EERY FORESTS AND CASTLES

Wyrd is the third album by Roman project Ellesmere and was released in 2020 on the independent label AMS Records. To complete the line up and enrich the sound, this time composer and multi instrumentalist Roberto Vitelli (bass, guitar, Moog) gathered around him many prestigious guests such as Mattias Olsson (drums, from Anglagard, and White Willow), Tomas Bodin (keyboards, from The Flower Kings), David Cross (violin, from King Crimson), John Hackett (flute), David Jackson (sax, from Van Der Graaf Generator), Tony Pagliuca (keyboards, from Le Orme), Luciano Regoli (vocals, from Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno and DGM), Fabio Liberatori (keyboards, from Il Poliedro di Leonardo and the new line up of Reale Accademia di Musica), Fabio Bonuglia (keyboards, Mellotron, Hammond, Moog) and Giorgio Pizzala (vocals). The result is a good mix of vintage sounds, modern prog and jazz rock with a wide range of influences ranging from Yes, King Crimson or Kansas to Transatlantic, The Flower Kings and Spock's Beard.

 

The wonderful artwork by Rodney Matthews recalls the style of Roger Dean and evokes wondrous stories and epic adventures in fantastic worlds and enchanted woods. The first three tracks are linked together and form an excellent suite. On “Challenge” you can hear the voice of a young warrior leaving his country for new territories crawling with tall tales, myths and stories of haunted spirits and goblins. He’s hiding under the cloak of his dreams as the wind blows... “The Eery Manor” is a sparkling instrumental section where John Hackett and David Jackson showcase all their great talent painting disquieting atmospheres and adding vivid touches of colours to the picture with saxes, flutes and other wind instruments. After a long ride through a dark forest on a strange horse among nymphs, friendly dwarves and lurking werewolves you’re in sight of a mysterious castle... “Endeavour” ends the first part of the album combining dreamy, pastoral parts and harder passages and could recall every now and again ELP or Van Der Graaf Generator. The warrior relies on his good luck to defy the fate and discover what’s hidden behind the walls of the castle...

 

The second part of the album (or the side B of the LP) begins with “Ajar” and a martial marching beat. Echoes of Delirium III could come to mind. Hardly any sunlight breaks through the dense tree tops of the forest, and the myths surrounding these woods are more fantastical than paranormal. You can imagine hunting Tarkus and other strange creatures all around... However, the only way to know for certain what monsters await around the next bend is to venture out into the darkness yourself...

The long instrumental “Endless” closes the album. There are other surprises along the way that you might never expect to find deep in the woods and so it's no surprise that the surreal world depicted in the art cover could develop a reputation for spooky sounds and ghostly apparitions. Some cinematic passages could recall Ennio Morricone and stir the imagination of the listener and could be the perfect for a fantasy film score...

On the whole, a very good album. Especially recommended to symphonic prog lovers!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

http://www.ellesmere-project.com/ 

 

 

THROUGH POSEIDON'S TERRITORY

 Ellesmere II – From Sea And Beyond is the second album by Roman project Ellesmere and was released in 2018 on the independent label AMS Records. This time along with the talent of composer and multi instrumentalist Roberto Vitelli (bass, guitar, synthesizers, Moog, Mellotron) we can appreciate the contribute of prestigious guests such as Paolo Carnelli (piano, electric piano, keyboards, Hammond), Robert Berry (vocals), Trey Gunn (Warr Guitar), David Jackson (sax, keyboards), Alan Benjamin (guitar), Brett William Kull (guitar), Danilo Mintrone (Korg Microkorg), Davy O’List (guitar), Keith More (guitar), Marco Bernard (bass) and Daniele Pomo (drums, percussion). The overall sound is richer and more variegated if compared with the debut album and the influence of bands such as EL&P, Yes, Kansas or King Crimson is apparent. According to their label website, this is a conceptual work where every song deals with a different aspect of the complex relationship between man and sea, from man’s curiosity and fear towards what is hidden deep inside the sea to the call for adventure and for travelling to the end of the known world and beyond. The album artwork by English painter and designer Colin Elgie tries to depict the musical content... 

