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/