ROCK'N'ROLL STARS

Mass-Media Stars is the second album by Acqua Fragile and was released in 1974 on the Ricordi label with a confirmed line up featuring Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (electric and acoustic guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass) and Pier Emilio Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals). The album, produced by Claudio Fabi (best known for his work with PFM), has a good sound quality and the musicians seem more aware of their songwriting abilities. In my opinion, the tracks on it sound more personal and mature if compared with those on their self-titled debut. However, the final outcome is somewhat hampered by the band's stubbornness in insisting on singing their songs in English, against the wishes of their record company and an Italian market that was at the time unreceptive to such a proposal. This led to a commercial flop, despite the quality of the album...

The fine opening track, “Cosmic Mind Affair”, evokes astronomical laws that serve as a guide for our minds, inviting us on a journey into the depths of the cosmos while walking on the thin line of madness. The mysteries of the universe are too profound to be fathomed or understood by our limited human capabilities: what if we were nothing more than strange, incredible creatures generated by the brains of other worlds? Like the aliens that populate our dreams...

The following “Bar Gazing” is at times musically reminiscent of Genesis while its somewhat surreal lyrics draw inspiration from the observation of the customers of a bar located in a town square. An unruly driver, a bee inspector, a couple of pharmacy lovers...

The instrumental intro to “Mass-Media Stars” is strongly reminiscent of PFM. Then, the festive atmosphere is paired with sarcastic lyrics about rock stars and their diva-like attitudes: vain artists who bark loudly in the air, with a political touch and the gift of the gab; frivolous Lolitas who think they can do rock'n'roll better than Elvis while flaunting a thousand gimmicks that you have to admire with the blessing of the media...

“Opening Act” starts by a vocal part a cappella that might bring Gentle Giant to mind, but the music soon shifts toward a West Coast sound. The track brilliantly and wryly depicts life on the road for an obscure rock band trying to make a name for itself by opening the concerts for major stars. There are no press clippings about the unknown band, no groupies waiting for them, no personal roadies and their cheap instruments keep going out of tune. Yet, every night brings the thrill of performing, fuelled by the hope of catching the audience's eye and perhaps even getting called back for an encore...

“Professor” is an interesting, caustic piece that paints in music and words the portrait of an austere, know-it-all man who delights in picking out others' mistakes and point out what an artist is lacking; a ruthless critic who poses as an expert without truly being one. With weary eyes and a black bow tie, he takes pleasure in denigrating the work of others. Yet, one has to wonder: what is the point of dwelling on trivial errors when it would be far more useful to highlight what is actually working? The protagonist is merely a professor who teaches nothing; his petty attitude will ultimately lead him into oblivion, while the people he criticised go on with all their mistakes and their enthusiasm...

The last track, “Coffee Song”, is a melancholic acoustic ballad about the passing of time and the need to be ready for every new opportunity - despite any despondency or sadness - because there is nothing worse than looking back with regret at having lost the winning path simply because one was tired...

On the whole, a very good work.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Acqua Fragile: Mass-Media Stars (1974). Other opinions:

Conor Fynes: Like Acqua Fragile's self-titled debut, "Mass Media Stars" shows tact and potential, but it lacks any sort of unique personality or identity. First impressions are certainly brighter than the album's lasting impact, as some of the album's weaker aspects- Lanzetti's vocals especially- tend to wear down the enjoyment before too long. They may be little more than a Genesis clone, but they do manage to recreate the style faithfully... (read the complete review HERE)

Michael “Aussie-Byrd-Brother”: Bernardo Lanzetti's vocals are extremely hard to love here. His English pronunciation became stronger and clearer on the PFM albums, but here his words often seem to run together in an increasingly inane way, very difficulty to understand and focus on, and attention starts to wander from the decent music behind them. Just notice the way the album suddenly picks up whenever the vocals calm down for a moment and the band launch into lengthier instrumental passages. Sadly these sort of more magical moments are few and far between... (read the complete review HERE)

