ROCK'N'ROLL STARS

Mass-Media Stars is the second album by Acqua Fragile and was released in 1974 on the Ricordi label with a confirmed line up featuring Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (electric and acoustic guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass) and Pier Emilio Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals). The album, produced by Claudio Fabi (best known for his work with PFM), has a good sound quality and the musicians seem more aware of their songwriting abilities. In my opinion, the tracks on it sound more personal and mature if compared with those on their self-titled debut. However, the final outcome is somewhat hampered by the band's stubbornness in insisting on singing their songs in English, against the wishes of their record company and an Italian market that was at the time unreceptive to such a proposal. This led to a commercial flop, despite the quality of the album...

The fine opening track, “Cosmic Mind Affair”, evokes astronomical laws that serve as a guide for our minds, inviting us on a journey into the depths of the cosmos while walking on the thin line of madness. The mysteries of the universe are too profound to be fathomed or understood by our limited human capabilities: what if we were nothing more than strange, incredible creatures generated by the brains of other worlds? Like the aliens that populate our dreams...

The following “Bar Gazing” is at times musically reminiscent of Genesis while its somewhat surreal lyrics draw inspiration from the observation of the customers of a bar located in a town square. An unruly driver, a bee inspector, a couple of pharmacy lovers...

The instrumental intro to “Mass-Media Stars” is strongly reminiscent of PFM. Then, the festive atmosphere is paired with sarcastic lyrics about rock stars and their diva-like attitudes: vain artists who bark loudly in the air, with a political touch and the gift of the gab; frivolous Lolitas who think they can do rock'n'roll better than Elvis while flaunting a thousand gimmicks that you have to admire with the blessing of the media...

“Opening Act” starts by a vocal part a cappella that might bring Gentle Giant to mind, but the music soon shifts toward a West Coast sound. The track brilliantly and wryly depicts life on the road for an obscure rock band trying to make a name for itself by opening the concerts for major stars. There are no press clippings about the unknown band, no groupies waiting for them, no personal roadies and their cheap instruments keep going out of tune. Yet, every night brings the thrill of performing, fuelled by the hope of catching the audience's eye and perhaps even getting called back for an encore...

“Professor” is an interesting, caustic piece that paints in music and words the portrait of an austere, know-it-all man who delights in picking out others' mistakes and point out what an artist is lacking; a ruthless critic who poses as an expert without truly being one. With weary eyes and a black bow tie, he takes pleasure in denigrating the work of others. Yet, one has to wonder: what is the point of dwelling on trivial errors when it would be far more useful to highlight what is actually working? The protagonist is merely a professor who teaches nothing; his petty attitude will ultimately lead him into oblivion, while the people he criticised go on with all their mistakes and their enthusiasm...

The last track, “Coffee Song”, is a melancholic acoustic ballad about the passing of time and the need to be ready for every new opportunity - despite any despondency or sadness - because there is nothing worse than looking back with regret at having lost the winning path simply because one was tired...

On the whole, a very good work.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Acqua Fragile: Mass-Media Stars (1974). Other opinions:

Conor Fynes: Like Acqua Fragile's self-titled debut, "Mass Media Stars" shows tact and potential, but it lacks any sort of unique personality or identity. First impressions are certainly brighter than the album's lasting impact, as some of the album's weaker aspects- Lanzetti's vocals especially- tend to wear down the enjoyment before too long. They may be little more than a Genesis clone, but they do manage to recreate the style faithfully... (read the complete review HERE)

Michael “Aussie-Byrd-Brother”: Bernardo Lanzetti's vocals are extremely hard to love here. His English pronunciation became stronger and clearer on the PFM albums, but here his words often seem to run together in an increasingly inane way, very difficulty to understand and focus on, and attention starts to wander from the decent music behind them. Just notice the way the album suddenly picks up whenever the vocals calm down for a moment and the band launch into lengthier instrumental passages. Sadly these sort of more magical moments are few and far between... (read the complete review HERE)

MUSIC AND THEOLOGICAL THEORIES

Teodicea is a band from Livorno that came to life in 2020 on the initiative of keyboardist and composer Enrico Filippi after he stepped out from Aliante with whom he had previously recorded two albums. The band's name refers to a theological theory (Theodicy) that shows that it is reasonable to believe in God despite evidence of evil in the world and offers a framework which can account for why evil exists. In 2024 they released an excellent debut album entitled Il mondo esausto (The exhausted world) on the independent M.P. & Records label with a line up featuring Enrico Filippi (keyboars, piano), Jacopo Morandi (bass) and Giacomo Putrino (drums, percussion, keyboards). It's a completely instrumental work that might recall some Italian bands of the seventies like Le Orme, Goblin or il Banco del Mutuo Soccorso but that blends vintage sounds with a contemporary musical landscape. The drawing on the cover is by Luca Di Pietro while in the booklet you can find some pictures that offer a glimpse of the music's inspiration...

“777” is an excellent track that at times recalls Le Orme and, above all, Aliante. The title could be a reference to the model of a passenger plane. In fact, the 777 is the world's largest twin jet and the most-built wide-body airliner. Are you ready for a musical journey to new territories to discover? Well, get ready for take-off...