 

 

The first four tracks are linked together and form a long suite. The short opener “Tidal Breath” sets the atmosphere and starts by the sound of the ocean and the gentle breaking of the waves with a calm sea, then an ethereal melody soars like a mermaid chant and leads to “Marine Extravaganza”, an excellent, powerful instrumental track that could recall Emerson, Lake & Palmer and contains a quote from King Crimson’s “Red”. Then “Runaway” tells in music and words of a disquieting dream, a desperate effort to escape from the chase of mysterious men in black, dark shadows of your past haunting you and alrming your senses. The short, nightmarish “Marine Coda” closes the suite with David Jackson’s sax in the forefront. 

 

 

“The Schooner” opens the second side of the album and starts by a sumptuous passage of church-like organ, then the rhythm rises for an adventurous voyage through Poseidon’s territory. The sea air is deceptive and you must not rely on your eyes to assess the distances... The title refers to a type of sailing vessel popular on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The following “Ridge Fanfare” is another piece in debt with EL&P that seems to invite you to a joyful ride through the waves while the final track, “Time, Life Again”, recalls Yes and evokes in music and words the imaginary course of a flying ship flowing forever in time upon the sea, towards the sun, through the fire, in search for an island of peace... 

 

On the whole, a very good album for symphonic prog lovers! 

 

You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/ellesmereproject 

RIVERS AND CASTLES

Ellesmere is mainly the brainchild of Roberto Vitelli, bass and guitar player from the Roman prog band Taproban. In 2014 he gathered around him some prestigious guest musicians to play his compositions and in 2015 released an interesting debut album on AMS Records. It's entitled Les Châteaux de la Loire and it's a charming work where acoustic, pastoral atmospheres prevail. The line up features Roberto Vitelli (Takamine 6 strings classic, Eko Ranger 12 strings, Fender "Geddy Lee" jazz bass, Fender Stratocaster, E-Bow, Moog Taurus III), John Hackett (flute), Anthony Phillips (narrative vocals), Daniele Pomo (drums, percussions), Luciano Regoli (vocals), Giulia Nuti (violin, viola), Pietro Horvath (cello), Linda Giuntini (horn), Fabio Bonuglia (Mellotron M 400, Moog Model D, keyboards), Paolo Carnelli (electric piano, keyboards, acoustic piano), Danilo Mintrone (strings arrangement) and Dario Esposito (drums).

Roberto Vitelli during the recording sessions

The main course of the album is the title track, a wonderful, dreamy thirty-eight minute suite divided into eleven parts. It was inspired to Roberto Vitelli by a holiday he spent in France and starts with the narrative vocals provided by former Genesis member Anthony Phillips who reads some verses taken from Lines Written On Visiting The Châteaux On The Loire, a poem by Alfred Austin. Just close your eyes and let the music flow and show you some pondering pictures of the vast panorama of the past... In fact, the Loire Valley is studded with over a thousand châteaux, each with distinct architectural characteristics covering a wide range of variations, from the early medieval to the late Renaissance periods. 

Some sections of the suite are dedicated to some specific castles, amazing monuments of heart and mind such as Sully-sur-Loire, Meung-sur-Loire, Blois, Chambord and Chaumont-sur-Loire while the other sections mark the passages from one place to another as thoughts and feelings get mixed in an intermittent dream, cradled by the river waters. No need for words: except the narrative vocals that open and close the suite there are no lyrics and even the beautiful voice of Luciano Regoli is used here just as an instrument to add colours and emotions. By the way, Luciano Regoli (singer from Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno, Samadhi, DGM) is also a talented painter and took charge of the wonderful art cover that probably depicts the atmosphere of this album better than all my words...

The last two pieces are credited as bonus tracks but they are not fillers at all. The mysterious, dark "The Ancient Samovar" tells in music and words about the almost magic power of an ancient samovar, a heated metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water in and around Russia as well as in other countries. Thanks to the thaumaturgic properties of its tea you can relax even in a silent, troubled night, waiting for the sun with a renewed feeling of hope... The closer "Wintry Afternoon" is a beautiful, melancholic instrumental track with the notes of an acoustic piano in the forefront the the sound of the wind in the background.

On the whole a very good album!

Ellesmere: Les Châteaux de la Loire (2015). Other opinions:

Thomas Szirmay: The music is highly atmospheric, gentle and sweet background music that has no pretensions other than to deliver sumptuous melodies, played with restrained passion and obvious enjoyment... (read he complete review HERE)

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/ellesmereproject/

http://www.ellesmere-project.com/