oblivious of the world but as you grow up the innocence melts and now you look at them with a strong sense of envy and nostalgia...</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">On the whole, an excellent work full of poetry and rich in nuances. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">You can listen to the complete album <a href="https://arcamiri.bandcamp.com/album/spine" target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/arcamiri/">https://www.facebook.com/arcamiri/</a></span> </p><p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-74141367168310166302023-10-15T15:25:00.007+02:002023-10-15T16:39:03.651+02:00SUNDANCES AND HYMNS TO THE NIGHT<div><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Tra luce e ombra</i> (Between light and shadow) is the second album by Salentine band I Viaggi di Madeleine and was released in 2023 on the MP Records label with a line up featuring Francesco Carella (vocals, keyboards, synth bass, piano Rhodes, acoustic guitar) and Giuseppe Quarta (drums) plus the guests Marco Ancona (electric guitar), Francesco Del Prete (violin), Roberto Gagliardi (sax), Pietro Sansonetti (electric guitar), Richard Sinclair (vocals, bass) and Santi Spanna (narrative vocals). It confirms all the good qualities of their debut work with a sound drawing from seventies influences and a personal, strong emotional touch. The original art cover chosen to convey the idea of the musical content of this work was provided by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551865297935&locale=th_TH">OndemediE</a> graphic studio...</span><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKYrh3392i9nY3v9SxXwNGO5WQY7rzxJa7Hg7XhG1phyzdJxRUfvbIXFQuDNIIIVGrSjTLPeYhyX4zRjZRnHlv2zOr8qZ5TFscWV4lMJqR-cAcmp_wzMwtbDaKUrXyHs89uCQ0nbiJUvoOCJKMzrgNxDLrLxzPSo4rNfihXVm6M9n3OQIFj1jxHTzQms/s300/vdm.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKYrh3392i9nY3v9SxXwNGO5WQY7rzxJa7Hg7XhG1phyzdJxRUfvbIXFQuDNIIIVGrSjTLPeYhyX4zRjZRnHlv2zOr8qZ5TFscWV4lMJqR-cAcmp_wzMwtbDaKUrXyHs89uCQ0nbiJUvoOCJKMzrgNxDLrLxzPSo4rNfihXVm6M9n3OQIFj1jxHTzQms/w320-h320/vdm.jpg" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The excellent opener “Migrazioni” (Migrations) is an instrumental piece that, according to the liner notes, depicts the perpetual motion of the universe. The pulsing rhythm and the hypnotic keyboards waves try to evoke migrations of people and animals, the continuous movement of waters, winds and earth, the changing of the seasons and the migration of souls and other spiritual forces from one form of life to another...<br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> “Frequenze solari” (Solar frequencies) is a lively celebration of the power of sunlight that mixes blues with tarantella and every now and again could recall PFM. The music and lyrics conjure up a lay prayer, an invocation to the light and a kind a sun dance that makes you take off and fly on solar frequencies... </span><br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PyvHiGbUv7E" width="320" youtube-src-id="PyvHiGbUv7E"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Poker” is another good piece where wordless vocals duet and interact with the other instruments in a funny, swinging way. This piece features the contribute of the guest Richard Sinclair, former bassist and vocalist of bands such as Caravan and Hatfield And The North, who now lives in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martina_Franca">Martina Franca</a>, Apulia...<br /><br />Then the nightmarish “Bronx” describes in music and words the feelings of anguish and fear that experiences a man walking in the middle of the night in the streets of a dangerous neighbourhood. He goes on corner after corner, block after block, as if he were crossing rivers of rubbish and mud while crazy jackals chase after him in a world gone wrong where greediness, vanity and madness reign...<br /><br />“L’ultima battaglia” (The last battle) is an epic instrumental track that, according to the liner notes, depicts the different stages of a timeless battle: the ritual before the clash between the two opposite armies, the attack, the battlefield scattered with the corpses of dead soldiers, the charge of the knights and a final ambush...