“Gioia e risoluzione” (Joy and resolution) is another wonderful track beginning gently with a dreamy piano intro and then progressing through numerous changes in rhythm and mood. Although the title seems to paraphrase a well-known Area piece, the music is devoid of edgy experientialism and avant-garde overtones. Rather, it's in line with the previous track, cinematic and dreamy...

“L’ineluttabile” (The inevitable) begins with a subdued rhythmic pattern that then intersects with restless melodic lines. The dark central section, with strong classical overtones and prominent piano, precedes a final part in crescendo...

“Weltschmerz” opens with a melancholic atmosphere and the piano in the foreground. The title refers to a literary concept describing the feeling experienced by an individual who believes that reality can never satisfy the expectations of the mind, resulting in a mood of weariness or sadness about life arising from the acute awareness of evil and suffering. According to an interview with the band, "this piece was born to attempt to represent in music that malaise, so common today, caused by the dissatisfaction of living in a society where injustice and violence of every kind, both physical and mental, are everywhere. Those who identify with this malaise are unfortunately aware of their inadequacy in the face of the world's evils and suffer for it"...

“Ripresa di coscienza” (Regaining consciousness) brings back a bit of positivity. After a dreamy start, the rhythm becomes more intense and fast-paced, almost as if to mark a reconciliation with life and reality...

The following “Intro 442” is instead slower and darker, with the keyboards and piano weaving almost hypnotic textures that can bring to mind Goblin...

Teodicea, 2024

“Lofoten” is calm and dreamy. In fact, the title refers to an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. The Lofoten Islands boast unique landscapes, with towering mountains and peaks, open seas and sheltered bays, beaches and unspoiled lands. Landscapes that somehow inspired this piece...

“Punto di fusione (Fusion point) is a beautiful track that recalls Banco del Mutuo Soccorso with some classical inspiration, a lot of energy and a remarkable melodic touch...

“Il viaggio del Moro” (The Moro's voyage) closes the album with a cinematic and evocative atmosphere that recalls the opening track. The title seems to refer to the Moor of Venice, a famous regatta vessel, but this voyage proves far more adventurous and unpredictable than a simple sailing competition...

On the whole, an excellent work!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/p/Teodicea-61565908830080/

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MASTERS

Vacuum is the second studio album by The Watch and was released in 2004 on the independent Lizard Music label with a renewed line up featuring Simone Rossetti (vocals, flute, tambou), Roberto Leoni (drums, percussion), Gabriele Manzini (keyboards, synthesizers), Ettore Salati (guitars), Sergio Taglioni (piano, organ, Moog, Mellotron, synthesizers) and Marco Schembri (bass, guitars). Genesis from the early seventies are still the main source of inspiration and the band demonstrates not only to have studied their style in depth but to have absorbed it and, in some ways, made it their own...

The opener, “Hills”, is just a short introduction that depicts a mysterious, peaceful place in the dark surrounded by distant traffic lights. All around little shining cars seem dancing like dolphins in the sea. It's a secret time...

Then, in “Damage Mode” the music and lyrics evoke a young man recalling a youthful trauma. He can't deny the anger and hatred toward the man who caused it. In his mind, he sees the images of a film where the female protagonist is ready to run to escape the attack of a lion that wants to devour her...

“Wonderland” paints a beautiful city full of lights and signs. It's a world that invites you to spend your money with the illusion of achieving happiness through parties and slot machines, easy women and alcohol. But all this is just an illusion and isn't enough to hide the inner emptiness of those who allow themselves to be seduced by the sirens of a merciless consumerism...

the Watch, 2004

“Shining Bald Heads” describes a strange character, someone who appears like a rainbow when your day seems over: Mr. Doubt. During the day, his bald head shines in the suburbs and outlying neighbourhoods, but when the workday ends he reappears with his claws planted in your dreams. He's a sign of life and sometimes it would be better to heed his friendly advice...

“Out Of The Land” tells of the solitude and peace one can experience in a small town far from the hectic life of big cities, and of the strange and contradictory feelings experienced by those who leave the chaos of a metropolis to take refuge in the tranquillity of a distant and all-too-silent place...

“Goddess” depicts the image of a man singing the praises of his beloved, a woman who for him is a true goddess to be adored and loved blindly and unconditionally, and without whom his life risks losing all meaning...

“Deeper Still” is a lullaby for a child born on a cold winter morning. White snow falls on the newborn troubled life while his future is taking form. The parents sense a kind of passing of the baton in the relay race of life. The prevailing feeling is small and fragile: it's simply love...

The long, complex title track, “The Vacuum”, is a suite divided into five parts that was inspired by the character of Serge Abrahamovitch Voronoff Voronoff, a French surgeon of Russian origin working in the 1920s and 1930s best known for his practice of transplantation of living cells, tissues and organs from animals monkeys to men to increase sexual power and as an anti-ageing therapy. The piece opens with the excerpt from the report of a patrol of the French Gendarmerie. A strange creature was seen running outside Voronff's castle, near the border with the Italian town of Ventimiglia. The piece continues with excerpts from Voronoff's diary, which address the ethical implications of the scientist's work. The third part is a surreal exposition of the creature's sensations. The fourth part contains a warning about the excesses of experimentation: those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones! The fifth and final part features the creature's discovery in a pool of dreams...

