A DREAM COME TRUE

Faveravola come from Treviso and began life in 1998 on the initiative of Giancarlo Nicorelli and Adriano Durighetto. In the seventies both founder members militated in local bands that never had the chance to record an album, bands such as Diamond Red, Dinoterium and Dawson. After a long hiatus they decided to start playing again to make their musical dreams come true and so they gathered around them a new group of musicians to work on old and new ideas. In 2006 Faveravola finally released a debut album on the independent label Lizard Records with a line up featuring Giancarlo Nicorelli (keyboards, narrative vocals), Adriano Durighetto (bass), Paolo Coltro (drums, percussion), Alessandro Bonotto (acoustic guitar), Franco Violo (vocals), Consuelo Marcon (violin) and Gianluca Tassi (electric guitar) plus some guests such as Luca Boldrin (flute), Ivan and Nicola Durighetto (recorder) and Tiziana Carraro (vocals). The result of their efforts is an interesting concept album that tells of a metaphoric journey through the dreamy land depicted on the album cover and in the booklet by Marta De Martin. The overall sound is soft and folksy and conjures up calm, pastoral landscapes while the enthusiasm and passion of all the people involved in this project shines through...

The dreamy opener "L'antefatto" (Preamble) introduces the subject matter and sets the atmosphere. Every now and again it reminds me of Procol Harum and features narrative vocals explaining that what really matters in a man's life is his imagination. You have to follow your dreams, fighting for your freedom and against every form hypocrisy and conformism... All in all, who can be sure that fantasy never meets reality?

The slow paced "Lo specchio" (The mirror) tells of a man who looks at his face in a mirror... What is left of his dreams? Suddenly he feels his soul flying away, his reflected image breaks through the mirror and he's in some way catapulted in a fairytale world generated by his own dreams. The following "La Contea dei Cento Castagni" (The County of the Hundred Chestnut Trees) describes this dreams that come true with calm tones and soft organ passages that every now and again remind me of the liturgical atmosphere of a Catholic mass post Second Vatican Council. The man is now a knight who has to defend peace, love and justice...

Next comes "La foresta degli elfi alati" (The forest of the winged elves) where the rhythm rises and the music conjures up a light sense of mystery... Now the knight is riding in his new world and has to cross a forest where every leaf is an eye and an ear of the strange inhabitants of this magic place, the elves. These creatures warn the knight about the dangers that he'll find along his road, he has to cross an old gloomy world to meet his destiny, the real world will set ambushes and every sort of waylays... Only his generous heart and his honour can save the knight! The following "L'incontro" (The meeting) features a Medieval flavour and could recall some works of the Italian minstrel Angelo Branduardi. There are male and female vocals interpreting a dialogue between the protagonist and his soul. After the breakaway, the protagonist's soul comes back with words of hope and a particular gift, her eyes on the wings of the wind...

"Il sogno" (The dream) could recall Le Orme from the pre-Collage period. The music and vocals describe the gratitude of the protagonist for his new world where he can live his dreams. His voice soars like a prayer towards the sky... Next comes the long, slow "La Piana dei Temoli del Livenza" (The plain of the graylings of the Livenza River) that features lengthy narrative vocals and describes a surreal dialogue between the protagonist and the Livenza River that speaks words of wisdom and hope. The voice of the river here is interpreted by the special guest Aldo Tagliapietra, historic member of Le Orme.

The epic "Lo scontro" (The fight) describes in music and lyrics the fight between the protagonist and the enemies that are threatening his new realm: the ferocious, merciless Hypocrisy and Infamy... The fighting is hard, the sword of the knight breaks and his injuries seem to be lethal... But suddenly his sword comes to a new life, his injuries generate the notes of a powerful music that hits hard into the heart. Time stands still, the enemies are defeated and the dream lives on...

"Danza di Messer Reale e Madonna Fantasia" (Dance of Mister Reality and Lady Fantasy) is another track with a strong Medieval atmosphere that describes an imaginary dance between a clumsy, armoured knight and a beautiful lady, the metaphors of Reality and Fantasy... They dance all night long, until dreams and reality get mixed together... Then comes the melodic ballad "Leggenda della foglia, della vita e del vento" (Legend of the leaf, of the life and of the wind) where life is compared to a falling leaf, carried by the wind. Only if you will learn how to listen to its music that leaf would land on your hands and will live on...

"Neorinascimento" (New rebirth) is a nice ballad with a positive feeling that recalls Le Orme and that conjures up the image of a mother walking hand in hand with is little child... The knight now understands that building a new world based upon love is not impossible: an idea that once was nothing but a dream could come true... The dreamy closer "La strada ai confini di..." (The road on the border of...) invites you to search for your own way to the magic world of dreams: it could be a hard, long journey but you have to be brave and march forward along the borders of your imagination to reach your destination... There you'll meet the knight and his lady, it is there that you will discover if this magic country is just dream or reality...