</span><br /></div> <br /> <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb_39ypcIr0Z2_yfAaoPbbVRv-RcRnFMneA3Vdjts7evoRYQrbbxzHjXlw_2iS0IBg5KlrzdENIlYLRB2qVdI5Q0pORz3hK6y3oQmeTpaYg7Z3SW9q9f5fkusB7ErG03CfQFWFKVQKaceLS-b3_nTjx9Qr78BK9hezXWDlu3UlYkbF-kx2DzBoAkyGfw/s1734/VDM2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb_39ypcIr0Z2_yfAaoPbbVRv-RcRnFMneA3Vdjts7evoRYQrbbxzHjXlw_2iS0IBg5KlrzdENIlYLRB2qVdI5Q0pORz3hK6y3oQmeTpaYg7Z3SW9q9f5fkusB7ErG03CfQFWFKVQKaceLS-b3_nTjx9Qr78BK9hezXWDlu3UlYkbF-kx2DzBoAkyGfw/s320/VDM2.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I Viaggi di Madeleine with Richard Sinclair, 2022<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The slow, mysterious “Androgino” (Androgynous) evokes in music and words an undefined presence breaking through the veil of moral sense, crossing the limit between male and female, a joyful and coloured fantasy carried towards other worlds in the darkness, a suffering entity shaken by a storm of different forces. A blurred image of free love that comes to life from the pure desire of its own existence... <br /><br /> “Road Roller” is an instrumental track that, according to the liner notes, tries to tell in notes the story of a big, strong man called Road Roller who falls in love with a young, beautiful stranger he met at the fish market. The girl rejects him but he does not give up and tries to impress her by training hard in a gym. Eventually he dies for an overdose of anabolic substances... <br /><br /> Then “Nostalgie” (Nostalgias) closes the album: it’s a beautiful piece with the violin in the forefront that conjures up distant memories, childhood dreams, short moments of joy and vain hopes haunting the nights of an old man. According to the liner notes, this piece was inspired by the <i>Hymns to the Night</i>, a set of six poems written by the German Romantic poet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novalis">Novalis</a>... <br /><br /> On the whole, an excellent work that deserves a try. <br /><br /> You can listen to the complete album <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uxiVLMX_xA&list=OLAK5uy_lpks5WHB-Zr_DdlhfsgwPv2uQBOfIpg70">HERE</a><br /><br />More info:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IViaggiDiMadeleine/">https://www.facebook.com/IViaggiDiMadeleine/</a><br /><br /></span></div></div> <br /></div></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-90650418689834404432023-10-10T06:38:00.000+02:002023-10-10T06:38:18.839+02:00PROG NIGHT IN MILAN<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9iK6LP_Ea4uW8fcHHYSuH_k_5-YfjRlzSv_66f8vkzMpWTuS_EMg6od3LpaJYkKazfbMSoGmsweT3GLSFTM6ZrbylMCSK5_TGeYS-L754SH-363xqVKktKLQCPqZdDmQ_0pSyg5hwxYvz7Cw-8G2pKUlIUDYPEGkgvdciQUTxERkcOkgVvqPcdA5BA0/s2553/prog%20night%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="2553" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9iK6LP_Ea4uW8fcHHYSuH_k_5-YfjRlzSv_66f8vkzMpWTuS_EMg6od3LpaJYkKazfbMSoGmsweT3GLSFTM6ZrbylMCSK5_TGeYS-L754SH-363xqVKktKLQCPqZdDmQ_0pSyg5hwxYvz7Cw-8G2pKUlIUDYPEGkgvdciQUTxERkcOkgVvqPcdA5BA0/w400-h148/prog%20night%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">More info:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/3622888301314796?ref=newsfeed" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/3622888301314796?ref=newsfeed</a> </p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p><br /><br /><br /></p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-5978461415085383392023-10-06T18:36:00.004+02:002023-10-06T18:44:35.726+02:00PROG NIGHT IN BISTAGNO<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04zl2dPbjZTqURkd9qSuc8J5PljHE8HEvqgYDIAdKE48wK_3XtCTsxrKKoJikLsXSJbGye3_ub_BJBargF7T9Ib3rxCY6o642KGIR336FxTYp_pi0SjStRa4qX6XNzAr8xM517OPkpbPZhHXeWmGzMXZHA5UnLr5CF9uK6sS3jQ8qNPFwgT59BV6RoeI/s1280/prog%20night.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="905" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04zl2dPbjZTqURkd9qSuc8J5PljHE8HEvqgYDIAdKE48wK_3XtCTsxrKKoJikLsXSJbGye3_ub_BJBargF7T9Ib3rxCY6o642KGIR336FxTYp_pi0SjStRa4qX6XNzAr8xM517OPkpbPZhHXeWmGzMXZHA5UnLr5CF9uK6sS3jQ8qNPFwgT59BV6RoeI/w283-h400/prog%20night.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><br /> <br /><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistagno" target="_blank">Bistagno</a> is a little town in the Italian region <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont">Piedmont</a>, located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin">Turin</a> and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandria">Alessandria</a>...