On the whole, a very good work in pure Genesis style!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.thewatchmusic.net/

INSPIRING PEACE

Corporesano took form in Brescia in 2015 and soon started composing original music inspired by seventies prog. In 2019 they released an interesting eponymous debut album on the Mellow Records label with a line up featuring Lorenzo Ussoli (keyboards, backing vocals), Francesco Marchina Ares (lead and backing vocals), Simone Sandrini (guitars), Giordano Porta (bass) and Marco Dolfini (drums, percussion, backing vocals). Their music is dreamy, soft and pleasant though not particularly challenging. The art work by Giordano Porta, inspired by the fantastic landscapes by Roger Dean, tries to describe the musical and lyrical content...

The opener “Alle porte di Zion” (At the gates of Zion) is a slow, reflective piece that evokes the end of a man's earthly journey at the gates of Zion and his liberation from pain, which leads to a state of infinite peace. It's an ideal place, where you can listen to music while sitting on green meadows and get lost in a deep sense of well-being surrounded by a flow of transforming souls...

“Labirinti retorici” (Rhetorical labyrinths) is an introspective and dreamy piece where music and lyrics evoke the figure of a man in search of inspiration, lost chasing his fantasies through the alleys of an ancient city or in splendid gardens (the lyrics refer to the Boboli Gardens in Florence, a large park originally designed as the garden of the Medici family's Pitti Palace in the mid-16th century that houses statues of various styles and periods, large fountains, and artificial grottoes). Then, the protagonist finds himself composing melodies on the beach in Rimini, applauded only by dolphins. Useless thoughts are dispersed by a wind that carries with it the voices of insensitive sirens...

“Nel bozzolo” (In the cocoon) tells the story of a man who can't find his place in a shattered, hopeless world and withdraws into himself. He seeks protection in a cocoon where he can sleep and dream. Upon awakening, however, a metamorphosis occurs: the cocoon opens, and the protagonist soars like a butterfly, reflecting on his past and trying to savour the nectar of life, leaving behind the shards of his shell...

Corporesano, 2018

“Statim vivus fierem” (I would immediately become alive) is an introspective piece, titled in Latin, that speaks of the need for reconciliation between humanity and nature. Under a starry sky in the Taiga, the protagonist experiences visions that blur with reality. In that place, he feels part of an ancestral history and in balance with the universe...

“Sulle rive del fiume Giordano” (On the banks of the Jordan river) describes a traveller sitting in silence on the banks of the Jordan river, a river that flows through the tormented lands of the Middle East and ends into the Dead Sea. The protagonist dives into its waters, and when he resurfaces, time and space lose all meaning for him. He experiences an angelic peace and is overcome by celestial visions...

“Lupo solitario” (Lone wolf) describes a man with a rebellious spirit who reflects on his past and his mistakes. Now he realises that he must move forward with humility and courage, without heeding siren songs that might divert his path. For him it's time to start over and make sense of his new role as a father, with transparency and honesty...

In “Onda inarrestabile” (Unstoppable wave) the music and lyrics evoke a powerful wave, capable of tuning cells, causing chaos, and instilling vibrations, vertigo and happiness. The lyrics were partially inspired by The Sirius Mystery, a book by Robert K. G. Temple supporting the pseudoscientific ancient astronauts hypothesis that intelligent extra-terrestrial beings visited the Earth and made contact with humans in antiquity and prehistoric times...

“La zavorra inutile” (The useless ballast) evokes the image of a man crushed by an unbearable weight. What weighs him down is anxiety about the future and regrets about a past that can never return. To move forward, he clings to the habits, judgments, and clichés that give him security. When a memory of childhood games timidly surfaces, however, the protagonist senses that within him there is still a great life force and an ocean of energy. He regains his balance and forgets the fears of the future and the regrets of the past to live in the flow of the present, the only true aspect of reality...

“Lo spirito della montagna” (The spirit of the mountain) describes the strength and beauty of nature by identifying with the benign spirit of a mountain that teaches us to honour life. The spirt bestows peace, silence, and serenity upon those who appreciate it and its magical songs resonate throughout the valley, bringing joy to those who listen...

The closing track, “I venti dell'inverno” (The winds of Winter), is a piece suspended between nostalgia and hope for the future. The protagonist turns his thoughts to a past love, hoping that the sweet moments they shared will return. He feels almost swallowed up in a dark vortex where icy winds blow. Then, he becomes aware of the need to overcome the past and look to the future with confidence. New encounters and new ideas can still shape a new path in his life...

