THE WESTERN ORCHESTRA

Dollaro d’Onore were formed in 2012 in Pistoia as a rock tribute project to Spaghetti Western films original soundtracks and it wasn’t until 2015 that they started working on original composition in the same style. The name of the band refers to the Italian title of Rio Bravo, a 1959 American Western film produced and directed by Howard Hawks and starring, among others, John Wayne. Having honed their skills with a good live activity on the local scene, in 2017 they finally self-released an excellent debut album entitled Il lungo addio, featuring four covers and six original compositions where the band try (in their own words) to revive the classic Spaghetti Western original soundtracks undertones in a modern rock-oriented fashion... relying on a Progressive Rock approach. The current line up features Lorenzo Pinto (keyboards, piano, Moog, bandoneon), Gennaro Alfano (guitars, banjo), Francesco Pellegrini (bass) and Alberto Buti (drums) but during the recording sessions many guest musicians contributed to enrich the sound. The result, in my opinion, is a mature work in the vein of bands such as Goblin, La Batteria, Strato’s or Calibro 35...

The very first notes of the opener “E lo chiamarono Giustizia” (And they called him Justice) could recall The Shadows, then whistles, choirs and a brilliant rhythm section take you right into the scene of an imaginary Spaghetti Western film… For every original track on this album you can find in the booklet a kind of screenplay, a short story written by Luca “Tuco Ramirez” Capponi to describe the musical content of the piece. In this is case the music try to evoke a scene where a man in a coach acts against two rascals to defend a female passenger. For this piece was also shot an interesting video that sets the scene in the present, in a school bus... 

The screenplay of the melancholic “Il lungo addio” (The long good-bye) tells about the last moments in the life of a fugitive gunslinger. Deadly wounded, he bids his last farewell to his sweetheart Mary, the queen of the local brothel... Then comes the first cover, “Il mucchio selvaggio” (The wild bunch) by Ennio Morricone, from the 1973 Spaghetti Western comedy film My Name Is Nobody, directed by Tonino Valerii and starring Terence Hill. The Dollaro d’Onore’s version of this piece is excellent!

The following “Duello al camposanto” (Duel at the graveyard) begins by a piano pattern and the sound of a trumpet, then the other instruments come in bringing tension and an impending sense of tragedy. The screenplay describes a scene where a man escapes by chance and bravery from the hands of his evil enemy who was torturing him in a graveyard...

“L’estasi dell’oro” (The ecstasy of gold) is a good cover of a piece by Ennio Morricone from the soundrack of the 1966 epic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Then it’s the turn of another cover, “I giorni dell’ira” (The days of wrath) by Riz Ortolani from the 1967 film Day of Anger, directed and co-written by Tonino Valerii and starring Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma.

The disquieting “The Buried Gun” features the guest Simone Salvatori on vocals and is the only sung track on this album. The music and lyrics portray a man who struggles with the ghosts of his violent, adventurous past and can’t get accustomed to the routine of an ordinary man. It reminds me slightly of a song by the Australian band Augie March entitled This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers...

Dollaro d'Onore 2017

The screenplay of the dark, tense “Un’oncia di piombo nel cuore” (An ounce of lead in the heart) tells of a terrible crime. A child kills his wicked, drunken father who was beating his mother to the pulp. Well, sad story but magnificent music… The following track is more relaxed. “C’era una volta il West” (Once upon a time in the West) is a cover of a famous piece by Ennio Morricone, from the 1968 epic Spaghetti Western film of the same name, based upon a story by Dario Argento, co-written and directed by Sergio Leone and starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale and Jason Robards.

The final track, “La mano sinistra del diavolo” (Devil’s left hand), is an original piece dedicated to the memory of the Italian actor Bud Spencer. The screenplay describes a duel between a big bearded man and an impulsive gambler looking for troubles… Another great track and a wonderful finale for a very interesting work!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/dollarodonore/

TEA AND TREASURES

Endless Season came to life as a trio in 2014 in Bassano del Grappa, a town in the province of Vicenza, with a first line up featuring Lorenzo Di Prima (bass), Marco Busatto (drums) and Paolo Busatto (guitar). Later they were joined by Alessandro Brunetta (sax) and Marcello Sambataro (keyboards) who contributed to enrich the sound bringing new colours to the musical palette of the band. In 2016 the quintet self-released an interesting eponymous debut album with their original compositions full of freshness and energy. According to their website, Endless Season’s influences range from jazz/rock and fusion/funk artists such as Scott Henderson, Mike Stern, Dave Weckl Band, Oz Noy, Alain Caron and others to jazz musicians like Avishai Cohen and more progressive sounds. The final result, in my opinion, is really good: ten instrumental tracks with different atmospheres and moods that should be able to stir your curiosity...

