“I
am a singer of songs that I learned in the far city, and my calling
is to make beauty with the things remembered of childhood. My wealth
is in little memories and dreams, and in hopes that I sing in gardens
when the moon is tender and the west wind stirs the lotos-buds...”
(H.P. Lovecraft, from The Quest Of Iranon). Well, I think that
this quote could describe in some way the spirit and the mood of
Goad's new album, “Masquerade”. Maurilio Rossi and his band have
been around for many years although they have never emerged from the
underground scene. Luckily they never gave up the musical dreams of
their youth and in my opinion “Masquerade” is their best work so
far. It was recorded between 2007 and 2011 with a line up featuring
Maurilio Rossi (organ, keyboards, bass, guitars), Francesco Diddi
(violin, flute, sax, guitar), Gianni Rossi (guitar, backing vocals),
Vick Usai (drums), Tommaso Baggiani (drums), Luis Magnanimo (bass),
and Antonio Vannucci (piano, keyboards) but during the recording
sessions they were helped by many guest musicians. The album was
finally released in 2011 on the independent label Black Widow Records
and I think that the result is excellent. You can find here all the
passion of the band for vintage sounds and the literary works of
artists such as Edgar Allan Poe or Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Among
Goad's sources of inspiration there are bands such as Van der Graaf
Generator, Genesis or King Crimson, of course, but the song-writing
of this Florentine band is good and rich in ideas.
The
opener “Fever Called Living” features heavy electric guitar
riffs, touches of flute and dark organ rides. It describes a
desperate escape from reality where the grave becomes a shelter, a
peaceful bed where you can rest and dream for the eternity... “Thanks
Heaven! The crises, the danger is past... And the fever called living
is conquered at last...”. The following “Eldorado” is a hard
rock track in two parts that could recall Deep Purple. The lyrics are
taken from a poem by E.A. Poe describing a gallant knight and his
pointless quest for the land of gold... “But he grew old / This
knight so bold / And o'er his heart a shadow / Fell as he found / No
spot of ground / That looked like Eldorado...”.
“The
Last Knowledge” is another track divided into two parts. It is
calmer, melancholic and evokes overwhelming memories, the dark shadow
of a missing lover and the killing strength of her absence. Next
comes the reflective “The Judge” which describes in music and
words a strange meeting with a talking painting crying blood. It's
the painting of an old judge who during his life condemned many
people to death and now is haunted by their ghosts for the
eternity... “I spent all my life sitting on that chair / Trying to
understand, trying to be fair / Many and many lives I had in my hand
/ I was a judge, I was like God / They gave the power to punish with
my rod...”.
The
next three tracks are also taken from E.A. Poe's poems. “The Valley
Of Unrest” features an ethereal, sad atmosphere evoking perennial
tears which descend in gems from a cloudy sky, “To Helen”
features a strong classical inspiration and is an unconventional ode
to beauty while the delicate, introspective “Alone” expresses
isolation and inner torment. Then comes “Masquerade (Fast &
Short)”, just an appetizer for the long conclusive suite.
The
nice classical inspired instrumental “Intro (Classic Guitar
Prelude)” leads to the mysterious, mystic “Slave Of The Holy
Mountain” which describes an unsuccessful, metaphorical climbing to
Heaven. The following “Dreamland” is another good track inspired
by Edgar Allan Poe's powerful poetry and precedes a beautiful, dark
instrumental titled “The Haunted Palace”.
The
last track, “Masquerade (With Dance Macabre)”, is a long, complex
suite divided into five parts. It describes a strange dream and
reminds me of the atmosphere of a H.P. Lovecraft's story... “There
in the moonlight that flooded the spacious plain was a spectacle
which no mortal, having seen it, could ever forget. To the sound of
reedy pipes that echoed over the bog there glided silently and eerily
a mixed throng of swaying figures, reeling through such a revel as
the Sicilians may have danced to Demeter in the old days under the
harvest moon beside the Cyane. The wide plain, the golden moonlight,
the shadowy moving forms, and above all the shrill monotonous piping,
produced an effect which almost paralysed me...”. (H.P.
Lovecraft, The Moon-Bog). The musical texture here is
extremely rich, there are many nuances and every time you'll listen
to this piece you'll discover something new...
Well,
all in all I think that this is a very good album... Have a try!
Goad:
Masquerade (2011). Other opinions:
Jim
Russell: At 77 minutes "Masquerade" is a long and chilling journey which some will say could use editing, but
those who enjoy it will not want it to end. Driving heavy guitars and bass, chunky, lumbering and
distorted are featured with all manner of dark keyboard textures, saxophone, and larger than life
vocals. The moods are powerful and thundering, occasionally contrasted with eerie softer sections
which just make the tracks pop with intrigue. In these sections you will experience sumptuous solo
string performance, flute, and acoustic guitar----even a classical solo interlude at one point. But
the most important impression to convey is the sense of unease and imbalance foisted on the listener
as this unfolds like a tale from a dusty old magician's book... (read the complete review HERE)
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