On the whole, a really good work that deserves listening to. Unfortunately the band split up soon after the album was released, but you never know. In Italian prog reunions can always happen.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Corporesano: Corporesano (2019). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: Listening to Corporesano is the chance to let your mind wander and drift off to a sound that will never jar you or disturb you. The speed of the songs is nearly constant and slow, the template consistent, the verses leading to the payoff electric guitar solo, very melodic, over a surrounding atmosphere that is the aural equivalent of the beautiful skyline colors shown in the background of their cover art. They take you there as efficiently as any band ever has, and, if you dig it, this album could end up on your "favorites" shelf. So, why the long face, Jim? Well, every positive attribute I just laid out for you is also, ironically, the same criticism that many an RPI fan will have with this album. If you need your music to be adventurous or take risks---even occasionally, even a little bit---to provide some contrasting mood or excitement, you'll need to look elsewhere. That's why I would describe this as a kind of lovely daydream, like a perfect nap that delivered a really good dream. It's nice, but for adventurous listeners, I doubt that's enough... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/177964355871210/

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Sunlight is the second album by Drift Lab, a jazz rock project based in Rome and led by Manuele Montesanti. It was self-released in 2026 with a completely renewed line-up featuring, along with founder member, composer and leader Manuele Montesanti (piano, synths), the new members Marco Pistone (bass), Guido Della Gatta (guitars) and Roberto Porta (drums) plus the guest Carlo Maria Micheli (sax). According to the official website, this is music "written with rigour but performed with freedom, where improvisation finds its home within intricate harmonic architectures". Drift Lab is an open, constantly evolving project, aiming to shape a sound that blends "jazz roots and contemporary imagery, instrumental virtuosity and electronic curiosity, composition and experimentation". The art cover tries to give a visual form to the musical content...

Electronic sounds and a brief drum roll introduce the album's title track, "Sunlight". It's a bright piece, full of frenetic energy, ready to wake us up to face a new busy day. A kind of urban ride illuminated by the sunlight...

The following "Yellow Fire" is a piece with a jagged rhythm but full of warmth and melodic flares that leads to "Bump" a jazz rock track full of nocturnal and disquieting atmospheres with excellent interweaving of guitar and keyboard that share the solo parts, supported by a never banal rhythm section...

"A-M-M-I-M" somehow revisits and reinterprets a piece from the previous album ("M-I-M-M-A"). It's a relaxed track that at times invites you to dance the night away while "Serendip" is a slow, sensual piece featuring guest saxophonist Carlo Maria Micheli and a certain oriental exoticism. The title refers to the ancient name of the island of Ceylon...

"Chaste Countrywoman" starts with the bass in the foreground that traces a funky rhythm, then the electric guitar outlines melodic paths that take the song in other directions... Next comes "Bleep" is a complex and fast piece where all the musicians showcase great technical skills and a notable interaction.

"bYpOLAR" begins with an old video-game atmosphere and continues with irrepressible freshness, alternating more relaxed moments with others where the pace becomes pressing and lively. Ten, the dreamy "Evolving" concludes the album. A beautiful official video was shot for this piece, completing the sonic universe the band has evoked with images of a disturbingly beautiful dystopian future...

On the whole, an excellent fusion work!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://driftlabmusic.com/

THREE VAIN MOONS

 Pangea e le tre lune is the fourth album by Il Cerchio d’Oro and was released in 2023 on the independent Black Widow Records label with a line up featuring Franco Piccolini (keyboards), Giuseppe Terribile (bass, vocals), Gino Terribile (drums, percussion, vocals), Piuccio Pradal (guitar, vocals) and Massimo Spica (guitar) plus some prestigious guests such as Donald Lax (violin, from historic Italianprog band Quella Vecchia Locanda), Tolo Marton (guitar, former member of Le Orme), Ricky Belloni (guitar, from Nuova Idea and New Trolls), Valerio Piccioli (guitar) and Carlo Deprati (narrative vocals) who contributed to enrich the sound. This album confirms all the good qualities of the band's previous works, with a sound deeply rooted in the seventies yet never overly nostalgic and a music always in service of the storyline. It's a concept alnum that tells of the birth of the Earth with fantasy and fairytale nuances. The lyrics are by Giuseppe Paolino, an old friend of the band, while the beautiful art cover is by Armando Mancini, a talented painter who's behind some seventies iconic prog album covers like those of Quella Vecchia Locanda...

The title of the opener, “Pangea”, refers to the supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras and began to break apart about 200 million years ago. After a dreamlike introduction with piano and flute in the foreground, the music and lyrics evoke a ball of fire that some god has carelessly hurdled into eternity. The music is dense and rich with shifts in tempo and atmosphere, while the lyrics, with nuanced tones, outline the mystery of creation. No one knows exactly how it happened, there are no witnesses, but the flame slowly turned into Earth. So, it's just a strange trick of fate that gave life, almost with childlike innocence, to this new entity that will become a continent and be called Pangea...

In “Alla deriva” (Adrift) the music and lyrics describe the new continent floating on dark, restless waters, a lifeless land slowly drifting aimlessly across a frightening landscape. Three amused moons watch over it from the sky...

Introduced by a dreamlike section with the violin in the forefront, “Dialogo” (Dialogue) evokes the image of a shooting star causing the fragmentation of the new continent. The fractured land turns to the wind and the moon, giving rise to an imaginary dialogue. The wind pushes Pangea onto the sea waves and lifts it to seek a new path, while a friendly moon watches from above and smiles, accompanying it into the darkness of the night...

“Le tre lune” (The three moons) is a complex piece, rich in nuances and changes in rhythm and atmosphere. The music and lyrics evoke the image of three moons slowly revolving around the Earth. The first is red, the second yellow, and the third is black, blending into the darkness of the night. Each moon chases the other, casting colourful reflections on the sea of ​​Pangea. These marvellous reflections spark a dispute between the three vain moons. Eventually, the yellow and red moons implode and dissolve, leaving only the black moon in the sky of Pangea. Over time, the black moon learns to wear yellow and red colurs, while it tires of black and, from then on, wears it, albeit elegantly, only occasionally...