The effervescent opener “Scott Noy” starts with a lively rhythm pattern, then frenzied passages alternate with calmer sections… Next comes the dreamy, relaxed “Misty Morning” that leads to the bursts of energy of the following “Mark Funk”. The mysterious “Sherazade” brings Oriental flavours and hypnotic atmospheres while on the following “Doctor Jelinek” the rhythm takes off again for a musical journey across the Ocean, towards American starry skies. Then it’s the time of the dark “Treasures For Teatime”. For this beautiful piece the band shot a video where you can discover the dangerous effects of the treasures of the title...

The slow “You Talk So Loud” could evoke a dance of big reptiles coming out like ghosts from the pages of an old book by Charles Darwin about evolution... Well, as you can guess, this piece vaguely reminds me of BMS and is one of my favourite tracks on this work. It leads to the frenzied, nervous “Elastic”. Then, the oblique funky of “The Big Crunch” and the long, complex “Zenith” close an album that in my opinion is really worth listening to.

Have a try! You can listen to complete album HERE

At the moment the band are working on new compositions with a renewed line up and I’m looking forward to listen to it...

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/endless.season.band

DROPS OF ABSINTHE

Think Tank were formed in Bari in 2015 by Lino Paglionico (vocals), Fabio Prota (keyboards), Gennaro Piepoli (guitar, vocals), Davide Vacca (bass) and Gese Marsico (drums). According to the band, their influences range from seventies progressive rock to the more modern sound of artists such as Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree. In 2017 they self-released an interesting eponymous EP featuring a nice art work by Arianna Operamolla and five original pieces sung in English with a strong leaning  towards AOR. 

The opener “Joe The Joiner” is a lively, sarcastic piece about a bigot man and his unfaithful wife, Mary. The theatrical vocals feature the collaboration of the guest female singer Rossella Antonacci who plays the role of the cheating woman. Then comes the funky “Dreary Anxious”, a track that tries to open a window of hope in an idle present made of pills and needles. It shows that the best antidote against depression is love...

Next comes the reflective, melodic “Serendipity”, a calm, dreamy piece that draws a line between past and future and tries to drive you through a world where all the dreams are made of sand and stones… The light, short “Fool You Are” and the dark, ironic “The Dark Inside The Fool” close the album with some good shots of tonic energy.

Think Tank on stage

Well, Lino Paglionico and Fabio Prota were both members of another band called Assenzio that in 2005 released an excellent album entitled ‘Avon. For this new project they chose to sing in English but in my opinion it’s a pity that they didn’t exploit more their mother language… Maybe next time!

You can listen to the complete EP HERE

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/thinktankmusiconline

ORDER AND CHAOS

Minerva a Pezzi came to life in 2013 in Forlì from the meeting of four musicians inspired by bands with different styles such as Tool, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Opeth, The Gathering, Pink Floyd, Karnivool, OSI, Radiohead, Genesis, Pantera, Massive Attack, Mars Volta, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, A Perfect Circle, Meshuggah, Zu, Porcupine Tree, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Gentle Giant and many others. In 2015 they self-released an interesting debut album entitled !φ (Not Phi) with a line up featuring Stefano Toni (lead guitar), Lorenzo Valentini (bass), Francesco Casadei Lelli (keyboards, synth, guitar) and Andrea Leoni (drums). According to the band, their music is inspired by urban confusion and by the contamination between different genres, they try to express the inner conflict between love and hate, wish and complaint, rational and irrational, order and chaos... Well, in my opinion, the dark, threatening art cover by Marco Sabbione in some way reflects the musical content of this instrumental work better than many words!

The nervous opener “Helpline” is an excellent piece that blends pulsing bass lines and fiery organ patterns, funky and classical music, dark, nocturnal atmospheres and evocative, dreamy passages. It could be the perfect score for a horror/thriller movie!

Minerva a Pezzi on stage

Next comes “Thassos” that features raw, heavy electric guitar riffs rising upon dark organ waves. Here there’s more chaos than melody while in the following “Flegma” a more relaxed, dreamy mood takes over. On “Cubo di Rubik” (Rubik’s Cube) tension rises again and here every now and again the music recalls the magic of Goblin’s deep colours. The nightmarish “Night’s Out” is in the same vein and alternates stormy dark clouds of sound to calmer passages.