On the whole, a pleasant album for Italian prog lovers who who prefer soft, calm atmospheres

Faveravola: La contea dei cento castagni (2006). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: The music is pleasant, well played, and easy going. But it's just a background for the story. Most of the music is just nicely done soft rock with a steady beat and safe, somewhat generic new-agey mood, and really not that remarkable. Occasionally someone will break out with a lovely interlude or an impressive guitar solo but those moments are few and far between. It's just not going to knock you out like your favorite PFM or QVL album. Now if you are looking solely for that mellow, pastoral experience to relax to then maybe this will work for you... (read the complete review HERE)

Ken Levine: It is rare that any album contains so many gorgeous and timeless melodies that many listens will be required to absorb its full breadth. Luckily this is not a chore but a blessing. The rich production and the delicate fullness are a reward each time... (read the complete revie HERE)

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Faveravola/192635854114593 

http://www.conteadeicentocastagni.it/ 

ON THE MAGIC BUS

The Iz Quartet come from Zoppola, a little town in the province of Pordenone. They began life in 2012 as an acoustic trio under the name Izchis Zorfena’s Trio on the initiative of Denis Ronchese (keyboards) and brothers Paolo Jus (bass, guitar) and Pietro Jus (drums, percussion). In 2013 Aurelio Tarallo (guitar) joined and later the band changed their name into Iz Quartet. In 2015 the band self-released an interesting EP entitled Lebannen featuring five original compositions for a total of 29 minutes length. The overall sound is influenced by jazz, fusion and progressive rock and bands and artists such as Snarky Puppy, Greg Howe, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Frank Zappa, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Jamiroquai, Herbie Hancock or Miles Davis. Anyway, the musicians managed to put also all their passion and some good ideas into the mix and in my opinion the final result is really worth listening to.

Iz Quartet 2015

The opener "Geesy Ku" begins softly, then the rhythm rises and the music drives you through dreamy realms and exotic islands. For a first demo version of this track the band shot a nice video where you can see some toys coming to life in a workshop to explore a new world where creativity rules and where the music is the charm that makes things roll all around the place...

Next comes "Magic Bus" that takes you on a journey across the ocean and with its funky grooves conjures up an American dream along wide highways and busy streets, between lights and shadows... The following "Levity" features some Latin flavours and a lighter pace, so you can relax and dream of a special holiday, at least for a while...

The title track is an evocative piece with a mysterious atmosphere. Who is "Lebannen"? He might be the strange character portrayed on the art cover... Well, to begin the art cover reminds us that Zoppola is not for from Spilimbergo, another town in the province of Pordenone, best known for its Friuli School of Mosaic, so Lebannen might be an Oriental king or a Byzantine general with a double personality... Lebannen is also the name of a character in a fantasy saga written by American novelist Ursula K. Le Guin, but I don't know if this piece was really inspired by the deeds of the king of Earthsea... All in all, it doesn't matter! Let the music drive and take you away on the wings of your own fantasy...

The calm, acoustic "La rana di vetro" (The frog of glass) closes an album with some really good moments... Have a try, you can listen to the complete work HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/izquartet

FLYING TOWARDS THE LIGHT

Mosaico come from Grosseto and their roots date back to 2000 when the first nucleus of the band was formed on the initiative of singer and lyricist Enrico Nesi and percussionist Simone Batignani with the aim of blending the tradition of Italian canzone d'autore from the seventies with other genres and influences. After some demos and line up changes, in 2009 the musical direction of the band turned to Italian progressive rock with a renewed repertoire. In 2014 they finally recorded and self-released an interesting debut album entitled Vola with a line up featuring Enrico Nesi (vocals), Cristian Dima (bass), Nicola Cambri (synth, Hammond, Mellotron, Rhodes, accordion), Alessandro Capanni (drums), Simone Batignani (congas, bongos, udu, jamblocks, cymbals, shaker) and Fabrizio Biscontri (electric and acoustic guitars). It's an excellent album of "prog cantautorale" with a great emphasis on lyrics, almost a collection of poems dressed up in progressive rock with influences ranging from Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson to Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Premiata Forneria Marconi. This is not a concept album but in some way all the tracks have a common thread that is depicted in the art cover by Mario Bambagini, "Grande apertura" (Big opening), that symbolizes the need to find a way through a dark corridor to see the light.

The opener "Vola" (Fly), features a surreal, mystic atmosphere. It's a reflective piece where life is compared to a light leaf sailing on a river that flows from the mountains to the sea. The leaf can fall or soar like a butterfly but it can float and fly only when pushed by water and wind. The river carries everyone on its waters towards the sea, where all the waters get mixed, where life ends and there's no more pain...