The instrumental introduction to “Dal nulla così” (Out of nowhere, like that) might recall Le Orme, but the piece then develops in an original way. The music and lyrics describe a desolate and hostile landscape: a dark sea, brown earth, earthquakes and storms, winds and active volcanoes. Who would have thought that life could arise in such a place? Yet there was no past nor fear, and life began its journey toward an unknown future,...

The next piece, “E la vita iniziò” (And life began), dreamily describes the beginning of life on Earth. Beneath a carpet of stars, Pangea continued its journey unstoppably, driven by a rebellious sea. The continent broke apart, then reunited, changing shape several times until reaching its current form. Chance, chemistry, and the sun's rays helped life emerge from the seabed, now less dark and threatening. An evolutionary process destined to never stop...

The album's final piece, “Crisi” (Crises), is listed as a bonus track and has nothing to do with the concept. It's a hard rock song (with obvious references to Deep Purple) released as a single in 1981 and occasionally played by the band during their concerts. It deals with the economic crisis and social values ​​of the late 1970s...

On the whole, an excellent work that should find a place in your Italianprog collection!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/66935355951/

THE MINSTREL AND THE GHOST

Castrum Zumellarum is Favravola’s second studio album and was released in 2024 on the independent Lizard Records label with a renewed line up featuring Giancarlo Nicorelli (keyboards, piano, narrative vocals), Adriano Durighetto (bass), Paolo Coltro (drums), Alessandro Secchi (vocals), Consuelo Marcon (violin), Gianluca Tassi (electric guitar), Renato Bettello (flute, sax) and Flavio Miotto (acoustic guitar) plus the guests Bianca Luna (vocals) and Sant’Anselmo Choir. This is a pleasant and interesting prog opera with strong melodic shades and symphonic passages with the organ and piano in the foreground, a concept album that tells through music and words a legend linked to the castle of Zumelle, located in the province of Belluno. The art cover by Marta De Martin and the picture in the booklet try to give a visual form to the musical content...

“Anno Domini DXXXV”, the short opening piece, features the sound of a church organ and a choir. A narrator, the voice of a ghost appearing on the castle walls, introduces the story. The choir sings Latin verses that recall the castle's construction. The following piece, “Anno del Signore 2024”, brings us back to the present with Italian lyrics and a ballad that also recalls the legend of the castle's construction... The Castle of Zumelle rises up on the top of a hill with a sheer drop down to the river Terche.... A combination of history and legend recounts that the main centre was rebuilt and enlarged by the Goths (the work of Genseric) around 540 AD... Genseric was a mysterious character and the right-hand man to Amalasuntha, queen of the Ostrogoths. After the tragic death of the sovereign, killed on an island on Lake Bolsena by assassins sent by her husband Theodahad, Genseric fled to the north with Eudosia, a lady-in-waiting, whom he married and with whom he settled down in the district of Mel... Legend goes on to tell of two twins, from which the place name Zumelle is derived, who were born from Genseric and Eudosia (from the official website of the Castle - link).

Zumelle Castle

In any case, as the narrator points out, the story told here is not about the love between Genseric and Eudosia. In fact, the castle is linked to another legend and is said to have been haunted by a ghost for centuries. This is said to be the spirit of Count Murcimiro, in love with the beautiful Atleta, daughter of Tucherio. Legend has it that, during the Longobard reign of Liutprand in the VIIIth century, Murcimiro, madly in love with Atleta, who was destined by her father for another man, decided to kidnap her and take her to the castle of Zumelle. His father-in-law never accepted his daughter's relationship with the count and, at the right moment, took revenge for the outrage by killing Murcimiro. The next piece, “Murcimiro”, introduces the character of Count Murcimiro, giving him voice. The piece begins with just piano and violin, a slow pace and a melancholic, dreamy atmosphere. Murcimiro gazes out over the landscape from the top of his castle tower. Then the rhythm picks up and Murcimiro recalls being a young knight of twenty and how people admired him for his successes in jousting tournaments. His lance always at rest, his heart unshaken, his heart unshaken. He also won at Castel d'Ardo when he saw Tucherio's daughter for the first time. Then the rhythm slackens and the atmosphere becomes bittersweet as Murcimiro recalls his flame's smile, how he fell madly in love with her and how he damned himself for love...

The next track, “Atleta”, gives voice to the female protagonist of the legend, masterfully performed by Bianca Luna. The rhythm is calm and dreamy, Atleta walks in silence breathing in memories that fill her mind with sweet thoughts. She recalls the moment she saw Murcimiro on his steed, smiling at her, opening her heart and transforming her soul into a song of love. Then comes a vocal duet, melodic and romantic, in which Atleta's memories intertwine with Murcimiro's, evoking the dream of a love that reality seemed destined to smother. The piece ends with the two lovers' resolution to do anything to make their dream of love come true, even if it means going through hell...

