Adc
is the third studio album by Accordo dei Contrari, a band from
Bologna. It was released in 2014 on the independent label Altrock
with a consolidated line up featuring Marco Marzo (electric and
acoustic guitar), Daniele Piccinini (bass), Cristian Franchi (drums)
and Giovanni Parmeggiani (Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, Minimoog,
acoustic piano). According to the liner notes, the album was recorded
live in studio in Riolo Terme, a small town in the province of
Ravenna. The recording sessions took only three days with short
overdubs and this work is the expression of a very cohesive
collective. It reflects the positive atmosphere of the period the members of the band
spent together with the aim of depicting the dynamics or the
contrasts you see in everyday life through sounds... The result
is an excellent instrumental album recommended to fans of bands such
as Area, D.F.A or Perigeo.
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| album cover |
The
opener "Nadir" begins softly, the mood is dreamy. The title
refers to a word coming from Arab that defines the direction pointing
directly below a particular location... After a while the dreamy
atmosphere changes, the rhythm becomes nervous before calming down
again, but it's just a momentary pause before a new electric,
frenzied ride towards deep underground spaces...
According
to the liner notes, the following "Dandelion" is dedicated
to Geoff Logsdon, the founder of Pleasant Green Records. The title
refers to a large genus of flowering plants native to Eurasia and
North America usually found as commonplace wild flowers worldwide.
It's a tense, dynamic piece full of energy that could recall the
soundtracks of Italian 70s action films...
The
mysterious "Seth Zeugma" is enhanced by the contribute of
two guest musicians, Vladimiro Cantaluppi (violin) and Enrico
Guerzoni (cello). This piece blends with excellent results classical
music elements with electric, jazzy inspirations and Middle Eastern
touches of colour. There are many changes in tempos and mood and some
passages could recall Area. The title comes from two words taken from
the Ancient Greek. Seth refers to the god of the desert, storms,
disorder, violence and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion while
Zeugma is a figure of speech in which one single phrase or word joins
different parts of a sentence...
The
lively, pulsing "Dua" swings from funky passages to more
obscure, disquieting moments and vice versa... The title seems to
refer to an Arabic word meaning to "call out" or to
"summon". According to wikipedia sources, in the
terminology of Islam, dua is an act of supplication and Muslims regard
this as a profound act of worship. Who or what is invoked here?
The answer is up to you...
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| Accordo dei Contrari 2014 |
The
title of the following "Tiglath" could refer to an
ancient king of Assyria (in the liner notes there's no explanation). In some way listening to this beautiful
piece makes think of the film The Scorpion King,
even if it was set in Egypt and not in contemporary Syria. Try
to imagine a mysterious, powerful king coming to life again to carry
out his terrible vengeance against those found guilty of the raging
war that is destroying everything, even the archaeological sites, in his
former kingdom... Here the music features some Middle Eastern
flavours and could recall again Area and their revolutionary energy
and musical force.
The
delicate, acoustic "Più limpida e chiara di ogni impressione
vissuta, part II" (Clearer, brighter than any lived impression)
features the guests Vladimiro Cantaluppi (violin) and Marina
Scaramagli (cello) and ends the album with a dreamy mood. According to the
liner notes, this piece is dedicated to a woman, Annachiara, and its
atmosphere is very different from the frenzied, aggressive first part
that was released on the previous album Kublai in 2011. If
both parts try to describe in music the hopes and fears of everyone's
life, this one is definitively more calm and optimistic and
represents a perfect conclusion for a beautiful, intense work that is
really worth listening to...
Have a try! You
can listen to the complete album HERE
Accordo
dei Contrari: Adc (2014). Other opinions:
Olav
Martin Bjørnsen:
Instrumental progressive rock that ranges from frail chamber rock
to ‘70s jazz-rock and progressive hard rock is what ADC explores on
their third studio recording "AdC". An intriguing blend of
musical styles, explored with care and consideration by high quality
musicians. If you have a soft spot for instrumental progressive rock
and a taste for variety, this is a disc that merits a closer
inspection... (read the complete review HERE)
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