The dark "Il bivio" (The crossroad) is a kind of psychedelic waltz that draws visionary, apocalyptic sceneries and invites you to wake up and make up your mind: the world is changing, the time of playing is over and your road has come to a crossroad... Law and justice are at odds, will you continue to accept passively what you are told or will you stand up and fight against your fate, shooting at the sky?

"Il critico, il profano e l'artista" (The critic, the profane and the artist) recalls Fabrizio De Andrè and is a melancholic reflection about the role that art plays in a man's life. There's no rule to capture its spirit, no way to invent a method to brew emotions, you have to heed the call of your heart and forget everything else. We might be equals in front of the law, but art make us different, special beings...

"Il nuovo potere" (The new power) is an amazing track that starts by church like organ waves and marching beats. It conjures up the images of a war that is in the meantime metaphorical and real. The power of media is overwhelming but your mind begins to wake up and you're experiencing new emotions, what you are told is not what you feel and tonight your war has begun...

"Questa santa umanità" (This holy humanity) is a caustic ballad with a nice Mediterranean flavour that starts by accordion and strummed acoustic guitar. It's a song against false honesty and the mirages conjured up by a holy humanity made of hypocrites and charlatans, against people who resemble to a herd of empty idealists wasting their breath...

"Materia e vita" (Matter and life) is an excellent track full of energy and irony that thunders words against materialism and consumerism with a particular poetical strength. Open your heart and you will attend a bold search for space that can even stop the hands of a clock and make time stand still...

Old picture from MySpace

"Lenti passi" (Slow steps) features the female backing vocals of the guest Lorenza Baudo and deals with the madness of war. Imagine the sound of leaves under marching boots, the slow steps of an army on its way to the front, then shimmering lights on the horizon and the thunder of a hundred cannons... Look at what a man can do! Old preachers, merchants of souls and politicians, listen to the families broken by hunger and pain... What we really need in this world is nothing but love!

The swinging "Sopravvivere" (To survive) is lighter and features another guest, Aldo Milani, on sax. It ends the album inviting you to open the gates of your heart leaving the shelters you metaphorically built to protect yourself from the outside world...

On the whole, this is an interesting album from a very promising band. You can listen to the complete album on bandcamp... So, have a try and judge by yourselves! Click HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/mosaicogr

THE MASTER OF TIME

Fate Of A Thousand Worlds is the second album by Gran Torino, an interesting prog band from Verona. It was released in 2013 on the French label Musea Records, two years after the promising debut grantorinoProg, with a renewed line up featuring Alessio Pieri (keyboards, piano), Gian Maria Roveda (drums), Fabrizio Visentini (bass) and Leonardo Freggi (guitars). According to the band's website, this is a conceptual work about a man who travels in space and in real time throughout the universe that is based on a short sci-fi story written by one of their friends, Paolo Gadioli, that you can find in the booklet and that's also mirrored in the beautiful art work created by Ed Unitsky. The music was conceived as a soundtrack to describe the adventures, emotions and torments of the protagonist...

The opener, "Child of the Stars", sets the atmosphere and introduces the protagonist, Velasquez, a kind of super-hero created by a superior race whose mission is to conquer the whole universe. His birth required a huge amount of energy that was obtained by destroying a planet... The music starts softly, then the rhythm gradually rises, calms down for a while and rises again, powerful and threatening...

Then comes the frenzied "Absolute Time". Here every now and again I'm reminded of bands such EL&P and Goblin... The merciless protagonist can travel through space and time and when he finds a planet inhabited by a superior race he can go back to an era when that civilization was not so evolute and can't resist to his powers...

"The Battle of Velasquez" is a dark, powerful track that could recall some passages from Darwin! by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. It's a perfect score for the destructive actions of the protagonist who defeats powerful armies and ravages fortified cities. It leads to the following "Dead Suns" where you can hear the great poem of the extinguished suns and the last pulses of the worlds swept away by Velasquez...

The melancholic "The Fog of Time" describes the feeling of loneliness and deep sadness of the protagonist. Velasquez can't find anyone who can match him. They call him just the child of the stars, they fear him, they hate him... Next comes "Empty Soul" that tries to capture in music the strange feeling that the protagonist experiences by approaching a new planet: it's just like a deep emptiness in his soul. So, he begins to observe this new planet, to explore it from above...

Gran Torino 2014

The delicate, romantic "Arìda" is a piano solo track that describes the meeting between Velasquez and a beautiful woman called Arìda who lives on the mysterious planet. The heartless protagonist finally falls in love and the following "The Short Dream" describes in some way this complicate, unsettling romance...

