VERUNO PROG

September 6-8, 2013

Free Entrance!

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/ver1musica

Find out more prog concerts in Italy:

http://arlequins.forumfree.org/

http://www.progdates.net/

http://www.hamelinprog.com/calendario-eventi/

 

FROM CAMPANIA...

La Rua Catalana, is a young band from Benevento that began life in 2009. The current line up features Leonardo De Stasio (vocals, guitars), Corrado Ciervo (violin, viola, guitars, backing vocals), Daniele Pescatore (keyboards, synth, backing vocals), Vittorio Coviello (flute, backing vocals), Daniele De Lorenzo (bass) and Marco Coviello (drums, percussion, didgeridoo).

La Rua Catalana 2012

In 2011 they released an eponymous début Ep featuring five interesting tracks drawing from a wide range of influences. The overall sound is a beautiful mix of Mediterranean colours, Latin atmospheres, folk, jazz, progressive and Italian melody.

 

In 2012 the band released “Something new”, a second EP with a slightly different sound. They chose to sing in English and in my opinion it's a real pity because they seem more at ease when singing in their native language. Although there are still many original elements in their music, The Beatles here are one of the main sources of inspiration and for the first track they even shot a video with a strong vintage flavour. 

Anyway the EP is really worth listening to and I'm looking forward to their first full length album.

More info:

http://www.laruacatalana.it/ 

https://www.facebook.com/laruacatalana

EVERYTHING HAS ITS OPPOSITE

Homunculus Res hail from Palermo and in 2013 released an interesting début album on the independent label Altr0ck/Fading Records with a line up featuring Dario D'Alessandro (guitar, vocals, minimoog, glockenspiel, percussion), Davide Di Giovanni (piano, organ, keyboards, drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals), Daniele Di Giovanni (drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals), Domenico Salamone (bass), Mauro Turdo (guitar), Federico Cardaci (minimoog, organ) and Dario Lo Cicero (flute) plus some guests and a special guest such as keyboardist Paolo Botta from Yugen, Not A Good Sign and Ske.

Homunculus Res

According to the band, their main sources of inspiration stem from artists linked to the Canterbury scene of the seventies such as Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, Caravan and Hatfield and the North. Anyway, in their music and artistic approach you can find also the legacy of an Italian band from the seventies as Picchio dal Pozzo and echoes from contemporary bands as Yugen or Breznev Fun Club. Homunculus Res' style is bold and eclectic, they showcase a great musicianship and creativity but even in their most extravagant, challenging sonic experiments they never lose the sense of melody with brilliant results.

“Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto” (the title could be loosely translated as “Limits to the equality between the part and the whole”) features eighteen tracks very different in mood and length but that flow away as if in a long suite where you can find everything and its contrary. The lyrics swing from the funny nonsense of the opener “Culturismo Ballo Organizzare” to the poignant sarcasm of “(Che ne sai tu di un) cerchio nel grano” where they jokingly quote “bunga bunga”, Lucio Battisti and Fabrizio De André.

In “Jessicalaura” the band mix Pink Floyd and Gianni Morandi in a funny, original way while the instrumental "Rifondazione unghie" recalls seventies atmospheres and an Italian band called Calibro 35. You can find a parody of a psychotic D.J. fan of Michael Jackson (“Dj Psicosi”) and an ironic love song as “La ballata dell'amore stocastico”. There's also a short quote from the “Happy Accidents” by Rascal Reporters (“Accidenti”), some echoes of bossa nova (“Estate 216 solstz”) and many more interesting ideas.

Dario D'Alessandro: Homme de Terre

By the way, the main composer of the band, Dario D'Alessandro, is also a painter and maybe his paintings and drawings that you can find in the booklet could describe the music better than my words. Have a try!