PROUDLY DERIVATIVE

 Acqua Fragile took form in Parma in 1971 under the name Gli Immortali. After some personnel changes and a good live activity, in 1973 the band released their eponymous debut album on the Numero Uno label, produced by PFM and Claudio Fabi with a line up featuring Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals, guitar), Gino Campanini (electric and acoustic guitar, vocals), Maurizio Mori (keyboards, vocals), Franz Dondi (bass) and Pier Emilio Canavera (drums, acoustic guitar, vocals). The overall sound of this work is proudly derivative, based on excellent vocal harmonies and obvious musical influences from bands like Genesis and Gentle Giant. Unlike most Italian bands of the early 1970s, Acqua Fragile chose to sing in English rather than in their native language and oddly enough, the original album inner sleeve doesn't feature the English lyrics but only their Italian translation...

The opening track, "Morning Comes", is a reflection on time passing by. Each morning the daylight sweeps away all dreams, the light streams in through the window, killing the shadows and freeing up space for the daily grind. The Genesis influence here is more than evident. Then comes "Comic Strips", a nice piece about the potential of comic book art and its ability to stir the imagination. It's another exercise of style, this time drawing inspiration from Gentle Giant. The acoustic, West Coast ballad "Science Fiction Suite" closes the first side of the original LP, taking you on a surreal journey to Mars and beyond. The main sources of inspiration here are the blue eyes of Judy and CS&N...

Side two opens with the dreamy and nostalgic "Song From A Picture", inspired by a photograph and featuring Genesis influences once again. The following track, "Education Story", initially leans more toward Crimson atmospheres before taking a different course. "Going Out" is a short acoustic ballad that invites you to find the right mood to leave home and embark on a journey to Venice, Redwood or any where you like. The last track of the album is the long "Three Hands Man", which describes a dangerous individual disguised as a businessman. It's probably the most accomplished track of the entire batch, albeit with the usual clear reminiscences of Genesis and Gentle Giant...

On the whole, a work that is certainly pleasant but not exactly essential.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Acqua Fragile: Acqua Fragile (1973). Other opinions:

Jim Russell: This album has some nice music and melodies, but please be aware this is not a true RPI album. It is a collection of impostor originals from the English prog scene, sounding ridiculously like period Genesis, Yes, Giant, and Crimson in various places. Vocals are in English and there is not much Italian tradition or even RPI style in the music or performance. If you don't care about that, read on for what they do get right: some nice songs... (read the complete review HERE)

Paul Fowler: A criticism sometimes levelled at the band is their lack of an authentic Italian sound. This is true as their sound has a much more British feel and parallels can be drawn with early Genesis and Gentle Giant in particular. However taken on its own terms, this, their eponymous debut released in 1973 is a very good album and well worth seeking out. They make good use of vocal harmonies bringing Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to mind, perfectly illustrated on Science Fiction Suite... (read the complete review HERE)

COPS, PIN-UPS AND MANIACS

Strato's is a musical project based in Parma that came to life in 2015 when five young musicians in love with the music and atmospheres of the Italian B-movies of the seventies joined their forces to play covers taken from the soundtracks of those films and original pieces inspired by artists such as Ennio Morricone, Franco Micalizzi, Piero Piccioni, Bruno Nicolai, Riz Ortolani, Goblin, Osanna, Carlo Rustichelli, Frizzi-Bixio-Tempera, Calibro 35 and others. The name of the band refers to The Lancia Stratos, a sports car and rally car very popular and successful in the seventies and the line up features Leonardo Barbieri (electric and acoustic guitar), Marco Mainardi (bass), Davide Sandrini (drums), Emanuele Nidi (electric organ, string machine, piano), Luis Pezzoli (percussion). After a good live activity on the local scene, in 2016 they released an interesting debut album on Retro Vox Records entitled Lo sbirro, la liceale, il maniaco (The cop, the high-school girl, the maniac), a tribute to the Italian cinema di genere of the seventies, in particular to poliziotteschi, sexy comedies and thriller/horror B-movies as suggested by the beautiful art cover by Matteo Xulli.