"End of a Planet" breaks the dream, the rhythm rises suggesting an impending danger, something is going to happen. Suddenly Velasques has to go back in his spaceship, there's something wrong... As he gets on board the planet blows up and his love is lost forever... Here the music reminds me slightly of other two planets in a distant solar system, hidden behind the jewellery of a thousand stars and forests of coral...

The title track, "Fate of a Thousand Worlds", ends the album describing the dark thoughts of the protagonist, condemned to live alone in his immense spaceship, master of time, master of the universe... Master of nothing!

On the whole, this is an excellent instrumental album and the music is really worth listening to. Have a try, even if you don't like the storyline!

Gran Torino: Fate Of A Thousand Worlds (2013). Other opinions:

Mark Johnson: The musicianship is inspired and unique sounding enough to set this band apart from the many instrumental prog bands that roam the universe. Imagine all of the things that you might encounter on a journey through the universe. Without lyrics you are left to your imagination... and sometimes that can provide its own horrors as well as inspirations... (read the complete review HERE)

Pedro Bekkers: Gran Torino have made a lot of progression compared to their debut. With the replacement of the guitarist they moved the bar up by a few notches and forced themselves to create more challenging compositions shifting toward a heavier prog rock or prog metal style. With an album like Fate Of A Thousand Worlds Gran Torino may be very proud of themselves! They can face the future with confidence... (read the cmplete review HERE)

More info:

http://www.grantorinoband.it/ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gran-Torino-prog-band/116388991763308 

FATE AND DREAMS

Four Destinies is the third studio album by Alex Carpani and it confirms all the good qualities of its predecessors, Waterline (2007) and The Sanctuary (2010). It was recorded with a line up featuring Alex Carpani (piano, Hammond, Mellotron, Moog, vocals), David Jackson (sax, flute), Ettore Salati (electric and acoustic guitar, bouzouki, balalaika), Giambattista Giorgi (bass), Alessandro Di Caprio (drums) and Joe Sal (vocals) and produced by Cristiano Roversi who engineered, mixed and mastered all the pieces. The album was finally released in 2014 on the independent Festival Music label with a nice packaging and an art cover reproducing a statue by Michelangelo Pistoletto, The Etruscan, from the Forth Worth Museum collection. According to the liner notes, this is a concept album based on four eventual destinies that a man can find on the path of his life: four destinies that irradiate, moving from the same point, in four different directions of life. To be honest, the concept is not very clear: the lyrics alternate parts in English and in Italian and do not try to tell a story but rather conjure up images adding more colours to the four musical tableaux on the album, the rest is up to your imagination! Four destinies, four long tracks with many changes in rhythm and mood, very rich in ideas and musical colours well performed by an excellent team of musicians...

The beautiful opener, "The Silk Road", takes you on a long journey through valleys and deserts, following the ancient tracks of merchants and adventurers such as Marco Polo. It's a road that marks the destiny of many different people in a melting-pot of races, colours, smells and sounds... A road that crosses the borders between science and faith, where you can hear secret stories whispered by silent shadows under the moonlight...

"Time Spiral" takes you on the mountains where you can sit on the banks of a brook and bathe in the icy waters of the springs of Time. There you can get lost in the mystery of life, you can feel the weight of your days passing by like dust and sand carried away by the current... But a threatening storm is approaching and the rage of the wind will soon blow away everything around you in the crazy spiral of a deadly fate...

"Sky And Sea" begins softly and features some dark passages that recall Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator. The music and lyrics take you on a boat sailing across raging waters under a thundering storm in a dark night... You've got to gather all your energies and fight hard for your life against the fury of the elements. At last the storm calms down, you see a lighthouse and you can breathe the smells of a seaport, you can reach a safe harbour. Now the danger is gone but sometimes tears take a long time to dry...

"The Infinite Room" takes you on a sleepwalk through an enchanted world, as in a H.P. Lovecraft story... Your body is out of control while you're strolling through the streets of a fantastic, unreal city. At dawn the dream melts and you wake up confused by feelings, thoughts and visions that are driving you insane. You can hear a strange music that's shaking your soul... "The sound of weird lyric melody was what aroused me. Chords, vibrations, and harmonic ecstasies echoed passionately on every hand; while on my ravished sight burst the stupendous spectacle of ultimate beauty..." (H.P. Lovecraft, from Beyond the Wall of Sleep).

Alex Carpani Band 2014

On the whole, I think that this is a very good album: if you like bands such as Genesis or Van der Graaf Generator and Italian progressive rock, have a try! I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

Alex Carpani: Four Destinies (2014). Other opinions:

Jerry Lucky: The music of Alex Carpani is best described as classic Italian Symphonic Progressive Rock and he has all the musical elements in place humming like a precision clock. You hear old or classic familiar sounds set against a host of newer textures, blending together to create a wonderfully enticing modern album. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:
http://www.alexcarpani.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/alex.carpani