“L’attesa” (The waiting), with its nervous rhythm, portrays in music and words Murcimiro in his castle, scanning the horizon in the throes of his passion as the days pass by empty. Even the wind that ruffles his hair seems to speak to him of that seemingly impossible love that is becoming a nightmare for him. Perhaps it isn't right, but now the decision to take Atleta by force, to free her from the fate of an unwanted marriage and make her his, grows stronger and stronger...

“Il rapimento” (The kidnapping) is a long, complex piece describing Murcimiro's feelings and reflections before his beloved's kidnapping. The vocals attempt to express his anger, his love, and his ever-growing determination. Murcimiro rebels against Atleta's father's decision to marry her off to an old man. He is determined to fight fate to have his beloved with him and he refuses to give up until he sees her smile shine again. The decision is made. By the time Tucherio discovers what has happened, it is too late. The lyrics do not describe the action or the bloody battle which is left to the listener's imagination (legend tells that Atleta's brother, Orleo, was killed during the kidnapping)...

“L’amore conquistato con la spada” (Love won by the sword) is a calm, dreamy ballad that opens with a delicate piano part reminiscent of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. The song expresses all the sweetness of Murcimiro, who, having obtained what he so desired, leaves behind his anger and seems reborn like the sun after the night. The poignant interpretation and melodic lines clash with the turmoil of emotions that brought the two lovers together after the act of force. We hear the regret for the violence that was necessary and the hope for a love that will soon bear the fruit of a new life...

According to the legend, Tucherio, blinded by grief and desire for revenge, repeatedly armed an army and laid siege to the castle of Zumelle, but never managed to conquer it. Not even the marriage between Murcimiro and Atleta and the birth of their son Adelardo could bring him peace. However, one night, taking advantage of a betrayal, he managed to enter the castle. Silent as shadows, his soldiers killed the sentries and anyone else they encountered. Murcimiro died fighting to defend everything that mattered to him. Tucherio, having recovered his daughter and grandson, set fire to the castle and watched it burn. “L’assedio (L’amore ucciso dall’odio)” (The siege - Love killed by hate) gives Murcimiro voice once again and allows us to experience the final moments of his life. The song opens with the image of a crow circling over the castle, a harbinger of doom. Betrayal lurks in the folds of the night's cloak. There are shouts and agitated voices, the battle rages and Murcimiro fights to the bitter end. The enemies are too many and they ultimately prevail. Before dying, Murcimiro asks the court minstrel to sing of his love for Atleta...

The final track, “Canto d’amore di un menestrello” (A minstrel's love song), closes the circle, bringing us back to the beginning of the story. The minstrel, enchanted by Murcimiro's courage and love, composes the notes and verses that recall the figure of the unfortunate lord of Zumelle. Words and notes carved into his heart by love itself and still remembered today. Bianca Luna's voice, this time used just as an instrument, gives the song an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere... The castle of Zumelle was later rebuilt by Tucherio to place Adelardo in charge and the latter, incited by a paternal uncle, killed his grandfather avenging his father's death. However, it is said that the ghost of Murcimiro still wanders the halls of Zumelle, unable to find peace because that mad passion that made him lose everything still burns within him...

On the whole, an excellent work that deserves its place in an Italianprog collection.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Faveravola: Castrum Zumellarum (2024). Other opinions:

Ken Levine: While fans of the grittier less melodic prog forms might balk, if you love the Hammond and its place in the glorious history of rock and prog rock, I'd say it's worth crossing the moat, where the folk and RPI audience will already be waiting for you within... (Read the complete review HERE)

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068431625727#

IN A STRANGE KINGDOM

Le Porte Non Aperte took form in Florence in 2010 thanks to the initiative of Daniele Cancellara and Jacopo Fallai and their passion for the Italian Progressive Rock of the seventies. After a period dedicated to composition, rehearsals and some concerts on the local scene, in 2013 they released their debut album, entitled Golem, on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records, with a line-up including Sandro Parrinello (vocals, piano, acoustic guitar), Marco Brenzini (flute), Jacopo Fallai (electric guitar), Filippo Mattioli (organ, synth, backing vocals) and Giulio Capitano Sieni (drums, percussion) plus the guests Daniele Cancellara (bass), Maria Paula Calderon (vocals), Saeed Aman (vocals) and Sanaz Partow (vocals). According to the liner notes, it is a conceptual work inspired by the "Imprevedibili" movement, a group of anarchist intellectuals rooted in Tuscany in the 60s and 70s and tells the story of a man who, through an introspective journey, tries to free himself from his own conditioning. The colourful art work by Silvia Brullato try to give a visual form to the musical and lyrical content...

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The album begins with a beautiful solo piano passage and background voices. “Preludio al sogno” (Prelude to the dream) is a just a short instrumental introduction that, according to the liner notes in the booklet, codifies the passage into the dream world of the subconscious and serves as an impromptu prelude to the story. The joyful yet decadent atmosphere depicts a fractured human condition within which the story of the Golem is set...

“Il re del niente” (The king of nothing) introduces us to the story's protagonist, played with remarkable energy and strong theatricality. He is a man who feels like a king, but whose kingdom exists only in his mind. His imposing castle has walls made of wind, his loyal subjects are figments of his imagination, but he still feels like a king, albeit a king of nothing. A king who wanders alone in his gardens, a prisoner of his madness...

