Il
Segno del Comando began life in Genoa in 1995 as a studio project
with the aim of reproducing the sound and the atmospheres of bands
from the seventies such as Goblin, Il Balletto di Bronzo or Jacula.
In 1996 an eponymous album was released on the independent label
Black Widow Records, inspired by the novel of the same name by
Italian writer Giuseppe D'Agata. In 2001 the band released e second
album, Der Golem, inspired by a novel by Austrian writer Gustav Meyrink. In 2013, after a long hiatus and with a renewed line up
featuring founder member and main composer Diego Banchero (bass,
keyboards, Theremin) along with Giorgio Cesare Neri (guitars),
Maethelyiah (lead and backing vocals), Fernando Cherchi (drums,
percussions), Maurizio Pustianaz (keyboards, piano, organ), Roberto
Lucanato (guitars) and Davide Bruzzi (giutars), the band released
another concept album inspired by a novel by Gustav Meyrink, Il
volto verde (The Green Face). Many prestigious guests contributed
to enrich the sound, among others Claudio Simonetti from Goblin,
Gianni Leone from Il Balletto di Bronzo, Martin Grice from Delirium,
Vinz Aquarian from Il Ballo delle Castagne and Sophya Baccini. The
result is excellent and the music and lyrics perfectly fit the
concept although I fear that is almost impossible to completely
appreciate this complex work without having read the book that
inspired it.
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| Il Segno del Comando 2013 |
The Green Face was written in 1916 and is set in a surreal
Amsterdam post World War I. It is pervaded by a strong sense of
mysticism and spirituality... I want to see a fresh, unknown
world, I want a new sense of wonder such as must strike an infant if
he were to become a grown man overnight... I want to be a full-stop
rather than eternally a comma in the punctuation of time...
The
opener “Echi dall'ignoto” (Echoes from the Unknown) is a short
instrumental, provided by the guest Federico Pedichini a.k.a. Freddy
Delirio from Death SS, that sets the atmosphere. It leads to the
nervous, hypnotic “La bottega delle meraviglie” (The Hall of
Riddles) that describes a visit to a very strange shop where the
borders between reality and dream are blurred. Here the protagonist
of the novel, Fortunatus Hauberrisser meets for the first time the
strange, haunting character with the green face portrayed in the
beautiful art work by Danilo Capua... It was smooth, with a black
strip of cloth tied over its forehead, and yet it was deeply
furrowed, like the sea, that can have waves but not wrinkle on its
surface. The eyes were like chasms and yet they were the eyes of a
human being and not empty sockets. The skin was a greenish olive
colour and looked as if it were made of bronze, such as the races of
ancient times may have had of whom it is said they were like
dark-green gold...
The
dark, Gothic “Chidher il Verde” (Chidher the Green) focuses on
the peculiar character with the green face, vaguely based upon the
legendary figure of The Wandering Jew. He's been on earth ever since the
moon has been circling the heavens and is the one who can show
you the way leading to a hidden spirituality... “Prophecy or
circularity, claustrophobia, psychic undertow / You are just one step
from the gallows / It's the turn of madness to rule over men...”.
The
following “Trenodia delle dolci parole” (Threnody of the sweet
words) features the beautiful vocals of the guest Sophya Baccini and
draws a strong sense of loss and impending tragedy. It leads to the
short, disquieting instrumental “Il rituale” (The ritual) and to
the esoteric, threatening “La congrega delle Zee Dyk” (The Zee
Dyk club) where the spectral vocals of another guest, David Krieg,
contribute to draw a mystical delirium where the dangerous ritual of
a cathartic, spiritual rebirth is consumed with deathly consequences.
“Il
manoscritto” (The manuscript) is another track full of dark mysticism
and visionary strength. There are some strong classical influences
that could recall the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and a constant flowing
of raw energy waves. The protagonist discovers an ancient manuscript
that helps him to go through some esoteric experiences... “The
weapons of Death are: dream, daze and sleep / From one awakening to
another, I live to find a new beginning...”.
The
excellent instrumental “L'evocazione di Eva” (Eva's evocation)
features the guests Claudio Simonetti (organ, Moog and Mellotron) and
Martin Grice (flute sax). Along with the following “Retrospettiva
di un amore” (Retrospective of a love) it depicts a love where
spirituality prevails upon materialism. A strange magic binds the
protagonist and his sweetheart, the strange prophecy of a perfect
love that is stronger than Death...
“Usibepu”
was inspired by the character of the powerful necromancer and shaman of
the same name, a violent and merciless Zulu warrior who wanted to
possess Eva, the protagonist's fiancée... “Serving under
the banner of greediness / I attend to the resurrection / I think
again of the caste determination that prevented me from having you /
Making even mockery of my magic...”.
The
dazzling instrumental “L'apocalisse” (The Apocalypse) features
the guest Gianni Leone (keyboards, organ, vocals) and describes with
sudden vortexes of notes a storm so violent to conjure up the imagine
of the end of the world. It leads to the final curtain of “Epilogo”
(Epilogue), featuring narrative vocals and an obscure omen... “The
walls of Jericho have crumbled / He's back from the Kingdom of
Dead...”.
On
the whole, an excellent, challenging work but beware! It takes many
spins to be completely appreciated and, of course, you have to read
the book!
You
can listen in streaming to the complete album HERE
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