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://langhe.net/en/town/bistagno/" target="_blank">https://langhe.net/en/town/bistagno/</a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-76980119386591834252023-09-27T18:31:00.000+02:002023-09-27T18:31:09.672+02:00AMONG US<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hailing from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan" target="_blank">Milan</a>, Cinema Styge took recently form on the initiative of Gianluca Bonelli (vocals, guitar) and Stefano Sabbatino (bass) later joined by Luca Montone (drums, percussion) and Andrea Gobbo (piano, organ, synthesizers). All the members of the band share the same passion for the prog scene of the seventies, passion that is reflected in the original material they compose and perform. In 2023 the band self-released an interesting debut album, entitled <i>Tra di noi</i> (Among us), where they mix vintage sounds and the freshness of their own musical ideas. In my opinion, to appreciate this work you have to step into the art cover like Alice going through the looking-glass and plunge into the dark landscapes of an unsettling dream where nothing stays steady... </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lcmQ6j-SzHzlTtrN_gQjrtEcwtHRueWYN1UFAAOqwAJc6-kjC-pu1FTdGMWmsGC_YXdMOe-HCqXrQ6LOQ7sVjjHj84b4LQ7wCmP0sMAounqDqOMGvGj9DuufBX1Kb18s_R6ndzBHBWL7RMGNepyFbv4e0DJs1RMzdZoi4fnb9uxPEIh7-H0Hlp8e_Hg/s500/csty1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lcmQ6j-SzHzlTtrN_gQjrtEcwtHRueWYN1UFAAOqwAJc6-kjC-pu1FTdGMWmsGC_YXdMOe-HCqXrQ6LOQ7sVjjHj84b4LQ7wCmP0sMAounqDqOMGvGj9DuufBX1Kb18s_R6ndzBHBWL7RMGNepyFbv4e0DJs1RMzdZoi4fnb9uxPEIh7-H0Hlp8e_Hg/w320-h320/csty1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The complex, excellent opener “Si sa mai che” (You never know what) takes you on the banks of an infernal river for a surreal quest to the tree of evil, a monstrous, threatening weeping willow. Once found the tree, the protagonists will have to struggle to cut it down and let it sink into the waters of the Styx... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> On the following “Rivelazione” (Revelation) we can hear the voice of the immortal tree that’s desperately shaking its thousand branches and fronds and looks for a way out from the damnation of the eternal flames of hell. Then the music and lyrics evoke the images of souls lost in the waters of a raging river of pain and a desperate desire to escape from a dream that’s turning into a nightmare... </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vWViX18O0o" width="320" youtube-src-id="5vWViX18O0o"></iframe><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Come allora” (Like then) starts softly as the music and lyrics bring us unpleasant reminders of a grim memory. The borders between life and death seam to get blurred while love burns and wears your body out, your pride bends reaching the breaking point and the need to hang on reality fades out leading to the short instrumental “Esme”... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> Another short instrumental, “Cosmofobia, Part I”, introduces the acoustic, melancholic “Spettro del profeta” (Prophet’s spectre) where the music and lyrics conjure up images of melting glaciers and raging waves on the sea while flames of madness lighten the darkness to give voice to an infernal cosmic silence... The rhythm rises with the following “Cosmofobia, Part II”, a piece evoking new horizons and the charm of unknown territories to explore in a new dream... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Bus Carillon” ends the album taking you on a kind of dark, psychedelic trip across an ocean of stars in a magic bus where freedom dances at the rhythm of a strange carillon. Eventually shadows melt and you get lost in the sky, far away from planet earth and reality... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> On the whole, a very good work that deserves a try. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> You can listen to the complete album <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DB73vZn8AQ&list=OLAK5uy_kbFI-fLJU9NruEMjqsv8hhO4Olf8Jc_tM" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> More info: <br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@cinemastyge/about" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@cinemastyge/about</a><br /></span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-79729961220738880362023-09-11T12:11:00.001+02:002023-09-11T12:11:54.094+02:00THE EYE OF THE LAKE<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">La Cruna del Lago took form in