“La città delle terrazze” (The city of terraces) describes the surreal landscape of the city where the king of nothing rules. Monuments, shopping malls, a breathtaking view that can be enjoyed from the terraces of the houses. However, the inhabitants have lost their joy in life, suffocated by the cumbersome presence of their lord. There are no riots, but the colours fade, the inhabitants have lost their memory and the ability to laugh at themselves. The atmosphere created by the music and lyrics here is truly sharp and neurotic...

“Binario 8” (Platform 8) depicts a crowded train station where long lines of people can be seen waiting to depart towards the unknown to forget their future. After some hesitation, the protagonist trades his dream for a ticket and dashes through the crowd to find a seat on the departing train. On endless tracks, he is following a mirage in search of new emotions and his reality...

A brief drum solo takes us into the hypnotic atmosphere of the next track, “Il vicolo dei miracoli” (The alley of miracles), which leads into the dark alleys of the mind. A voice reminds the protagonist that unpredictability is what separates man from beasts and machines, and that unpredictability is the path to freedom from the slavery of those who speculate on mass opinion. If statistics are used to make predictions, unpredictability makes them go haywire...

Harsh electric guitar riffs and flute notes over a frenzied rhythm introduce “Rigattiere dei sogni infranti” (Junk dealer of broken dreams), a description of the delirious and visionary encounter between the protagonist and his alter ego. This new character offers illusions in exchange for dreams and demands fragments of dream matter from the protagonist in exchange for freedom. The result is a clash between memory and the consciousness of the ego, resulting in a punishment for disrupting the order of the universe...

Le Porte Non Aperte, 2013

The disquieting short instrumental piece that follows, “Nemesi” (Nemesis), according to the liner notes, describes precisely this punishment. Here the liner notes also cite the Isaac Asimov's novel Nemesis as a source of inspiration...

In the long, complex “Oceano - Nel canto della sirena” (Ocean - In the singing of the mermaid) the protagonist finds himself on a creaking wooden boat, sailing aimlessly on the ocean of memories, filled with regret and melancholy. Lost and confused, always searching for an impossible dream and haunted by a siren song that torments and intoxicates him, forgetting all logic, the protagonist finally finds the strength to scream for his freedom...

The atmosphere in “Giardini di sabbia” (Gardens of sand) becomes calm and relaxed with just piano and flute to back the vocals. The protagonist finally lands on a distant island where he can rest. There, in the sand gardens, dreams are free but the ego must face the solitude of thought. The protagonist feels traversed by emptiness, unable to grasp his dream. He has finally arrived where wings still beat, but the landscape rapidly changes...

The following track is divided into three parts, “Animale del deserto Part I” (Animal of the desert, part I), “La rivolta della tartaruga Elsie” (The revolt of Elsie the tortoise) and “Animale del deserto Part II” (Animal of the desert, part II). The rhythm is tense and nervous as the protagonist finds himself walking and running on sandy paths. All he can see is himself. Time, behind him is smiling. It's a place that, according to the liner notes, is in the meantime ever-changing and contradictory, with a technology that, dominated by man, escapes beyond the limits of emotion. There's room for an encounter with Elsie the turtle, a rarely talkative devourer of light, and amidst contradictions, disjointed conversations, and sudden emergences of the subconscious, the protagonist finally seems to reach the point where he can take off...

Then, the last track, the instrumental “Imprevedibilità” (Unpredictability) describes the protagonist at dawn. He wakes up tiredly and soon discovers that only unpredictability exists...

On the whole, an excellent album, even if the concept might seem a bit convoluted. Anyway, that's exactly what dreams are...

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066665148487#

FROM THE SEVENTIES

Live, as you can guess, is a live album by Genfuoco, a Siena-based group linked to the Gen movement, that was self-produced and released by the band in 2001, over twenty years after the release of their only official studio LP, Dentro l'infinito (1979). It collects some live recordings made between 1976 and 1978 by the line-up comprising Tarcisio Bratto (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, flute), Franco Cecchi (keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals), Paolo De Luca (electric guitar, harmonica, vocals), Marco Naldini (drums), Marco Scala (percussion), Marco Borgogni (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, harmonica), Marco Masotti (drums) and Giovanni De Luca (bass). None of the songs presented were included on the 1979 studio work and here you can listen to them for the first time. The quality of the recordings is far from perfect, but it is nevertheless a good document of the band's experience that will be of interest to fans of Italian prog...

The opener “Solo per poco” (Just for a while) is a simple ballad with vaguely Latin flavours that describes a young man feeling sad and lost after a party, but only briefly. Indeed, the young man soon returns to dance on a green meadow for an adventure in the sun: that's where the real party is, a celebration of the communal ideals of peace and freedom...

“Canzone da leggere” (Song to read) is a longer piece, with a more complex rhythm and an interesting interweaving of electric guitar and flute. The atmosphere is dreamy while the hermetic lyrics invite you to follow the path that leads beyond your dream and your walls to seek for stones sculpted by time. You follow it, continuing to retrace your steps on the fallen leaves in a dance of a thousand sounds. Without words or shouts, you untie the ropes that bind your wrists and wash away the dust that dulls your face...