The album is divided in three parts, each one with three tracks. The first three tracks were inspired by the Italian crime films full of action, car chases and gunfights also known as poliziotteschi. The opener, "La Soffiata" (The leak) features some excerpts of dialogues taken from the film Roma a mano armata (The Tough Ones) directed by Umberto Lenzi. It starts with the call of an informer to the police. Pulsing bass lines pump tension and adrenaline... Then the rhythm rises swinging from frenzied funky rides to more calm, reflective moments. The following "Western metropolitano" (Metropolitan Western) and "Irruzione a Monteverde" (Irruption in Monteverde) are in the same vein and you can imagine bloody scenes and breathtaking chases through the streets of Rome or Milan...

The second part is dedicated to sexy comedy and the atmosphere are more relaxed. "Apertitivo" (Appetizer) is introduced by an excerpt from the film A tutte le auto della polizia (Calling All Police Cars), directed in 1975 by Mario Caiano. The atmosphere is suggestive and relaxed with a touch of mystery in the background. A short excerpt taken from the advertisement of an Italian beer leads to the light-hearted "Un goffo pretendente" (A clumsy pretender) featuring a lively beat and funny melodic lines played by Luca Cristofori on kazoo. "Rossella" (featuring the seducing vocals of the guest Rossella Finardi) closes the trilogy dedicated to eros and drives us to thanatos...

Strato's 2016

The last part of the album is dedicated to the dark, tense atmospheres of the Italian horror/thriller films made famous by directors such as Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci. "Chipsiomega" is a clear tribute to Dario Argento's film Profond Rosso (Deep Red) and to its soundtrack by Goblin. In fact, Chipsiomega was the temporary title of Profondo Rosso... This piece is an authentic ride through recurrent nightmares and hidden fears and features also some excerpts from the film Solamente Nero (The Bloodstained Shadow) directed by Antonio Bido in 1978. The disquieting "Delirio paranoide" (Paranoid delirium) and the melancholic closer "Titoli di coda" (Credits) complete the scene full of wild energy and delicate surprises.

On the whole, a very good album that is really worth listening to.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/stratosofficialpage/

AND THE MUSIC GOES...

Posto Blocco 19 (the name means Check-point 19) began life in the province of Parma in 1972 under the name Collettivo Musicale Collecchiese on the initiative of a group of friends in love with the music of bands such as Premiata Forneria Marconi, Santana or Deep Purple. The band had been active until 1983 but during their early days they never had the chance to release an album and their only record was a single released in 1981, when progressive rock was considered a genre completely out of fashion. After a long hiatus the band came back to life in 2005 but it wasn't until 2014 that they could release a first full length album on the independent label Lizard Records. It's titled "Motivi di sempre" and collects the band's most significant pieces re-arranged and some new tracks recorded with a renewed line up featuring along with founder members Raimondo Fantuzzi (guitar, vocals) and Vittorio Salvi (drums) also Francesca Campagna (vocals), Massimo Casaro (bass), Stefano Savi (percussion) and Graziano De Palma (keyboards). The result of their efforts is excellent and the beautiful art work taken from some paintings by Teo De Palma (father of the keyboardist) in some way reflects the music and lyrics with its soft colours and dreamy mood.

The opener "A un passo dal cielo (suite 1)" (One step to the sky) is a brilliant instrumental track that recalls the best tradition of Italian Progressive Rock and takes you back in time with its positive energy, its warm organ waves and the soaring electric guitar solos...

The following "E la musica va" (And the music goes) was originally released in 1981 and here is dressed up in new colours and revitalized by the new line up. It's a song about racism and multi-ethnic conflicts and some melodic lines remind me of an Italian band called I Nomadi. The lyrics conjure up the images of shooting men, soldiers in an unwanted war who are nothing but pawns in the game of mischievous, unscrupulous politicians. Blacks and poor people do not fear to get killed, they're just blood and tears, love and death... Try to imagine the corpse of one of these men lying in the dust. He was just a tramp, a poet, a free spirit who used to fly high on the wings of love. The evocative music and the soaring vocals tell about hate and nostalgia mixing the colours of a scared painter...