You can listen to the complete album in streaming HERE 

Homunculus Res: Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto (2013). Other opinions:
Raffaella Benvenuto-Berry: Loaded with humour and the obvious pleasure of the craft of music-making, Limiti all’eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto is the perfect antidote to too much overwrought, self-important prog. Though the lyrics and their cultural references might be lost on non-speakers of Italian, an understanding of the words is not necessary to enjoy the album and its sophisticated yet accessible brand of “Canterbury Samba Progressive”. Highly recommended to everyone but those who believe that progressive rock and humour should not mix, or else object to non-English lyrics, Homunculus Res’ debut is a delightful, intelligent album that effortlessly blends retro and modern attitudes, with the added interest value of Dario D’Alessandro’s outstanding artwork... (read the complete revie HERE) 

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/HomunculusRes 

PROG AND CLASSICAL MUSIC

In 1971 I New Trolls met composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov and producer Sergio Bardotti for the soundtrack of the film “La vittima designata” directed by Maurizio Lucidi starring Tomas Milian. The plot was set between Milan and Venice and featured the scene of a murder in Venice... So the idea of a soundtrack inspired by Vivaldi and featuring the strength of a rock band interacting with an orchestra seemed a good idea for the musical comment of the scenes on the screen. Then, from cinema to vinyl was a short step. I New Trolls line-up features here Vittorio De Scalzi (guitar, keyboards, electric piano, flute, vocals), Nico Di Palo (guitar, vocals), Giorgio D’Adamo (bass), Gianni Belleno (drums, vocals) and Maurizio Salvi (keyboards, organ) while the orchestra was directed by Maestro Bacalov himself. This album is usually regarded as a masterpiece of Italian progressive-rock and it’s historically important because it was the first experiment of this kind in Italy, moreover it was quite successful and it opened the way for other works in the same style.

Mew Trolls 1971

On the first side the band interact with the orchestra blending prog-rock influences (for instance the flute in “Jethro Tull style” and the distorted guitar) and classical music passages with balance and good taste. The first movement is the lively instrumental “Allegro”. In the second movement, the slow, passionate “Adagio”, well balanced vocals soar in an evocative way. “Wishing you to be so near to me... Waiting for the sun to shine again / Finding that it’s gone too far away / To die, to sleep, maybe to dream...”. The short lyrics were inspired by the poetry of Shakespeare... To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; or in that sleep of death what dreams may come (Hamlet, Act III - scene I). The third movement, “Cadenza – Andante con moto” is a beautiful melancholic piece, to sleep and to dream... The fourth movement, “Shadows”, is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. It’s a reprise of the “Adagio” where the band with electric guitar and flute in the forefront seem to look for Jimi’s shadow in the dark and struggle to find it...

On side two there is a long track where the members of the band showcase all their musicianship, “Nella sala vuota, improvvisazioni dei New Trolls registrate in diretta”. This piece is almost completely instrumental (in the middle there are just some vocals in Italian, a short reprise of a previously released single “Il sole nascerà”) and though the title means “improvisation in an empty room” it is very far from being just a boring free improvisation sounding more like a medley of different pieces put together. According to Vittorio De Scalzi, this is not just a filler and the aim of the band was to reproduce in studio the same energy that they were able to express live on stage during their concerts . Well, the result is definitely not bad at all!

On the re-release on CD of this album you’ll also find its sequel, “Concerto grosso n. 2”. Indeed, after their first split-up and the separate experiences of the members with Ibis and New Trolls Atomic System, in 1976 I New Trolls reunited with a renewed line-up and tried to repeat the success of “Concerto Grosso per i New Trolls”. Luis Enrique Bacalov composed the music of the first three tracks and the band interpreted them interacting with an orchestra. Perhaps you can’t find here the originality of the album released in 1971 (on the third movement every now and then there are slight reminiscences of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells...) but the pieces are well structured and well performed. In the second and third movement there are some remarkable harmony vocals and the romantic lyrics are sung in English... “She’s many miles away from me / She’s wasting nights away from me / But every song and every tear and every lie and every fear / Are always calling back my love keeping back my love...”. An amazing example of merging classical music and progressive rock...

