GROWING UP

 Protocollo C came to life in 2012 in Bra, a town in the province of Cuneo, with a line up featuring Marco Vona (guitar), Daniele Sagli (drums), Alessandro Aiello (organ, keyboards) and Alessandro Dellarocca (bass). Soon they started to experiment and compose original stuff and in 2017 they recorded an interesting eponymous debut album that was released in 2018 on the independent label Lizard Records. On this work you can listen to an excellent mix of vintage sounds with echoes of the incredible Jimmy Smith at the organ, a pinch of blues and a touch of funky-prog with a strong penchant for seventies soundtracks of Italian B-movies in the vein of bands such as La Batteria or Calibro 35. In fact, this is an instrumental concept album, an imaginary soundtrack where every piece represents a phase of the life of a common man. In the booklet you can find a drawing by Matteo Manera and a short comment by Chiara Fissore for every piece describing in some way what the music is about. Anyway, the listener is always the main protagonist... 

 

 

The nice opener “Adolescenza” (Adolescence) starts by a cheerful, carefree marching beat and describes a period in a man life where everything seems possible. It contrasts with the following “Maturità” (Maturity) and its staid, obsessive pace and sudden frenzied passages that mark the need to achieve the goal to find a job and settle down in the period of life when a man is supposed to sign a deal with the future... 

 

 

“Perdita della routine” (Loss of routine) is darker and deals with the stifling formality of family life and the work daily grind. The burden of acting always by rote drives you crazy, tension rises as you feel the need to assert yourself and you try to find a way out from your monotonous routine. Next comes “Premeditazione” (Premeditation) that marks the effort to break through from the cage of your reality reacting against the mocking twists of the fate that made your life so uninteresting and boring... 

 

Protocollo C, 2017

 

The nervous, tense “Metamorfosi degli innocenti” (Metamorphosis of the innocents) expresses the tearing choice to get rid of the mask you wear every day to hide your feelings while the following “Presa di coscienza” (Realization) marks the bewilderment of a personal crises where everything gets blurred and regrets become heavier and heavier... 

 

 

The up tempo of “Fierezza” (Proudness) swings from reggae to funky rock to underline the will to get up, stand up and fight for your dreams. You need strength and boldness to look inside yourself and find the positive energies you need to get free... The following “Consapevolezza” (Awareness) tries to convey the idea of analysis and reflection. Once you know the hidden aspects of your personality, you can begin to rebuild your life and consider new plans for your future... 

 

 

The drawing associated to “Goodbye Italia” suggests a new start, a train to catch and new challenges on the horizon. The folkloric elements in the music and the lively rhythm show that for you there are no borders now and the world is your home... Eventually, the long final track entitled “Flashback” makes you relive the different phases of your life as in a dream, from the years of youth to the present. 

 

On the whole, a very pleasant listening! 

 

You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/protocolloc/ 

OF BARDS, GODS, PAINTERS AND LOVERS

Alibi filosofico is the third studio album by Pandora and it was released in 2013 on the independent label AMS/BTF Records. After the release of their previous work, Sempre e ovunque oltre il sogno (2011), guitarist Christian Dimasi left the band and wasn’t replaced, so Pandora went on as a trio with a line up featuring Corrado Grappegia (vocals, keyboards), Beppe Colombo (keyboards) and Claudio Colombo (drums, percussion, bass, guitars, keyboards, flute, cuatro, backing vocals) but during the recording sessions they were helped by many prestigious guests such as Arjen Lucassen (Minimoog, guitar), David Jackson (saxophones, flute, tin whistle), Dino Fiore (bass), Leonardo Gallizio (bass), Emoni Viruet (vocals, percussion) and others. The result of their efforts is a brilliant mix of vintage atmospheres and modern sounds. The art cover by Emoni Viruet reflects the musical content and in the rich booklet every track is described with a painting and a short story by Claudio Colombo... 

The long, complex opener “Il Necromante, Khurastos e la prossima vittima” (The Necromancer, Khurastos and the next victim) is a sequel to the fantasy story of the druid Chad-Bat, protagonist of some pieces on Pandora’s previous album where he helped a king and his army to defeat their enemies. Anyway, his final enchantment consumed almost all his energies and here Chad-Bat’s adversary, the Necromancer, takes his revenge: he breaths new life in the bodies of his dying soldiers and awakes an ominous monster called Khurastos that storms upon the king’s army. The theatrical vocals interpret the Necromancer’s fury while the music evokes the battle and the bloodshed...