Next comes the dreamy "All'alba del giorno dopo" (At dawn on the day after) that invites you to stop running after this crazy, busy world and to enjoy your life seizing every fleeting moment. The visionary lyrics tell that you can let your dreams drive... The past is gone but you can ride on new horizons towards crystal lakes, you can travel through far deserts and clear skies until you'll find in a legendary treasure box the ancient fairy tales that will make you lord of the castle of triumph allowing you to tame new planets on the course of your flying ships...

"Scandendo il tempo" (Beating time) was originally released in 2011 on the Musea-Colossus compilation "Decameron Part 1". This piece was re-recorded in 2014 by the new line up and the vocalist Francesca Campagna here brings new energies and freshness. It starts softly, the mood is dreamy and the music is calm while the poetical lyrics deal with the relativity of time and space. Try to imagine the wind riding raging sea waves in the dark while the borders between reality and imagination get blurred... Then image some flocks of birds on the wires: they are like notes coming from deep throats while they're looking at falling stars and distant planets, sparks in an abstract universe... 

Then comes the beautiful instrumental "A un passo dal cielo (suite 2)" that in some way closes the circle of your daydreams and takes you back to Earth with its delicate Mediterranean flavours and Latin rhythms.

The last piece, "L'ultima acqua" (The last water), is credited as a bonus track and was originally released in 2010 on another Musea-Colossus compilation, "The Divine Comedy Part III - Dante's Paradiso". It was remastered in 2014 and features Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals) and Giancarlo Di Bella (keyboards). The band here interpret with heartfelt passion and personality the spirit of the immortal lines by the sommo poeta... "On the edge of the last water seize the hope / At the right time many will return...". A great track!

On the whole, I think that this is a really good album. Every now and again the music could recall bands such as Premiata Fornaria Marconi, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso or Il Castello di Atlante but Posto Blocco 19 are not just emulators playing by rote and they do not sound derivative. I'm sure that this album will be an excellent addition to any Italianprog collection!

More info:

http://www.postoblocco19.it/ 

GHOSTS FROM THE WASTE LAND

Unreal City began life in Parma in 2008 on the initiative of Emanuele Tarsconi and Francesca Zanetta, rising from the ashes of another band called Syllogism. After some line up changes, an intense live activity in the local scene and a first self-produced demo, in 2013 the band finally released their début album, La crudeltà di aprile (The cruelty of April) on the independent label Mirror Records. The album was recorded at the Hilary studios in Genoa with the help of experienced producers such as Fabio Zuffanti and Rossano Villa and with a line up featuring Emanuele Tarasconi (vocals, piano, organ, Moog, Mellotron, synth, harpsichord, Theremin), Francesca Zanetta (electric and acoustic guitars, lute), Francesco Orefice (bass, vocals) and Federico Bedostri (drums, percussion, vocals) plus the special guest Fabio Viale on violin. The result is a brilliant mix of memory and desire that the band achieved stirring dull roots with spring rain for the pleasure of the listener: well, it's not by chance that both the name of the band and the title of the album are in some way related to T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land and maybe some other verses from this poem could give you an idea of the content of this charming work... “Unreal City / Under the brown fog of a winter dawn / A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many / I had not thought death had undone so many...”. The sound of vintage instruments, a solid classical background and a fresh creativity evoke ghosts, melodies and dreams from the past and give them a new life.

Unreal City 2013

The opener “Dell'innocenza perduta” (Of the lost innocence) begins with a tense section, then a calmer part follows featuring soaring vocals evoking the almost human voice of the wind in a dark, enchanted wood. The music and lyrics describe in an original way the trauma of a boy who has to tackle the loss of family and security, his necessity of rapidly growing up to face the world and the hypocrisy of the people around him. As the innocence of the childhood gives way to rage and awareness the rhythm rises again with a beautiful collage of vintage sounds and a raging wave of fresh energy.