It’s a pity that the other tracks of the album seem to go in another musical direction. Just some nice pop songs (the dreamy “Quiet Seas”, sung in English and “Bella come mai”), some West Coast echoes (“Vent’anni” reminds me slightly of CSN&Y, with amazing harmony vocals built up around a remarkable acoustic guitar work, while “Let It Be Me” is the cover of a song made famous by the Everly Brothers) and a not altogether convincing vocal experiment (“Le Roi Soleil” where the words of the bleak nonsense lyrics are nothing more than sounds while the music recalls slightly Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”). 

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

You can listen in streaming to Concerto Grosso per i New Trolls HERE and to Concerto Grosso N. 2 HERE

 

JUSTICE FOR ALL?

Magnolia began life in Rome in 1994 under the name Eclissidra on the initiative of Alessandro Di Cori, Donatella Valeri and Bruno Tifi. After many troubles, some line up changes and a long hiatus, in 2012 they released a full length début album, “La zona d'ombra”, on the independent label Lizard Records. The current line up features Chiara Gironi (vocals), Donatella Valeri (piano, keyboards), Simone Papale (bass), Claudio Carpenelli (drums, backing vocals), Bruno Tifi (guitars, backing vocals) and Alessandro Di Cori (guitars, bass, synthesizers, backing vocals). Their main sources of inspiration range from Pink Floyd to Anathema, from Italian melody to Porcupine Tree, from The Gathering to classical music and many more but the overall sound is not too derivative and the final result is rather good.

Magnolia 2012

“La Zona d’ombra” (The shadow zone) is a committed concept album freely based on the story of David Hicks, a man sentenced to death who was executed in Texas on January 20, 2000. David Hicks was a black man who was charged for the murder of a relative, an old woman. According to the band, it doesn't matter if he was guilty or not, the aim of this work is just to describe the shadow zone between innocence and evil that everyone could enter when doubts and suspects begin to whirl around. The opener title track evokes a winter night in a hot city, the mood is melancholic and tense. There's a man who can't sleep, he's driving his car along the streets and when a murder is committed he's in the wrong place at the wrong moment... “A woman dies alone / And you are there, where it happens / The certainty that you have a bill to pay takes shape / A woman dies alone / And there's a nigger in the street... And as your life is at stake / The governor opens his game...”.

“Road To Hell I” is a short instrumental with piano and organ in the forefront that describes the beginning of the nightmare. It leads to the vibrant “Non ho” (I haven't got) which raises questions about the importance of money, power and media and their influence on the legal system... “They say that what you've got is not what you are / But have they ever experienced what does it mean to own nothing at all? / The truth is that you are the shadow zone of the country / They will never forgive you to be born to remember them that they can be wrong... The real goal of the power is making you silent...”. If your skin is not of the right colour, if you have no money to pay the right lawyers, if media are not on your side and if you do not belong to the right party, do you really think that you will ever have a right trial?

“Lì fuori” (Out there) describes the feelings of an inmate inside his cell who is waiting for the his meeting with the Grim Reaper, the black mother that will eventually take him to hell. He's longing for a piece of horizon... “I was an ordinary man before God closed His eyes / I was just man like others before I became the city monster...”. The following “Home” begins with a ringing bell and a dreamy piano passage. The music conjures up sweet memories from the inmate's family life. There's a house and a garden, there are crowded streets full of tired travellers... What happened? What is left of all his broken dreams?

“Road To Hell II” is a short instrumental track based on a nice guitar arpeggio that leads to “Lettere di Annie” (Letters from Annie), a beautiful bitter-sweet track describing what the inmate feels when he reads the letters he receives from a woman who still believes in him and seems still convinced that he will be released, sooner or later... “Annie keeps on writing on every Monday / She perfectly knows I will never come out from here / Annie, who tells me to never give up / But night after night she will have to ask herself / Whether it was good or not to be waiting for me...”.