The epic instrumental “Né titolo né parole” (No title nor words) is also linked to Chad-Bat’s saga. According to the short story in the booklet, a female elf with a magical voice and her faithful knight called Lord Jon perceive the approaching sound of evil forces and set off to the rescue defeating the Necromancer’s army with the charming power of their music. Every now and again the atmosphere could recall the score of an old spaghetti western... By the way, this piece is dedicated to the memory of Jonathan Douglas Lord (1941-2012).

The piano driven instrumental “La risalita” (The ascent) describes a difficult escape from the treacherous waters of the Styx river where Pandora, the protagonist, is trapped after her meeting with Hades, the god of the dead and the king of the underworld. The story continues in the following “Apollo” where Pandora goes through a kind of psychedelic dream and gets lost in a labyrinth of sounds and melodies after ran into Apollo, the god of music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more... Eventually she awakes in the middle of a village where there’s a celebration going on and she begins to dance. The narrative vocals express, through the dialogue between Apollo and Pandora, some reflections about the ever changing concept of art and its capability to mislead who tries to understand it...

The colourful, jazzy “Tony il matto” (Mad Tony) is dedicated to the memory of Antonio Ligabue, an Italian painter and one of the most important Naïve artists of the 20th century, a peculiar character that emerges from superimposed layers of silence with his madness, his genius and the memories of his troubled life spent as a loner, wondering along the banks of the river Po, near the town of Guastalla, Emilia.

“Sempre con me” (Always with me) starts softly, the mood is dreamy. It’s a piece about a love stronger than time. The music and lyrics depict a man and a woman that have been together for a lifetime and keep on walking side by side, overcoming every obstacle, until they’re in front of a celestial orchestra. Their love generated other lives and more love, their image is a true celebration of happiness... The long final track, “Alibi filosofico” (Philosophical alibi), on the contrary, describes the crises of a relationship where the love between a man and a woman can’t stand up against the difficulties of life. The man is trying to find a reason to leave his partner, making up an alibi to hide his plans, searching for the right words to break free. It’s just a matter of different point of views, a philosophical topic about time passing by and the need of new goals...

An excellent album!

More info:

http://www.pandoramusic.eu/

https://www.facebook.com/claudiocolomboprog/

A PSYCHEDELIC QUEST

Colster come from Bra, in the province of Cuneo, and began life as a duo on the initiative of Livio Cravero (guitars, bass, synthesizers) and Francesco Previotto (drums, percussion). Their influences range from Pink Floyd and psychedelia to progressive rock and jazz but they always try to be as much original as possible mixing music with their personal experiences without schemes or barriers. Colster's first eponymous album was recorded between 2008 and 2009 and finally released on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records in 2010. It's a completely instrumental album but in some way every track is linked to images or memories that the musicians tried to explain in the liner notes and with the help of some pictures that you can find in the booklet. 

 

The opener “Searching Absolution fase 1” starts with a frenzied rhythm and tense guitar riffs. Some passages reminds me of Goblin and the music could be the perfect score for a thriller or a horror film by Dario Argento. According to the liner notes this piece tries to describe an ideal quest for purification, you have to forget past errors and search for an absolution to give a new sense to your life. 

 

“The First Wail” is more in psychedelic vein. The music takes you off on a kind of cosmic trip and you can even breathe the atmosphere of the dark side of the moon, but beware! The way is full of surprises. Next comes “Everyday Life” which describes the hectic rhythm of every day life, a rhythm that makes you forget what is really important. At the beginning there's a hard, pulsing beat, then the storm calms down and you get lost in your reflections. 

 

The following track “Island Asylum” describes an ephemeral, sensual refuge from the daily grind. The atmosphere is more relaxed here, you can dream and find new energies. The short “Mind Rejection” is darker and marks the moment when you have to leave your shelter. With “Searching Absolution fase 2 and fase 3” you're back on your cathartic quest but the way is difficult, a long drum solo evokes wild rides in the dark and uncertain paces, then an ethereal, dreamy atmosphere brings new hope and you can go on. 

 

On “Melancholy” some memories emerge from the past, surrounded by emptiness. This track features a heartfelt electric guitar solo and an ethereal atmosphere. It leads to the conclusive “See Through The Tears”, where you can contemplate the world through a veil of tears. Your sight is not clear now while the music conjures up surreal visions and blurred landscapes. The quest comes to an end and probably you couldn't find the absolution you were looking for. Anyway, even if you can't give a new sense to your life I'm pretty sure you will not regret the time spent listening to this album. At the moment the band is already working on a new album with two new members in the line up and I'm looking forward to listen to it.

