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...
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| 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)
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