The second track, “Atlantis (Conferendis Pecuniis)”, was inspired by the myth of Atlantis as narrated by Plato and deals with the dark side of human nature. The atmosphere is dark and you can almost feel an impending sense of tragedy. The fall of Atlantis and its civilization here is just a metaphor used to describe the punishment for the guilty behaviour of people corrupted by greediness, ambition and an infinite thirst of power. Eventually virtues and culture succumb to the spreading materialism but mother nature always takes its revenge. A flood that no one can stop pours on the crowded square... “The large slab of aurichalcum that gave us wisdom is now reduced to dust / It rang our guilt...”.

“Catabasi (Descensio ad Inferos)” was inspired by Goethe's character Faust and describes the timeless trip of a damned scientist to the underworld in search for knowledge. It begins by a dark church-like organ passage and vocals. You can hear the sound of a bell in the background, a man is walking in the twilight on an Autumn evening, then a thousand spectres begin to dance around him to the sound of a violin while the rhythm rises evoking an eternal Sabbath that draws the listener towards black flames and mud, down into a merciless abyss. Nevertheless the damned scientist doesn't fear the devil, during his meeting with him he's calm and remorseless like a man who eats a prohibited fruit and taste it... “I'm ready, take me away from here... Time is running out / Stop the time!”.

The beautiful “Dove la luce è più intensa” (Where the light is more intense) describes in music and words a man on the border of madness that runs away from reality. Prisoner of his poetry and of his nightmares, he becomes a hermit hiding in a hollow tree in a wood, not far from a graveyard... “Among white statues and tombstones / Grey and soulless / I heard his voice...”. The theatrical vocals by Emanuele Tarsconi are very effective here while the music perfectly fits the content of the lyrics.

The lively “Ecate (Walpurgisnacht)” was inspired by the Goddess Hecate and by the pagan rites of the Walpurgis Night. Hecate in Greek mythology is associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, fire, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy and sorcery. The music and lyrics evoke a solitary village in the mountains not far from a mysterious place where the witches used to gather to celebrate the new moon with their dark lady. All the travellers who had the chance to see those celebrations lost their reason... “If you follow the route beyond the mountain / Beyond the black of its darkest path / There you'll find her, queen of the horizon / In her eyes burns a fire, eternal and still...”.

The last track, “Horror Vacui”, is a long, complex suite divided into four parts that deals with the disquieting feelings of a serial killer. It begins with a tense instrumental part, “Le radici del male” (The roots of evil), that could recall Goblin and the atmospheres of Dario Argento's movies. The second part, “L'assassino” (The murderer), introduces the protagonist of this piece, that is set in a surreal, nightmarish New York City where you can see black butterflies in a sky of lead, living dead sitting in the metro and hungry monsters walking on bloody streets. The third part, “Nel sonno della ragione” (In the sleep of reason), is a calm, dark instrumental passage that leads to the the last part, “Il baratro della follia” (The chasm of madness), where the voices of the victims of an absurd, cruel game echo in the insane mind of the protagonist, soaring from rusted metal boxes hidden in dark, red rooms. Well, I think that this could be a perfect background for a Stephen King's novel!

You can listen to the complete album in streaming HERE

Unreal City: La crudeltà di aprile (2013). Other opinions:

Michael “Aussie-Byrd-Brother”: Immaculately produced, endlessly melodic and catchy without sacrificing sophistication and artistic integrity, `La Crudeltà Di Aprile' really knocked many of us RPI fans back even upon the first listen. It's rare to hear a band so confident, playing with such vigor and power. Sure they take on endless ideas and styles, but it's all so pleasing to the ear and well composed with a great sense of flow that the endless different sections shift seamlessly. I fully applaud Fabio Zuffanti's urging that the band sing in their native language, and a recent interview seemed to suggest they relished singing in Italian to `take advantage of all the quotes and expressions that would have been lost in English'. To the lads and lass in `Unreal City', real Italian progressive fans admire and are very grateful for this devotion and respect to the true sound of the RPI genre... (read the complete interview HERE)

Thomas Szirmay: Musically sensational, visually attractive and fresh, we are offered a vision where classic progressive meshes with absolute modernisms, a young quartet of Northern Italian fashionistas who happen to master their instruments (besides looking hot) and incorporate all the classic RPI traditions of clever melodies, artful presentation, impeccable delivery and dramatic performances... (read the complete review HERE)