“Piccola ala” (Little wing) describes the unhappy, difficult childhood of the inmate. His mother is ill, he does not go to school and social services can't help him. As a boxer, the little child has to grow up and learn how to beat up his merciless destiny. Next comes the heartfelt “La gabbia” (The cage) that describes the difficult relationship between the inmate and his violent father. Bad memories, long hours passed hidden in the basement, a growing hate... “You, who wished nothing but to be a perfect son of God... The body, the tears and then you can't come back...”.

“Nel mio nome” (In my name) is built on a beautiful piano pattern and is a short reflection about justice. Every life is worth to be lived, there's no man who has the right to sentence another man to death. Nonetheless the jury will stand up while the condemned defendant will fall down suffocated by a hazy truth. The following “Ellis One” features a dark atmosphere where rage and regret are blurred while the lyrics evoke images of inmates treated as animals waiting for the slaughter. Is all this necessary in a country that boasts its civil rights?

“Corridoi” (Corridors) conjures up the image of a dead man walking in the corridors of a jail. He's on his way to the execution room but it's not time yet. They bring him back to his cell, he has still to wait for the final act... “Now you know it / You were already in the corridors / You were in the list, you will get used to it / Maybe you will have time to get used to it...”.

The pulsing instrumental “Road To Hell III” leads to the conclusive “Black Out” that describes the execution. There's people observing the scene behind a glass, faces that freeze into the veins of the condemned man and melt. A sensation of cold comes down, it's the final curtain... “By bye... Blackout...”.

“The Deuteronomy book of the Bible commands, "Justice, justice shall you pursue." When asked why the word justice is repeated, one ancient commentator replied that there are two aspects of justice: the end of convicting only the guilty, and the means that requires that in the interest of rarely convicting the innocent, we sometimes acquit the guilty. It is not long before the young lawyer realizes that no one really wants justice. Everyone wants to win. The façade behind which the desire to win is hidden is called justice” (Alan Dershowitz, from the book Letters to a Young Lawyer).

Magnolia: La zona d'ombra (2012). Other opinions:

Chris “Seventhsojourn”: Magnolia have been around since the mid-nineties and following a ten-year hiatus they're back with a bang in the form of the thought-provoking “La Zona d'Ombra”, a concept album inspired by the story of convicted murderer David Hicks... The story is told through a series of flashbacks and memories that influence the music, with the prevailing feel being moody and atmospheric... While Magnolia seem to have inherited the Italian interest for all things American they thankfully sing in their own language, but the statements they make with their music are strong enough in any case. 'La Zona d'Ombra' is nothing less than and nothing else than a classic of modern Italian prog rock... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:

http://www.magnoliaitaly.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magnolia/225541160815149 

THE FOOL AND THE WISE MEN

After their debut album “Dolce acqua” and some commercial singles (“Jesahel”, “Haum” and “Treno” - in my opinion weak, but very successful), vocalist and flutist Ivano Fossati went solo and Martin Grice stepped in. With a renewed line up now featuring Mimmo Di Martino (guitar, vocals), Ettore Vigo (keyboards, vocals), Marcello Reale (bass, vocals), Peppino Di Santo (drums, percussion, vocals) and Martin Grice (flute, sax, keyboards, vocals) the band turned back to prog and in 1972 released “Lo scemo e il villaggio” (The fool and the village), their second album, a kind of “concept” about “foolishness and reason”, where the fool is someone that always finds a way to tell the truth. In my opinion in this album you can’t find the spontaneity and freshness of Delirium’s debut, anyway the music is rather good and the band blend folk, jazz and prog rock with remarkable results.

The opener “Villaggio” (Village) is an excellent instrumental with a great piano and flute work and a joyful, complex rhythm. Every now and again it reminds me of Le Orme, Jethro Tull and ELP. Well, many influences blended together in a very personal, convincing way. This is also my favourite track on this album. 