2021 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barberino_Val_d%27Elsa" target="_blank">Barberino Val d'Elsa</a>, near Florence, Tuscany, on
the initiative of four experienced musicians previously involved in
other projects: Andrea Bruni (drums, backing vocals), Matteo Tuci
(bass), Pino Polistina (guitars, vocals) and Carmelo Junior Arena
(lead vocals, keyboards). In particular, Andrea Bruni, Pino Polistina
and Carmelo Junior Arena were part of Il Rovescio della Medaglia’s
line up that in 2018 recorded the live album <i>Contaminazione 2.0</i>,
so it’s no wonder that the sound of this new project mainly draws
on seventies influences although with a modern touch. The band soon
started composing original pieces and in 2022 they self-released a
very interesting debut album entitled <i>Schiere di sudditi</i>
(Hosts of subjects) showcasing great musicianship and good
songwriting skills. According to the band, it’s a committed concept
album dealing with the consequences of a declining society where
there are still people who refuse the conformism and keep on fighting
for their freedom. The art work by Carmelo Junior Arena and Piera
Arena tries to give an idea of the musical and lyrical content...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpkj3PVRj6FbcE-JzBTvH6v98cPHY8tUNwYKknzwzZ3hDzucfKSd9LcnJ-e88JOM8tYz8qu8rTv6Cyui9aVLMeMVt7WD9joWZFz_d4uyns1P_92rk-LaeEuDjnxv8mFmqC6u5cL-wgJG-VjgJf9ioC7U9D7v5bHqIBtbQjTrLm-Ly3qpH4UzAB4jFzUM/s700/lacrunacover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpkj3PVRj6FbcE-JzBTvH6v98cPHY8tUNwYKknzwzZ3hDzucfKSd9LcnJ-e88JOM8tYz8qu8rTv6Cyui9aVLMeMVt7WD9joWZFz_d4uyns1P_92rk-LaeEuDjnxv8mFmqC6u5cL-wgJG-VjgJf9ioC7U9D7v5bHqIBtbQjTrLm-Ly3qpH4UzAB4jFzUM/s320/lacrunacover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
excellent opener “Giostra” (Carousel) evokes an irrepressible
desire of freedom. The music and words conjure up the image of an
inner carousel that spins inside the mind of the protagonist pushing
him to take the long path of the time to come. The wind is blowing
through steps and dust and he tries to see beyond the limit, between
continents of fear and madness, where dark shadows hide hosts of
subjects chained to a new reality...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: medium;">La
mantide agnostica” (The agnostic mantis) depicts in music and words
the desire of jumping boldly up like a green mantis to fly over a
world that’s going wrong, suffocated by falsity and oblivion, where
dignity gives way to madness. From the sky, the protagonist now can
see a strange panorama below him. Freedom is in ashes, tyranny and
hypocrisy rule, people blindly follow old formulas and there’s no
room for poetry but the protagonist can still sing and look for
happiness and feels that the hope of a new humanity is going to
rise...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rP3VnWU6jU0" width="320" youtube-src-id="rP3VnWU6jU0"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
melancholic “Illogica distanza” (Illogical distance) is an
acoustic, reflective piece that depicts the crepuscular atmosphere of
a cold, silent winter night where the protagonist is filled with a
strong sense of nostalgia while thinking of his distant sweetheart.
The gloomy present seems crucifying his desires as the wind makes the
fallen leaves merrily dance, then his dreams take off and get lost in
the clouds over the roofs...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
calm “Interludio” (Interlude) is a delicate instrumental track
that leads to “ElettroDrama”, a piece tinged of electronic sounds
that evokes gloomy visions from a future without freedom. Signals
from the heart, spectral waves and cerebral blackouts are breaking
the thoughts as men are falling into pain, faithless...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEios3BCdM2OVdOee2I2ItR3mwj2KH2i39jf1Uj-ggw2HBslKOFh94Wa42LgQ4SaJYc-9PT8UUW8jq2BD-IbYzH4ZQ-K5XG7QdWnsSLi-mfJwH5yyboaO8f2okB0lrPTqzk0MWqqOqW3sPklpgibTr0BcItUEYezpKjRSxBLDApp-b6jzLg0fy3Lqd8H624/s960/lcruna2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEios3BCdM2OVdOee2I2ItR3mwj2KH2i39jf1Uj-ggw2HBslKOFh94Wa42LgQ4SaJYc-9PT8UUW8jq2BD-IbYzH4ZQ-K5XG7QdWnsSLi-mfJwH5yyboaO8f2okB0lrPTqzk0MWqqOqW3sPklpgibTr0BcItUEYezpKjRSxBLDApp-b6jzLg0fy3Lqd8H624/s320/lcruna2022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Cruna del Lago 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