“Dolce momento” (Sweet moment) is a soft ballad led by guitars and vocals that tries to evoke a moment of peace and love lost in memory while the following “Favola vera” (True fairy-tale) is a piece with vague Renaissance references that portrays an old man who told stories and children who listened to those stories to make them the game of life. It reminds me slightly of the Italian singer-songwriter Giorgio Laneve...

Genfuoco in the seventies

“Piccolo sole” (Little sun) is a dreamy, melodic piece that depicts the image of a small flower in the middle of a meadow. The flower, bathed in dew, almost seems to be crying, but once its smile is set free it shines like a little sun...

“Dentro” (Inside) is another slow and dreamy song full of nostalgia where hermetic lyrics juggle between regrets and memories to find people and sensations lost in a day out of time and space...

The album closes with two long instrumental pieces. The first, “Jam Session”, lasts nearly twenty minutes and features influences from ethnic and folk music, tinged with psychedelia and blues. Soft, relaxed atmospheres alternate with more rhythmic, edgy passages... The second, “La suite del vento” (The suite of the wind), features an ethereal atmosphere and some good flute parts. At times, it reminds me of Delirium's first album, Dolce Acqua...

On the whole, a still immature work, but not lacking in interesting ideas.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/Genfuoco/

INVISIBLE FIRE

Genfuoco are an Italian prog band that was formed in Tuscany in the early seventies. The members of the band were linked to the Gen Movement, a Christian movement founded in 1967 by Chiara Lubich to promote among young people from all over the world a peaceful revolution able to change hearts first and then to change society bringing everywhere the spirit of the gospels. Genfuoco started playing covers of other bands linked to the Gen Movement as Gen Rosso but later they managed to shape their own sound writing original songs in a progressive rock style that could recall bands as PFM, BMS or Le Orme, with a good use of flute and sax. The line-up featured Marco Borgogni (vocals, flute, guitar), Tarcisio Bratto (sax, guitar), Franco Cecchi (keyboards), Paolo De Luca (guitar), Giovanni De Luca (bass) and Marco Naldini (drums). They had a good live activity all over Europe in the “Genfest circuit” and, after a self-produced demo-tape called “Antichi confini”, in 1979 they released an interesting album for the Catholic label Città Nuova, “Dentro l’invisibile” (Inside the invisible). The album was mainly distributed through Catholic bookshops and almost completely “out of the market”. Luckily the independent record label Mellow Records re-released the album on CD in 1992. The sound quality is not perfect, nonetheless the music is really worth listening to...

The calm, dreamy instrumental opener “Ouverture” sets the atmosphere. It begins with a solemn marching beat, then pastoral acoustic passages and delicate melodies played by keyboards, electric guitar, sax and flute follow in a perfectly balanced way...

“Dalla tana” (From the burrow) is darker and disquieting. It describes a strange dream, a stroll through a blurred past where ancient scimitars on the stones of a temple reflect the light and mummies lurk in the shade. “I painted with my thoughts / What the dark lacks...”.

The reflective “Traspare” (It shines through) is about the ephemeral values of everyday life and the need to look for a more spiritual way of life... “Who are you? / Things turn around you... It shines through / Night and day / You leave your footprints on the sand / Well, they are already vanishing into eternity / Forever...”.

“Terra promessa” (Promised Land) is a complex track in two parts, inspired by the Holy Bible... “On the sand / In the silence / The infinity is a breath that goes / A few men are staring / They are walking on their footprints / The night is falling / Slow steps, hopes and distress / Tears in the void / Many years have passed by / And sweat dug the faces / But they keep on walking...”. Never give up! Beyond the hills a virgin land and a new story is waiting... A percussion passage with a Latin flavour seems to set a happy end for people who don’t lose hope...

Next comes the meditative “Galassie” (Galaxies). The music starts softly, featuring acoustic guitar and a soaring sax solo, then the rhythm takes off. The lyrics invite you to the contemplation of the stars and constellations under a sky of glass. Just try to think about the mysteries of the cosmos... “Lost in paradise / Hanging in space / We’re walking in a fabulous reality... Now we’re gliding below / We fall into a vortex / We’re getting lost in the dark / The dream is coming to an end... Let’s take back our time!”.

“La serenata del fiume” (The serenade of the river) is a beautiful acoustic ballad that streams away in a fairy tale atmosphere. Once upon a time the Earth was generous and the water pure... “Like water that flows relaxed on the river / And dance while carried away / He will gather all the flowers for you / The flowers on the bank that have the same colour as the moon...”.

Last comes the title track “Dentro l’invisibile” (Inside the invisible), my favourite piece on this album. It begins with a spacey flavour, as if coming from the dark side of the moon... “Here you are / The King is there / Fragile flower in a muddy desert / In the night, alone, without anything / Hanging in the emptiness of the cosmos... It’s the absurd, the separation, the cry, the scream / Loneliness, moments of death... Who will be able to read in the invisible? / Who will sit on the throne of deliverance? / Who will dig beyond the abyss of the ego / And then will find himself inside us?”. Well, the influence of Pink Floyd here is clear but the band managed to shape an original, intense track full of spirituality.

From the book Rock Progressivo Italiano: An introduction to Italian Progressive Rock

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/Genfuoco/