“Tremori antichi” (Ancient shudders) is an amazing, dreamy acoustic ballad about the absurdity of war. The snow falls down and covers the blood of the dead soldiers after Marathon battle, in the same way men too easily forget the tears of the women who have been waiting in vain longtime for the return of their lovers and husbands. For a thousand years, battle after battle, war after war, it's always been the same endless story... “Under the fog of ancient shudders / The clash of the swords awoke me / I begun to scream like a child / And someone shouted at me that I was mad / The lips of the wise men shouted in my face that they liked to see the rising sun in a blood-red colour...”. The singing of Mimmo De Martino is not bad at all but here I miss a bit the particular voice of Ivano Fossati.

“Gioia, disordine, risentimento” (Joy, disorder and resentment) is a complex piece where the band try to blend tarantella, prog and avant-garde. It's a song about social inequality and the lyrics depict the contrast between slums of tin houses and the threatening power of money. Although I find this experiment interesting, it is not completely convincing and in my opinion this is the weakest track on this album. I prefer by far the new arrangement on their live album released in 2007 which gave new life to this track.

The following “La mia pazzia” (My madness) is a joyful track that reminds me of the hit single and best known Delirium’s song “Jesahel”. Is it madness shouting “Peace!” in the streets or claiming for the right of every man to be equal to others, despite the colour of his skin? Men frequently tell lies to themselves because of their greediness and they disown their own faith because of their evil nature. This is the kind of madness that is described in the lyrics... “Don’t look me in the eyes / My madness won’t be silent...”.

Next comes the beautiful, dreamy “Sogno” (Dream), an instrumental track that recalls the atmospheres of their previous album, with a touch of jazzy sax and piano in the middle section. It leads to “Dimensione uomo” (Dimension man), a a slow ballad with heartfelt vocals floating upon acoustic rhythm guitar patterns and nice piano passages. It's a reflective track that invites you to think about the real value of life in a world that always seems running after death. Isn't it beautiful when peace and love come around? Look at the children and at their ingenuity but do not expect anything from the adults... “Do not ask anything / If you don’t want a refusal...”.

“Culto Disarmonico” (Dis-harmonic cult) is another good instrumental with sax and drums driving the music towards jazzy paths while the final track “Pensiero per un abbandono” (Thought about an abandonment) is quiet and symphonic. Maybe the real madness of humankind is due to the lack of love that leads to injustice and abuse in the name of God. But the real God for too many people is nothing but money... “Perhaps it’s true / I’m mad / I’ve just understood / That I can’t remember a single act of sweetness / Coming from the hands of people...”.

On the whole, “Lo scemo e il villaggio” might not be a masterpiece but in my opinion it could be an excellent addition to any Italian prog collection.

You can listen in straming to the complete album HERE

More info about the band:

http://delirium.altervista.org/index.html 

 

OPENING THE GATES OF DREAM

Silver Key is a progressive rock band from Milan whose roots date back to 1992. After many problems, a long hiatus, some line up changes and a period passed performing Marillion's covers, in 2012 they finally released a début album featuring only original compositions on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records, “In The Land Of Dreams”. The current line up features founder member Yuri Abietti (vocals, acoustic guitar, samples) along with Carlo Monti (electric and acoustic guitars), Alberto Grassi (bass), Davide Manara (keyboards, synthesizers, samples) and Viviano Crimella (drums, percussion) but in the studio they were helped by some special guests such as Ettore Salati (guitar – from The Watch, The RedZen, SoulnginE and Alex Carpani Band) and Massimo Parretti (keyboards – from the historic band Alusa Fallax). The overall sound is in debt with bands such as Genesis and Marillion, of course, but Silver Key managed to add to their music a touch of originality and all their love for the works of writers as Howard Phillips Lovecraft and Robert William Chambers with excellent results.

Silver Key 2012

Calm, lasting beauty comes only in dream, and this solace the world had thrown away when in its worship of the real it threw away the secrets of childhood and innocence... There are twists of time and space, of vision and reality, which only a dreamer can divine... (H.P. Lovecraft, from The Silver Key). Well, the band was named after the title of a short story by H.P. Lovecraft and I think that this short quote along with the beautiful art cover by Claudio Bergamin could introduce you to Silver Key's work better than all my words.