Colster: Colster (2010). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: Colster succeeds at what I believe are one of their intentions, creating a sort of soundtrack for the thoughts and images of the listener, music that moves with you as you live. And yet it is important to reiterate that their succinct style is a strength. They improvise and dream musically of course, they take you places, but they keep the pieces reasonably brief and well paced, stretching the length out only as necessary. There is no overindulgence here where you are tortured by 16 minutes of feedback over breaking glass and barking dogs. Colster brings a lighter edge to psych/space and are capable of crossover should they choose to go there... (read the complete review HERE).  

More info:

http://www.colster.it/

http://www.myspace.com/colstermusic

http://www.facebook.com/pages/COLSTER/96963732219 

BEYOND A DREAM

In 2011 Pandora released their sophomore work on AMS/BTF, “Sempre e ovunque oltre il sogno” (Always and everywhere beyond the dream), with the same line up of their debut album featuring Beppe Colombo (synth, organ, backing vocals), Claudio Colombo (drums, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar, synth), Corrado Grappeggia (vocals, synth, organ, piano) and Christian Dimasi (electric guitar, backing vocals). The overall sound of this second work is mellow and symphonic and every track is described in the booklet with a painting by the American artist Emoni Viruet (who now is Claudio Colombo’s wife), almost a ghost member of the band. She is also the author of the art cover while Beppe Colombo painted the inlay picture titled “Sempre e ovunque”.  

Pandora 2011

The instrumental opener “Il re degli scemi” (The king of fools) is a solo performance by Claudio Colombo who composed the piece and played keyboards and percussion. According to an interview with the band it was inspired by a short story that his wife wrote after a dream. It tells of a powerful king who could impress his people with magic but who didn’t know what’s real love. This track reminds me of the soundtracks of some films of a genre called Sword-and-sandal, Italian low budget imitations of Hollywood historical epics that were in fashion in the early sixties...

The short instrumental “L’altare del sacrificio” (The altar of sacrifice) and the following “L’incantesimo del Druido” (The spell of the Druid) tell the story of a fantasy character, a Druid called Chad-Bat, who with his rites and his magic helps a king and his army to defeat their enemies... “There’s no one like me / No one is greater than me...”. Well, when listening to this track try to imagine the busy wizard at work...

“Discesa attraverso lo Stige” (Descent through the Styx) and “Ade, sensazione di paura” (Hades, feeling of fear) are two long, complex instrumental tracks linked together that describe the story of a woman who crosses the waters of the river Styx and enters the secret world of Hades. Follow her and you will see fire and ice dancing together, lost souls and demons dancing with Death in the wide hall of immensity... Eventually, if you are lucky, you’ll find the way back!

“03.02.1974” (February 2, 1974) is about another kind of magic. The lyrics evoke the feelings and emotions provoked by a Genesis’ concert in the seventies... “It wasn’t just music that evening / It wasn’t just a show in that moment... It was a magic touch flying away... They weren’t just songs... Then The Knife broke in / Shouts, shivers, tears / It was the end for us... Even today I think of you / I can still feel the emotion and I cry...”.

On “La formula finale di Chad-Bat” (The final formula of Chad-Bat) the busy Druid comes back to offer you his help. All in all there’s no one like him to conjure a magical dream...

“Sempre e ovunque” (Always and everywhere) is a long suite in eight parts that concludes the album. It begins with a nice instrumental overture, full of symphonic suggestions to stir your fantasy... “Here I am, my young prince / I’m just back from the past... I’m back to give you all what I gathered in all this time / I’m back to give you the keys of my coffer / My young prince, here you are / That’s the key of your empire...”. The coffer is full of dreams and emotions, the same dreams and emotions that a father would like to pass on to his son. Opening the coffer you shiver, understanding the real value of that treasure you could be overwhelmed by emotion... “I have lived to give you my world / Here I am, my young prince / Look at your empire / Look where the past comes from, where the future begins... Take up in your hands all my emotions / And keep them with you, always and everywhere...”. Now the son is the keeper of his father’s dreams... Progressive rock will live on! Well, a great finale for a very good album...

After the album was released Christian Dimasi left the band and now Pandora are a trio again but don’t worry, they won’t stop...