More info:
http://www.unrealcity.it/ 
https://www.facebook.com/unrealcityband 

TOTEMIC POEMS

Altare Thotemico come from Emilia and are based in Parma, although the members of the band come from different cities. The band was formed on the initiative of vocalist and poet Gianni Venturi and Leonardo Caligiuri (keyboards, flute) with the aim of blending progressive rock with psychedelia and poetry. The line up was completed by Enrico Scaccaglia (guitars), Valerio Venturi (bass) and Davide Zannotti (drums) and in 2009 they released an eponymous debut album on the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records. The album features a nice artwork by Domizia Parri while the members of the band showcase a good musicianship and some good ideas.

The nostalgic, heartfelt opener “Il canto che sprofonda” (The singing that makes me crumble) begins softly with a delicate guitar arpeggio and a soaring flute. The lyrics evoke a lost, unforgotten love and powerful memories begin to fill an empty room... “Between a smile and a tear / I feel with my eyes shut a clear image of you / And a thin singing makes me crumble...”. Well, here some keyboards passages recall PFM's “Impressioni di settembre” but the result is good. Next comes the bizarre “Lo sciamano” (The shaman), that tries to lead you beyond the doors of perception in a quest for a singing of light while shadows melt in a psychedelic crescendo.

“L'interessante vita del topo” (The interesting life of the mouse) in my opinion is not at the same level of the previous tracks. The music recalls The Doors with a touch of Area but the performance of the vocalist here is not convincing at all. The following “Demon” is better. It starts with a church-like organ passage, then hard guitar riffs come in and the vocals evoke a playful devil who think that Paradise is too boring... “My name is Demon Lucipher, morning star / And on my forehead I proudly bring the mark of Cain...”.

Altare Thotemico 2009

“Computer organico” (Organic computer) is another psychedelic track with Oriental influences and experimental vocals drawing neuronal migrations, empty consciousness and the relativity of Time. “L'addormato” (The sleeping man) features a slow, alcoholic pace and seventies echoes and leads to the dark, dreamy “La mente mia” (My mind), one of my favourites track on this album... “The great bard can begin the bright song from the oversea... A wave of love breaks the chains / Of hearts crushed by too many pains...”.

“Suite per Marianna” is another good track that could recall Pholas Dactylus with its peculiar, visionary poetry and evocative musical colours... “My mind has roots / That's why sometimes I switch it off...”. The spacey “Oltre” (Beyond) concludes the album with some reflections about the relativity of Time and the true meaning of life...

All in all this is an album with light and shadows where you can find some good ideas and less convincing passages. This work is not flawless but I think that this is a band that deserves credit and I'm looking forward to listen to their new album...

Altare Thotemico: Altare Thotemico (2009). Other opinions

Paul Fowler: Altare Thotemico are a band tipping their hat to the classic seventies Italian prog bands, yet with enough of their own identity to make this not a totally retrogressive release. Their prog skilfully blends elements of rock, blues and jazz together with an inventive touch of zaniness moving into avant-gardism in places, particularly at the end of the album on Oltre... (read the complete review HERE).

Jim Russell: This is the kind of album which I find thrilling and rare these days. First, it rocks without any noticeable metal influence. Remember when rock could be damn heavy without metal influence or obligatory shredding? Second, it sounds warm and homey on the production side rather than overly slick and coldly mechanical. Third, surprises! Yes, we have songs here that will try anything and everything, even injecting pure weirdness like they used to do in the old days. Thankfully there are almost no English vocals; most singing is fantastic dramatic Italian... Be aware that Altare Thotemico is not especially entry-level RPI. While much of the music is I think universally approachable, the delivery and style of vocalist Venturi demands listeners willing to go to the edge with him... (read the complete review HERE).