The evocative, dreamy title track, “In the Land of Dreams”, opens the album inviting you to look at the world as it is in your dreams, even if it's very difficult at times. The following “More Than I Can” is darker and reminds you that life is too short for all the things you would like to do. Next comes “Learn To Let Go” which is about the need to break free from the chains of your worries and fears to escape from the daily grind. After comes “Millennium” that begins softly, then the music and lyrics conjure up apocalyptic visions with black clouds of fiery angels pouring down from the sky.

“The Silver Key” is the main course of the album. It's a long, complex suite featuring lyrics inspired by the literary works of H.P. Lovecraft and R.W. Chambers. The silver key opens the gates of a fantastic dreamland but as we grow up we risk to lose our capacity to enter the realms of dreams. In this sumptuous suite the music and lyrics try to take us on a dangerous journey through forgotten memories and dark, fantastic cities, in a quest for our lost innocence.

The conclusive “Welcome” begins with a delicate piano pattern. It's a bitter-sweet ballad that blends hope and regret with a strong sense of melody... “I welcome myself / Standing on the edge of what I'm going to be / I welcome my death...”.

On the whole a very good album, especially recommended if you like bands such as The Watch.

You can listen to complete album in streaming  HERE 

Silver Key: In The Land Of Dreams (2012). Other opinions:

Steven Reid: As debut efforts go, In The Land Of Dreams really is rather special. Yes it is neo-prog as you've come to expect it and yes you could, if you were being uncharitable, suggest there's little new here. However Silver Key deliver from the heart and take you wilfully on their musical journey as they do so. In itself a feat worth celebrating... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:

http://www.silver-key.it/ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Key/199566720070000 

OSANNA 

+
BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO 

***

MUSEO ROSENBACH 

+
PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI 

live in Rome 

June 24-25, 2013

More info:

http://www.auditorium.com/

Find out more prog concerts in Italy:

http://arlequins.forumfree.org/

http://www.progdates.net/

http://www.hamelinprog.com/calendario-eventi/

  

NOT ONLY PAWNS IN THEIR GAME

Progenesi are a young prog band hailing from Milan and formed by four musicians coming from different musical backgrounds. In 2013 they released an interesting début album titled “Ulisse l'alfiere nero” (Ulysses the black bishop) with a line up featuring Omar Ceriotti (drums, percussions), Dario Giubileo (bass), Patrik Matrone (electric guitar and acoustic guitar) and Giulio Stromendo (piano, Hammond, synthesizers, keyboards) plus two guests, Eloisa Manera (violin) and Issei Watanabe (cello). Their aim was to blend progressive rock, jazz and classical music and among the influences they boast you can find Premiata Forneria Marconi, Le Orme, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree along with jazzists as John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck or classical composers as Bela Bartok and Chopin.

According to the band, “Ulisse l'alfiere nero” is a concept album freely based on Homer's epic verses about the fall of Troy in the Iliad. The album is completely instrumental and the story is told just through the music and the nice pictures that you can find in the booklet. Your imagination has to fill all the gaps but I'm sure it won't be difficult since the overall sound is rich and full of evocative colours that will help you.

The opener “La gioia della pace” (The joy of peace) recalls PFM and is a lively piece celebrating the end of the siege. The picture describing this piece portrays a chessboard with a black knight in the forefront that is facing alone all the white pieces. Now imagine the joy of the inhabitants of Troy dressed up in white dancing around the deceiving, threatening black wooden horse on the beach at a tarantella rhythm while in the sky a light bird goes...

The music of the following track, “La strategia” (The strategy), was inspired by Béla Bartòk's “Suite op. 14”. It features more aggressive passages, some jazzy touches and a martial marching beat in the middle section. The picture describing this piece portrays a chessboard with a black bishop in the forefront that is observing the battlefield and planning a subterfuge to defeat his white enemies. Well, if you like an album such as “Il passo del soldato” by Nuova Era I'm sure you'll be delighted by this amazing piece.