Pandora: Sempre e ovunque oltre il sogno (2011). Other opinions:

Paul Fowler: Sempre E Ovunque Oltre Il Sogno does not disappoint and is if anything a more adventurous and sophisticated piece of work than their debut... (read the complete review HERE).

Olav Martin Bjornsen: If you generally enjoy music branded as symphonic progressive rock, Pandora is a band that you most likely should check out, especially if your tastes are liberal to the extent that listening to a band that blends the retro-oriented strains of the genre with elements of a more modern origin, first and foremost in the shape of metal guitar riffs, sounds like an interesting experience. A fine and well made album overall, sporting some of the best quality drum work I have encountered for some time as an additional bonus... (read the complete review HERE).

Read the interview with the band at progarchives. Click HERE

More info:

http://www.pandoramusic.eu/

http://www.myspace.com/pandoramusica

FATHER AND SON

Pandora are an Italian prog band from Cuneo that was formed in 2005 on the initiative of Beppe and Claudio Colombo, father and son... Beppe Colombo during the seventies was a music fan and a musician who never had the chance to record an album, but his passion for music has always remained and he passed it on to his son Claudio. So, along with keyboardist Corrado Grappeggia they started an interesting musical project blending influences from the past (PFM, BMS etc.) with a “heavier”, modern taste (Dream Theater): a kind of bridge across the generation gap. Pandora’s debut album, “Dramma di un poeta ubriaco” was released by AMS/BTF label in 2008 and the result is excellent. The line-up on this work features Beppe Colombo (synth, organ, backing vocals), Claudio Colombo (drums, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar, synth), Corrado Grappeggia (vocals, synth, organ, piano) and a young guitarist, Christian Dimasi (electric guitar, backing vocals).

The opener “Il giudizio universale” (The Last Judgment), aggressive and desperate, is an imaginary dialog with God on the Day of Judgment... “Here we are before you! / We are the exiles, breed of Eve and Abraham / And we’re waiting for the apocalyptic and universal Judgment / Everybody is guilty / We bend our heads and accept the fate / But you, try to explain this fate / To the innocent children, tired and hungry... Wandering souls hanging in the limb of time / There’s no one anymore / No one who has got any tears to cry / Anguish rules... Silence rules... / Behold what you have done!”.

The next track, “March to Hell” is a beautiful instrumental. According to an interview with the band it was written thirteen years before and it was inspired by the war in Kosovo. The band imagined all the mighty ones of the earth marching naked towards hell on a powerful, fiery “marching beat”. So, close your eyes and try to imagine the scene while listening to this track...

“Così come sei” (The way you are) comes as the calm after the storm, acoustic and delicate... “You are as you are / You can’t help it, that’s the way you are / You want to come down / When suddenly you go up, up, up / Your arms broaden and become wings / You go up, up, up...”. Then the rhythm rises in a wonderful crescendo featuring sudden changes in musical direction, taking off and landing again on a softer atmosphere... 

The long “Pandora” is probably “le plat de resistance” of this album... A gloomy voice describes the opening of Pandora’s box: only a little, pretty blue bird remains to give comfort to humankind while evil is spreading all around... Then the music flows in every direction and the members of band can showcase their great musicianship and their taste for challenging compositions...

The acoustic ballad “Breve storia di San George” (Short tale of Saint George) is about the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, where the “hero” kills the monster with his spear and saves a princess. You can find here an almost medieval atmosphere... 

The title track “Dramma di un poeta ubriaco” (Tragedy of a drunken poet) is about a poet who relies on alcohol to draw inspiration. He dreams of setting his bottles on fire to break free from his addiction... The music alternates frantic passages, delicate piano arpeggios and soaring melodies featuring a particular bittersweet mood.

The complex, long “Salto nel buio” (Jump in the dark) closes the album. The track is dramatic and almost mystic. It’s divided in four parts: reflection, jump, fall and awareness. The mood is dark and the lyrics develop some reflections about death...

Well, on the whole a very good album, full of energy and freshness... 

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

Pandora: Dramma di un poeta ubriaco (2008). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: Dramma di un poeta ubriaco is a modern symphonic winner that is going to be a knock-out for many prog fans with its combination of beautiful sounds and bold jamming... (read the complete review HERE).