Read the interview with Altare Thotemico at progarchives. Click HERE

More info:

http://www.myspace.com/altarethotemico

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Altare-Thotemico/153261531379777

EMILIA - ROMAGNA (part 2)

South-East of Bologna, in the past the area called ROMAGNA, including the cities of FORLI', CESENA, RAVENNA, RIMINI and the Republic of San Marino, gave us bands such as Guercia and Foglie di Vetro. This area is best known for its discotheques and for its entertainment industry and in the seventies one of these discotheques, L’altro mondo, became famous for the jam sessions of many prog artists. Forlì is the birthplace of guitarist Riccardo Zappa (Official Website), an interesting artist that started his career in the seventies and who is still active today.

The current prog scene of Romagna features bands such as the excellent Una Volta Eravamo in Sette (MySpace) who in 2010 released a self produced debut concept album, La ballata del vecchio marinaio, inspired by the poetry of Samuel T. Coleridge, then there are Le Ore Devianti (MySpace), Il Vaso di Pandora (Facebook), Silver Linings (Facebook), the hard Buttered Bacon Biscuits (MySpace), Witchwood (Facebook.com) the psychedelic Kisses From Mars (MySpace), Pater Nembrot (Facebook), Desert Wizards (Facebook) and Tangerine Stoned (Facebook), the post rock projects Neil On Impression (MySpace) and Venezia (MySpace), the dark, heavy Witchfield (MySpace) and the prog folk Araba Fenice (MySpace).

And now let’s take the Via Aemilia heading north west and visit the other cities in the region. First we go to MODENA, the city of the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti and of the painter Walter Mac Mazzieri, whose works appear on some famous prog album covers. Here we can find the hard, psychedelic Donkey Breeder (MySpace) and an intrumental prog-jazz project called Pocket Size Universe (Facebook). From Modena there also comes a popular folk rock band called Modena City Ramblers (MySpace). Although they can hardly be classified as a prog band, their committed “combat folk” has been very influential on the recent Italian prog-folk scene.

Then we go to REGGIO EMILIA, the birthplace of poet Ludovico Ariosto. This place is home to bands such as Mangala Vallis (Official Website), Trama Sonora (Official Website), Master Experience (MySpace), Arcanoise (MySpace), Anabasi Road (Facebook) and a folk rock project called Matelda (MySpace). Not far from Reggio Emilia there is the castle of Canossa. On the initiative of drummer and founder member of Mangala Vallis Gigi Cavalli Cocchi a prog rock opera, Canossa, was released in 2006 which was inspired by the character of Matilda of Canossa, featuring Mangala Vallis, Arcanoise, Master Experience, Trama Sonora and others. By the way, Gigi Cavalli Cocchi has recently teamed up with vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti and keyboardist Cristiano Roversi and now they are working on a new project called Cavalli Cocchi, Lanzetti & Roversi (Facebook).

The nearby town of Novellara gave us one of the most popular Italian pop-rock bands, I Nomadi (Official Website) who in the early seventies released (as almost everyone else in Italy in that period) some albums with soft prog influences that might be of interest to prog lovers. From Reggio Emilia to PARMA, the city of orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini and of famous opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. In the seventies Parma gave us Rocky’s Filj and Acqua Fragile. Franz Dondi, bassist and founder member of Acqua Fragile is still active and is trying to keep the band alive with a renewed line-up under the name Acqua Fragile Project (MySpace). Other contemporary prog bands from this city are the very interesting Altare Thotemico (MySpace), Strato's (Facebook) and the emerging SlideA (MySpace) and Unreal City (MySpace).

We conclude our visit to Emilia-Romagna in PIACENZA. The current prog scene of this city features an interesting band, Wicked Minds (MySpace), who started in 1987 as a thrash metal act and only in 2000, after keyboardist Paolo “Apollo” Negri had joined with his Hammond, found a “new dimension” which is more hard-progressive oriented and the band has released some very interesting works. Other local bands that deserve mentioning are Ambigram (Facebook), Mindflower (MySpace), Art And Illusion (MySpace), David’s Lodgers (MySpace), Active Heed (Facebook), Nightcross (Facebook) and the experimental Pertegò (MySpace). I also recommend listening to an excellent band called Lagartija (Bandcamp) and the emerging Big Muff Project (MySpace).