“Il blue della notte” (The blue of the night) begins softly, with a delicate passage for piano and strings. The city is asleep and there' no one but the wind who is talking in the streets. Then the rhythm rises bringing a sense of impending tragedy. In the picture describing this piece you can see a black bishop in the dark leading his pawns toward the chessboard while the knight is in the rear.

“Il rosso della notte” (The red of the night) is divided into two parts. The first one begins in an aggressive way with dark chords and frenzied organ rides. The slaughter begins and the city is put to fire and sword while the dreams of the inhabitants turn into nightmares. The first part ends in a surreal dirge. In the second part the sound of a gong introduces a more relaxed passage with a mysterious flavour but then the rhythm rises again while the raging fire still paints the night in shades of purple and other deep colours.

The last track, “Un grande eroe” (A great hero), is a long, complex celebration of the victory. In the picture describing this piece you can see the black bishop observing from a shelf a heap of black and white pieces scattered on the ground. The war is over but home is still far and the music seems to suggest that the journey will be long and full of surprises.

Progenesi: Ulisse l'alfiere nero (2013). Other opinions:

Todd Dudley: In what is becoming a banner year for Rock Progressivo Italiano, another excellent entry is new band Progenesi. Their debut is a concept album centered around Ulysses, entitled "Ulisse: L'Alfiere Nero" (the Black Bishop). This ambitious album is entirely instrumental, but surprisingly the narrative stays strong throughout the work, even without words... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:

http://progenesi.altervista.org/ 

https://www.facebook.com/Progenesi 

COLLECTING MEMORIES

L'Estate di San Martino began life in Perugia in 1975 on the initiative of Marco Pentiricci and Giuseppe Petrazzini. In the seventies the band had no chance to release a full length album and it wasn't until 2006, after a long hiatus and many line up changes, that they managed to release their début work, “Alder”, a concept album recorded live in 1983. In 2007 the band released a second album called “Febus”, featuring old stuff from the nineties re-arranged, and, finally, in 2012 they released what is their best work so far, “Talsete di Marsantino”, on the independent label AMS/BTF. 

The current line up features Marco Pentiricci (sax, flute, acoustic guitar), Riccardo Regi (electric and acoustic guitar), Stefano Tofi (keyboards, vocoder, acoustic guitar), Massimo Baracchi (bass) and Sergio Servadio (drums) but during the recording sessions they were helped by some prestigious guests such as Steve Hackett (electric guitar), Francesco Di Giacomo (vocals) and Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals). The result in my opinion is excellent and this work is a must to have for every prog collector.

“Talsete di Marsantino” is a concept album based on a short story by Riccardo Regi that you can find in the booklet (if you can't speak Italian do not worry, in the booklet there's a translation into English as well). The protagonist of the story is an imaginary character, an archivist who in an Autumn day receives a mysterious letter containing nothing but a verb: “to pick”. The album is almost completely instrumental, there are some jazzy passages but calm, dreamy atmospheres prevail. As time is running out the protagonist has to hurry to collect memories, sounds from the past, fragments of human knowledge and dreams. What kind of link can you find between an enormous clock hidden in a mountain that chimes just one time per century, the strange fossil of a bacteria and an ancient lake in California?  

Maybe the beautiful vocals provided by Francesco Di Giacomo could give you a clue... “It will only take a time equal to eight to this last work / If standing towards North it will be East / And standing towards South it will be West...”. Is it not clear? Well, all in all it doesn't matter: just let the music draw you away! If you like bands such as Genesis, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso or Premiata Forneria Marconi I'm sure you'll enjoy this magnificent album as well.

You can watch L'Estate di San Martino on stage HERE 

L'Estate di San Martino: Talsete di Marsantino (2012). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: I would describe the composition as music that is "soaring" as if the soundtrack to footage shot from aircraft above rugged coastlines and the like. Relaxing and sometimes not gripping enough for my personal tastes, yet, there are certainly times when I would find it appealing. A well made, ambitious disc for fans of the refined progressive rock... (read the complete review HERE)

 

More info:

http://www.estatedisanmartino.it/