Goblin
Rebirth is a new germination of Goblin, the historic Roman prog band
best known for the soundtracks of horror films such as Deep Red
or Dawn of the Dead. The project was born in 2011 on the
initiative of two veteran Goblin's members, Fabio Pignatelli (bass)
and Agostino Marangolo (drums) and the line up was completed by Aidan
Zammit (keyboards, vocoder), Danilo Cherni (keyboards) and Giacomo
Anselmi (guitars). The band started performing live some pieces from
Goblin's old repertoire but also managed to work on original
compositions. In 2015 they finally released a brand new album on the
independent label Relapse Records: it's simply entitled Goblin
Rebirth and it was conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary film
whose plot is described in the liner notes. During the recording
sessions the overall sound was enriched by some guests musicians such
as Arnaldo Vacca (percussion), Francesco Marini (cello), Roberta
Lombardini (vocals) and Dorraine Zammit Lupi (vocals) and I'm sure
that Goblin's fans won't be disappointed by this work...
The
excellent opener "Requiem For X" conjures up an atmosphere
of mystery. According to the liner notes, it describes a scene where
a strange character is observing a funeral ceremony from a hidden
spot... Well, the strange character is a goblin who looks at his own
final journey towards the pyre. How could it happen? He remembers...
The
following "Back In 74" takes you back in time and features
vintage sounds that recall Italian seventies scores full of car
chases and action... According to the story-line here the protagonist
begins a strange experience that drives him across space and time. He
relives his childhood and early adult life, he can see all his many
errors and feels that he has to follow a new way...
The
dark "Book Of Skulls" describes the climbing of a mountain
and the discovery, in a palace carved into the rock, of a mysterious
book. The protagonist can't understand the symbols written on the
pages of the book and their secret message but he puts the book in
his pocket and leaves the palace...
The
following "Mysterium" takes you through the labyrinth where
the protagonist gets lost after leaving the palace. The atmosphere is
tense and disquieting, you can feel fear and a sense of loss looming
large. The protagonist feels he's being manipulated like a guinea pig
in an experiment by an unknown entity...
On
"Evil In The Machine" the rhythm rises and the atmosphere
becomes almost unreal. The music veers to frenzied electronic
soundscapes and here every now and again it reminds me of bands such
as the Rockets, Kraftwerk or Alan Parsons Project. What did it
happen? Well, you'll never know how, but the protagonist is now
trapped into a video game and in this surreal world created by humans
he meets a beautiful female goblin: short circuit! The game is
over...
 |
| Goblin Rebirth on stage |
On
the following "Forest" the rhythm calms down and we find
the new formed couple in a kind of garden of Eden, surrounded by the
beauty of nature. Now the atmosphere is relaxed, you can hear a
church like organ and the suggestive, ethereal female vocals of the
guest Roberta Lombardini while an electric guitar solo evokes a love
dream on the dark side of the moon... Is this love?
The
Gothic "Dark Bolero" conjures up obscure suspects, sins and
betrayals. The music for a while takes you back to the time of
Inquisition trying to describe a love that is falling apart, poisoned
by jealousy and infidelity. Eventually the protagonist realizes that
a goblin can never love and gives up: he just closes his eyes waiting
for the end of his painful days on earth...
The
closer "Rebirth" marks a new beginning. The protagonist
awakes in a new mood, you can here exotic percussion and acoustic
guitar passages while the keyboards weave the fabric of a new
spiritual dimension. Mr. X is back home now and his family welcome
him. He can start a new circle with a new awareness, while his
nightmare slowly melts in the light of a new day...
Well,
I doubt that this album will ever become the soundtrack of a real
film, so all the images are up to your own fantasy that the power of
music can stir, you can even elaborate a different screenplay if you
like... Have a try!
You
can listen to the complete album HERE
Goblin
Rebirth: Goblin Rebirth (2015). Other opinions:
Michael
"Aussie-Byrd-Brother": A complete rebirth of the Goblin
sound may be a bit of an exaggeration, but 'Goblin Rebirth' still
sees this version of the band very inspired and determined to
impress, and they've succeeded in creating a very confident and
distinctive work. It ticks all the right boxes and will easily please
faithful Goblin fans, but there's a lavish symphonic prog sound in
general, with a gutsy modern edge that already shows Goblin Rebirth
forging their own unique dark identity. They not only compliment the
other currently active Goblin bands, but they also stand apart on
their own merits, and it's a triumph for lovers of the darker side of
Italian prog and instrumental prog in general... (read the
complete review HERE)
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