aggressive, almost threatening “Stato” (State) features lyrics
revolving about the many meanings of the word state while the
following “Acqua da Marte” (Water from Mars) depicts in music and
words an eternal battle for freedom against a resilient enemy. Under
a pouring rain you the protagonist wonders if the raindrops are just
tears from the sky or water from Mars that can give hope...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
radio edit version of “Stato” ends this interesting work that is
really worth listening to.</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://lacrunadellago.bandcamp.com/album/schiere-di-sudditi" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info: <br /><a href="https://www.crunadellago.it/">https://www.crunadellago.it/</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lacrunadellagoofficial/">https://www.facebook.com/lacrunadellagoofficial/</a></span> <p> </p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-81840929596352598362023-07-11T18:47:00.003+02:002023-07-21T16:43:11.040+02:00PORRETTA PROG LEGACY 2023<div><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvYU6WFe4t3uJBlBP5iiDH0zOkEggQVjHemVllylN42CQ-zGRmInTOaJSlLXFpIL_d8qbFj54aZJzcgPxpxi-bCCcgAJaRJnxOggf5VKJF1scFTm1APX7EvBUHGuaWKOiB6NDs20uN06wEFo5piFu4a1QcNDEADYNeKMkf7vOul4AqZADaDpNtr--19g/s961/porretta%20prog%20legacy%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="961" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvYU6WFe4t3uJBlBP5iiDH0zOkEggQVjHemVllylN42CQ-zGRmInTOaJSlLXFpIL_d8qbFj54aZJzcgPxpxi-bCCcgAJaRJnxOggf5VKJF1scFTm1APX7EvBUHGuaWKOiB6NDs20uN06wEFo5piFu4a1QcNDEADYNeKMkf7vOul4AqZADaDpNtr--19g/w400-h225/porretta%20prog%20legacy%202023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRYrgdWYMcZSyCJSLGWS2IJafFUpYRiPpFV1Eyaqw2qm4xHh1JWhOqcZ6BPeIPDzmXMVc0NYHG9iRiqo74P_L4ZXot7G1s_cq3xlYpU0yM7MbdUjb2_nP09VY8yMalReQazTNWF4GCYUd6jCYiootluQ1NNfIPeg21NRvi0_V97PDM9AKmgoqoT9PCeM/s960/porretta%20prog%20caf%C3%A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRYrgdWYMcZSyCJSLGWS2IJafFUpYRiPpFV1Eyaqw2qm4xHh1JWhOqcZ6BPeIPDzmXMVc0NYHG9iRiqo74P_L4ZXot7G1s_cq3xlYpU0yM7MbdUjb2_nP09VY8yMalReQazTNWF4GCYUd6jCYiootluQ1NNfIPeg21NRvi0_V97PDM9AKmgoqoT9PCeM/w400-h400/porretta%20prog%20caf%C3%A8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">MORE INFO: <br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/s/porretta-prog-legacy-2023-0408/245289301612340/?sfnsn=scwspwa">https://www.facebook.com/events/s/porretta-prog-legacy-2023</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-64981687193360041122023-07-09T16:37:00.007+02:002023-07-09T16:41:31.490+02:002DAYS PROG + 1 FESTIVAL 2023<div><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1NIIYwSNYQVTaJKmB1foR-dtHih63rLBdW-yJ3UyGVIbAMK8LRxAkjIu4b9iVKNXKvl0znccyuHJJBj0PaMbjJViLpN4a1LhJ5kxQP0fW_7XKjRMqmDTiW-2KMn0mQrvlD7lUByG90vQlmsiYoIVtSJEsc0wPwa4gzqOvLZrmHNuYgqYgSX96OFWy1k/s1080/2days%20prog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1NIIYwSNYQVTaJKmB1foR-dtHih63rLBdW-yJ3UyGVIbAMK8LRxAkjIu4b9iVKNXKvl0znccyuHJJBj0PaMbjJViLpN4a1LhJ5kxQP0fW_7XKjRMqmDTiW-2KMn0mQrvlD7lUByG90vQlmsiYoIVtSJEsc0wPwa4gzqOvLZrmHNuYgqYgSX96OFWy1k/w400-h400/2days%20prog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">MORE INFO:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/VerunoProgRockFestival">https://www.facebook.com/VerunoProgRockFestival</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-47534409556421275562023-07-09T07:40:00.006+02:002023-07-09T16:41:46.586+02:00PROGRESSIVAMENTE FESTIVAL 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIe8WFlSCnkApkFWBM9uviIlmJjwlbqVPKN85kqaEO59Pr-47sAR6NLfYOanI5JOLHx4pjcitKgYKRH8-0qbB4H476KNU76GVfGGrWAkBzxnuHOMPmTP3Vm9tlITWA6ru5H45cOrOghdQTD1PF8ut4jvS2Hjb7RbLsbARtofenR9AHRlMFXw3rgc_NDY/s1684/progressivamente2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1684" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIe8WFlSCnkApkFWBM9uviIlmJjwlbqVPKN85kqaEO59Pr-47sAR6NLfYOanI5JOLHx4pjcitKgYKRH8-0qbB4H476KNU76GVfGGrWAkBzxnuHOMPmTP3Vm9tlITWA6ru5H45cOrOghdQTD1PF8ut4jvS2Hjb7RbLsbARtofenR9AHRlMFXw3rgc_NDY/w400-h283/progressivamente2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;">MORE