Read the interview with the band at Progarchives. Click HERE

More info:

http://www.pandoramusic.eu/

http://www.myspace.com/pandoramusica

PIEMONTE and VALLE D'AOSTA (part 2)

Turin is not the only city in Piemonte which can boast interesting prog bands. The birthplace of Italian writer Umberto Eco, ALESSANDRIA, about 90 km south-west from Turin, saw the formation of a band called Quo Modo Vitae (MySpace) in the seventies. They never had the chance to record an album then and it’s a pity but recently some of the old members joined up again to play live and to work on new and old pieces and, well, I think it would be high time for a debut album!

In Alessandria we can also listen to the excellent Imagin’Aria (MySpace), to the projects of guitarist Cristiano Mussi (MySpace) and to some emerging bands such as the melodic Roccaforte (MySpace), the heavier Anziana Regina (MySpace) and the psychedelic Cosa Rara (MySpace). In the nearby town of Casale Monferrato we can listen to a melodic prog band called Abaco (MySpace) while Acqui Terme is home to another melodic prog band, Plenilunio (MySpace). Another town in the province of Alessandria, Tortona, in the early seventies gave us a band called I Leoni while now it’s the time of the heavy and dark Ufomammut (MySpace).

And now to ASTI, about 55 km south-east of Turin which in the seventies gave us Locanda delle Fate (Official Website). After an ephemeral reunion in the late nineties the band is now back with a renewed line-up and in summer 2010 they played their first concert since the late seventies. Former Locanda delle Fate keyboardist and composer Michele Conta (MySpace) has not taken part in the reunion and is working on a solo project.

 Asti was also home to Archensiel, an interesting prog-folk band that in 1989 released a beautiful album, Piöva, re-released by Akarma in 2004. Archensiel guitarist Massimo Brignolo is now in the new line of Locanda delle Fate. The prog scene from Asti can also boast the emerging Fata dell’Ombra (MySpace) and the interesting Cantina Sociale (MySpace) that in 2009 released an excellent album entitled Cum Lux. Cantina Sociale’s singer Iano Nicolò (MySpace) is also the singer in the new line-up of Arti e Mestieri.

 

Well, almost every city in Piemonte gave birth to at least one prog band that is worth listening to. In CUNEO we find the folk-jazz Falafel Project (MySpace), the math prog Lamalora (MySpace) and Pandora (Official Website) that after an amazing debut album for BTF in 2011 released a sophomore album entitled Sempre e ovunque oltre il sogno.

From Bra, a town  50 km south of Turin and 50 km north-east of Cuneo, there comes Colster (MySpace), an emerging band influenced by psychedelic sounds while Mondovì is home to an instrumental project called Athene Noctua (MySpace). BIELLA in the seventies gave us Odissea while today it is home to a folk-jazz project called Abnoba (MySpace), the emerging LeMura (Facebook) and an interesting band called The Mellon (MySpace), inspired by esoteric and dark atmospheres.

 

Then, from VERCELLI come the veterans Il Castello di Atlante (Official Website), formed in the seventies and still in perfect shape. Another local band of great experience is the neo-prog Arcansiel (MySpace) whose roots go back to the eighties. Arcansiel’s leader, Paolo Baltaro (MySpace), in 2009 released a solo album on Musea Records. The province of Vercelli, to be more exact an area called Valsesia, is also home to an emerging band called Coma Berenices (MySpace).

From NOVARA come Consorzio Acqua Potabile (Official Website), a band formed in 1971 and still active today, and Psichedalia (Reverbnation) while from Domodossola, a town in the province of VERBANO-CUSIO-OSSOLA comes the psychedelic King Suffy Generator (MySpace). By the way, Domodossola is also the birth place of Alberto Fortis, a famous Italian singer songwriter whose first two albums might be of some interest to prog lovers.

To conclude our visit through far North-West Italy, we go to AOSTA, the capital of the autonomous region VALLE D'AOSTA. Here during the seventies Paradiso a Basso Prezzo were based. Their drummer, Guido Gressani, is still active and plays jazz with his Guido Gressani Quintet (Facebook). Now the city is home to I Treni all’Alba (MySpace) that were formed between Aosta and Turin in 2002. All the members of the band are experienced musicians with different influences and in 2008 they released their first full length album, Folk Destroyers, on the independent label Smartz Records.

Each track is illustrated in the beautiful booklet with a drawing by the painter Domenico Sorrenti and the music flows away  as in a long suite where quiet acoustic and folky passages melt into fiery percussion rides and vice versa. The name of the band, I Treni All’Alba, means “the trains at dawn...”.