INFO:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Progressivamente/100039793355709/?paipv=0&eav=Afa3l-0FX1FDGVkGAyYzIv6K0Wvy8PPrcDSPe_nLabjnwxGFRQitiAmHv0nDxVaRKWY&_rdr" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/people/Progressivamente/100039793355709/?paipv=0&eav=Afa3l-0FX1FDGVkGAyYzIv6K0Wvy8PPrcDSPe_nLabjnwxGFRQitiAmHv0nDxVaRKWY&_rdr</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-58034723557736319292023-07-09T07:26:00.007+02:002023-07-09T16:51:36.567+02:00PORTO ANTICO PROGFEST 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJDsl2LQWS5nnakuNP8Oz6KdAL58wlaKRu1NfN6ixRba-tvg645qn0zXXR1PgBJlWBUB704rXv8qTJkCPW0rpvbN3LEvoFdWctMgHIkMdWDKoamTf2yBIGYEVoX5azvB2NNPpnzVSDkn8hChVItL31muO4KJyBahBPw2-PJXzwgcRO_xKb6HHa2ki4gA/s960/porto%20antico%20progfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="679" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJDsl2LQWS5nnakuNP8Oz6KdAL58wlaKRu1NfN6ixRba-tvg645qn0zXXR1PgBJlWBUB704rXv8qTJkCPW0rpvbN3LEvoFdWctMgHIkMdWDKoamTf2yBIGYEVoX5azvB2NNPpnzVSDkn8hChVItL31muO4KJyBahBPw2-PJXzwgcRO_xKb6HHa2ki4gA/w283-h400/porto%20antico%20progfest.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">MORE INFO:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/753169006418600/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A579391724122441%7D%7D]%22%7D" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/753169006418600</a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://portoantico.it/events/porto-antico-progfest-2023/">https://portoantico.it/events/porto-antico-progfest-2023/</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div> andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-90644538077604077282023-07-09T07:18:00.002+02:002023-07-09T16:51:53.681+02:00TRASIMENO PROG FESTIVAL 2023<div><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xZxCL9rqJKFXrOMkwfeX5HUKBypRGtUdC_Lt6gZl2VIFW4HQY1gV1xLDkQ2HeeMvUaKLFAMShONVseY0PPfh3Hgt13yraA4G3z8QeZOwUE9A-n7h3jsUZJO0PFygS_5hmOUAPHOw3uEMWlJ9GwKZBoUxcEpXTMQty_IkAU0bPisCMVBjKHj9dmsUzQ/s1024/tp1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xZxCL9rqJKFXrOMkwfeX5HUKBypRGtUdC_Lt6gZl2VIFW4HQY1gV1xLDkQ2HeeMvUaKLFAMShONVseY0PPfh3Hgt13yraA4G3z8QeZOwUE9A-n7h3jsUZJO0PFygS_5hmOUAPHOw3uEMWlJ9GwKZBoUxcEpXTMQty_IkAU0bPisCMVBjKHj9dmsUzQ/w283-h400/tp1.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAVOPlw_HHl1ckfidB9wa_S2G-KW5iKGejGUh-wNZBU1duQH4aCibj9ikm4_pfePj9LxnSm581fQy10OyzbLu-SEfu0a4gXEth2Kc0qU0vzq9jbgAKD2cIAI49Etrpf_oMGkDS5fxW9VZ-962OKkLktQxAkcxhiQ5Qai9pv2Qx3GSBeihu3qlCR0LP-k/s1024/tp2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAVOPlw_HHl1ckfidB9wa_S2G-KW5iKGejGUh-wNZBU1duQH4aCibj9ikm4_pfePj9LxnSm581fQy10OyzbLu-SEfu0a4gXEth2Kc0qU0vzq9jbgAKD2cIAI49Etrpf_oMGkDS5fxW9VZ-962OKkLktQxAkcxhiQ5Qai9pv2Qx3GSBeihu3qlCR0LP-k/w283-h400/tp2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY7Jgl2k31nlYdqPiFdg8JG3KJR-g_JnAS_vpk9bpqLwnJup4yv71BHg-jnEthSXWvOdvRV-mAenKL6QF4LdDqb3UwBRLjyhaUm2lgiNAlpbh4o1ZRyEyJu5Pj51yL4SR6eeyXpZiruuvWaqhY2mGpkCMSoRM9pG3qbZu4HdYQvbg_Ixh4A4t2IHDBjY/s1024/tp3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY7Jgl2k31nlYdqPiFdg8JG3KJR-g_JnAS_vpk9bpqLwnJup4yv71BHg-jnEthSXWvOdvRV-mAenKL6QF4LdDqb3UwBRLjyhaUm2lgiNAlpbh4o1ZRyEyJu5Pj51yL4SR6eeyXpZiruuvWaqhY2mGpkCMSoRM9pG3qbZu4HdYQvbg_Ixh4A4t2IHDBjY/w283-h400/tp3.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmq31dv1dLLRmr2bf-QJJzW5S0G0ny3HiTF7SZ8ZcxfKmUkQ3EhHbp8e1Uh5V__8FkbpRvFl3PpcLuqDVdlh7sbWqpUlmtgj8x5NvSVreoN8l6YuxEvAP8sF6kuooWfAU1ST1V_uaFc-p6josp4-HXWZ8HnSxxIUwJPLW1lYbds845hyyjVjleRcfSx-s/s1024/tp4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmq31dv1dLLRmr2bf-QJJzW5S0G0ny3HiTF7SZ8ZcxfKmUkQ3EhHbp8e1Uh5V__8FkbpRvFl3PpcLuqDVdlh7sbWqpUlmtgj8x5NvSVreoN8l6YuxEvAP8sF6kuooWfAU1ST1V_uaFc-p6josp4-HXWZ8HnSxxIUwJPLW1lYbds845hyyjVjleRcfSx-s/w283-h400/tp4.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><p></p><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">MORE INFO:<br /><a href="https://www.trasimenoprog.com/">https://www.trasimenoprog.com/</a></span></div> <p><br /> </p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-69253067086814126222023-06-05T16:26:00.001+02:002023-06-05T16:32:22.251+02:00METROPOLITAN MADNESS<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Appartenenza</i> is the second album by Milanese prog band
Macchina Pneumatica and was released in 2022 on the independent Black
Widow Records label with a confirmed line up featuring Raffaele
Gigliotti (lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars), Carlo Fiore (synth,
Hammond, electric and acoustic piano, backing vocals), Carlo
Giustiniani (bass, backing vocals) and Vincenzo Vitagliano (drums)
plus the guest and co-producer Alberto Ravasini (former member of
historic Italian prog band Maxophone - backing vocals). The new album
reflects all the good qualities of its predecessor with its excellent
mix of vintage sounds and original ideas. The colourful art work by
Beatrice Traversin probably describes the musical and lyrical content
better than my all words...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6EY0YDXN2Zkw3tnQ7Iej6-xHSV0HtyR_x48B2srraWAKa0i0oXqo1lkAkDOGcriSqm_ENFG0oS5Zy1yHkJN71dxZnHutc3ywEhIMTOfuF9FbQa2ds4sIC30dMyOsRIs_oxa3GfbAcfzmizZFADsFOv_0EUI6jYBokJjBp1M8cQbf4dvLd0nSQmlg/s700/mp%20appartenenza%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6EY0YDXN2Zkw3tnQ7Iej6-xHSV0HtyR_x48B2srraWAKa0i0oXqo1lkAkDOGcriSqm_ENFG0oS5Zy1yHkJN71dxZnHutc3ywEhIMTOfuF9FbQa2ds4sIC30dMyOsRIs_oxa3GfbAcfzmizZFADsFOv_0EUI6jYBokJjBp1M8cQbf4dvLd0nSQmlg/s320/mp%20appartenenza%20cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The raging opener “Appartenenza” (Belonging) conjures up a dark
atmosphere with heavy electric guitar riffs and powerful organ
passages. The music and lyrics evoke a dystopic society where
different groups of humans act like packs of wolves avoiding to mix
with each other. Whites with whites, blacks with blacks, reds with
reds, that’s the way to preserve their spawn...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The nightmarish, bluesy “Pazzo” (Mad) gives voice to an outcast,
a stranger in his own home city who is going through a personal
crises and is sinking in a sea of doubts. He can’t find a way out
and is rejected by the conformist people who look at him like at an
old king who has lost his crown and now is useless and helpless. He
can feel the contempt of the straight against the different and
that’s driving him insane. Then a kind of nursery rhyme sung in
German leads to the disquieting finale...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPp8bMj8jRM" width="320" youtube-src-id="jPp8bMj8jRM"></iframe></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Fuoco d’agosto” (August fire) tells in music and words of a
desperate story of alienation. In August, in an empty city, a lonely
boy sets himself on fire as a consequence of his inner desert. He’s
alone in his room with his television and his mobile phone when calls
a live television broadcast announcing his self-immolation. In a few
moments his naked skin burns under the summer sun and on all the TV
screens...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The long, hypnotic instrumental “Il cerchio” (The circle) is an
excellent track that leads to the following “Rendimento garantito”
(Guaranteed performance), a disquieting piece about human
commodification and blind conformism. The lyrics evoke images of
misleading elections, losers supported and comforted by analysts, old
people crossing the streets without paying attention to the traffic,
men queuing up to donate their blood to the pawnshop...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last track, “Venerdì sera” (Friday evening), starts by a
delicate piano introduction, then the rhythm rises while the music
and lyrics depict the effort of the protagonist to escape from his
daily grind evoking a dream of absolute freedom and excess, a
dangerous plunge into the nightlife under a false name in search for
fun and lust. The protagonist seems to get lost while devils and
witches play with his thoughts and the border between virtual
reality and real life melts...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the whole, a very good work!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can listen to the complete album <a href="https://macchinapneumaticaband.bandcamp.com/album/appartenenza?from=hp" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/macchinapneumatica/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/macchinapneumatica/</a> </span></div>
<p align="justify" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
</div>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1703240881086580481.post-14456705744734119982023-05-18T07:02:00.004+02:002023-05-18T07:02:51.745+02:00PSYCHEDELIC RITES<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The Lost Vision Of The Chandoo
Priest is a side project of two talented multi-instrumentalists:
Francesca Zanetta (electric guitar, bass guitar, Eminent Solina,
Logan String Melody 2, Elka Rhapsody 490, Moog Voyager - from Unreal
City, Quel Che Disse Il Tuono) and Niccolò Gallani (drums, bass
guitar, electric guitar, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, mellotron,
Elka Soloist 505, flute - from Cellar Noise, Quel Che Disse Il
Tuono). In 2021 they recorded in Milan an interesting eponymous album
that was released the following year on the independent AMS Records
label. According to the artists, it’s a collection of music and
soundscapes written, arranged and performed during a period of
isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic and, as you can guess from
the artwork, the psychedelic influences are very strong...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f_x9_SCVgbdUPpgICbqmet--ZHIcxV9Q_b4VvX6nLm-sjRH3nCGijequdh3Nd9A4PDkMZnN3Fz09CwtFp43jcfMbnaj_DJpEdAus9_bqog3eos1idKsVqsnEduY5uzY6NZGtZZ7daWIZC0xBHmtHsVqhFkMUVjsZT1rMvnws2dnw4lK51OCyHYsQ/s700/chandoo%20priest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f_x9_SCVgbdUPpgICbqmet--ZHIcxV9Q_b4VvX6nLm-sjRH3nCGijequdh3Nd9A4PDkMZnN3Fz09CwtFp43jcfMbnaj_DJpEdAus9_bqog3eos1idKsVqsnEduY5uzY6NZGtZZ7daWIZC0xBHmtHsVqhFkMUVjsZT1rMvnws2dnw4lK51OCyHYsQ/w320-h320/chandoo%20priest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
opener “Floating Down The Valley” starts softly with organ and
guitar in the forefront. Every now and again it could recall the
soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western and, with its melancholic mood and
a disquieting sense of impending tragedy, in my opinion it could be
the perfect background for the reading of the <i>Dark Tower</i>
series or <i>The Stand</i> by Stephen King, like the following
“Chasing Time In Opposite Direction (Part I)” and “Entering The
Void Of Madness”...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dc5wCwPAPM" width="320" youtube-src-id="5dc5wCwPAPM"></iframe></div><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then
it’s the turn of “The White Toad Majesty” that starts by a
strange marching beat while the dreamy middle section takes you to
fairy tale atmospheres before the final jumps... Next comes the
mysterious, nocturnal “Droplets” with its slow pace and
reflective mood. It leads to the effervescent “Chasing Time In
Opposite Direction (Part II)” that brings back action movie
atmospheres like the following “Getting Nowhere”...</span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIelQn7hBFmURA_5J3WavNdLJBQMAgXaZ_DsUOMrCzkLBgwAQPHiAUJvOIoLUdc529lS3c5fU55JI_wcw2XYhrTuVkdcEVbZaolzalRfdyCuEX1CBO18HgUTrJ-9sgJX0psSaHul1jUTyTjwwu3ekz-RIZIVXrNnZRczBTj3lrlUDHdQp9sJ6FqLD/s960/284280059_100764709340787_1825796613185118749_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="960" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIelQn7hBFmURA_5J3WavNdLJBQMAgXaZ_DsUOMrCzkLBgwAQPHiAUJvOIoLUdc529lS3c5fU55JI_wcw2XYhrTuVkdcEVbZaolzalRfdyCuEX1CBO18HgUTrJ-9sgJX0psSaHul1jUTyTjwwu3ekz-RIZIVXrNnZRczBTj3lrlUDHdQp9sJ6FqLD/s320/284280059_100764709340787_1825796613185118749_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francesca Zanetta and Niccolò Gallani 2022<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
vintage sounds of “London Underground” drive you through an
imaginary trip under the streets of London where you have to <i>mind
the gap</i> to avoid a dangerous fall... “Farewell, Dog” is a
charming piece that blends nervous riffs and short folksy passages.
Then “Dunans Castle” (the title refers to a historic structure
located in Glendaruel, on the Cowal peninsula, Argyll and Bute,
Scotland) ends the album evoking pastoral landscapes and a relaxing
sense of peace and love...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the whole, an interesting instrumental album that deserves a try...</span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
can listen to the complete album <a href="https://chandoopriest.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-vision-of-the-chandoo-priest" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">More info:<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chandoopriest">https://www.facebook.com/chandoopriest</a></span><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p align="justify" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p> </p>andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02132518593660214762noreply@blogger.com0