The slow, dreamy “La giostra” (The carousel) and the long, mysterious “Ultimo giro” (Last lap) close an album that is worth listening to… Have a try! You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/MinervaAPezzi/

PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDA

Afasia were formed in Rome in 2011 on the initiative of guitarist and composer Francesco Lori who teamed up with Fabio Riccucci and Francesco De Santis to work on a new project inspired by bands such as Premiata Forneria Marconi, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, King Crimson but also newer ones like Opeth and Dream Theater just to name but a few. After a long, hard work and a good live activity on the local scene, in 2016 Afasia finally self-released a debut album entitled Nelle vesti del mio ego with a renewed line up featuring Francesco Lori (guitars), Fabio Riccucci (drums), Giuseppe Poveromo (keyboards), Damiano Lanciano (bass) and Marco Civilla (vocals). It’s a long, complex concept album that tells in music and words the story of a madman who escapes from a mental hospital and later is arrested and sentenced to death for murder. The heartfelt, theatrical vocals play the characters and try to convey their feelings while the music underlines the storyline. There are many changes in mood and rhythm with aggressive passages influenced by metal sounds and calmer, dreamy ones… In my opinion this is an excellent work but beware! It could be hard to appreciate it if you can’t follow the plot…

The opener, “Nelle vesti del mio ego part I” (In the guise of my ego), starts softly on the notes of a carillon, then electric guitar and Gothic choirs bring a disquieting mood and evoke conflictual feelings. The music and lyrics depict a patient in a mental hospital: four walls separate him from reality, he has forged an imaginary armour to protect him for the curiosity of other people and in his personal inner-world he lives every day a new adventure that gives him strength. He feels different from anybody else and his soul walks on the thin thread of fate… The echoes of his screams flow and rebound on the walls of his cell, strange forces keep him blocked, evil eyes are staring at him… They tell him that he’ll be better soon and he is forced to relax, he feels like melting in a dark lake, his body gives up... Then consciousness comes back and gives shape to the pain, as the senses awake a furious rage wears him out from within in the guise of his ego...

“La grazia di Andromeda” (Andromeda’s grace) marks a change of mood. The atmosphere becomes calmer, almost romantic. It’s dark, through the open window the wind caresses the face of the protagonist of the story, the night comforts him. Then he sees a woman and her face shines like a beam of hope… Is she real? He calls her Andromeda. Her voice is like a melody, it’s like magic. She whispers to him that he’s not the only one who cries and suffers in this place and that she’s with him. He falls in love, her grace gives him strength...

The following “Grida dall’Ade” (Screams from Hades) begins softly but it’s just the calm before the storm. The protagonist can see the nurses coming in and deal with Andromeda. She’s shouting no! He can hear the echoes of her screams, he feels impotent, he would fight against those demons with a thousand weapons but he can’t, he’s crying for her… Her tears freeze him and his rage rises. He looks for vengeance… He binds his time and manages to steal some canisters when his guardians are distracted. His shrewdness and his rage allow him to knock down the torturers, in his mind even love is screaming for vengeance! So, he kills the nurses and escapes with Andromeda...

“Perseo” (Perseus) describes the breakthrough with emphatic, powerful tones mixing mythology and madness. Perseus is, in Greek mythology, the hero and slayer of monsters who saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus. Here the protagonist experiences the feeling of being strong and invincible when running out of his prison with her beloved Andromeda… He prays Zeus to protect them along their way between hell and sea and dreams of a winged horse to ride away, free from the tyranny of the mental hospital. No Medusa nor Titans can stop them...

The long, complex “La valle delle ruote meccaniche” (The valley of the mechanical wheels) begins with dreamy atmospheres and pastel colours… Out of the hospital walls everything seems better and beautiful, the green of the fields contrasts with the blue of the sky on the horizon as the protagonists fly away, hand in hand with Andromeda. They go east, where there are signs of civilization, where they can hide in a city… But as the landscape changes, the smells become almost poisonous, there are endless streets, they can see strange, almost threatening skyscrapers in the dark… What kind of place is this? Metallic monsters are oozing grey vapours and their noises are driving the protagonist completely insane. He can see people inside strange talking boxes that seem feeding on brains… This is the real madness, his greatest phobia! He’s confused but realizes that he has committed an error, this is not freedom but just a cruel world where the thirst of power rules… His hopes die away in the valley of the mechanical wheels that turn men into slaves. As his dreams vanish the protagonist curses this merciless society made of incertitude and carelessness… Then someone captures him, Andromeda manages to run away but he’s caught and arrested as a criminal… He killed to protect his love and now the weight of his act is like a boulder that smashes him down… He falls down into an inner abyss, nightmares take over, finally they stun him… Now time flows slowly, fragile and tired… Without love nor wings!

“Nelle vesti del mio ego part II” describes the sad epilogue. The doors of the court of justice are going to be opened and we can hear the reflections of the protagonist about his behaviour before the trial. He’s aware that soon he’ll pass away, sentenced to death, but leaving this world eventually could mean that his soul will be set free, his memories will be erased and he will find a place in new dimensions, maybe in another world where prejudice does not rule and where he could finally meet with Andromeda again… At the moment of the trial the music turns to sarcastic tones evoking a kind of circus where the protagonist is treated like a beast, a human scum, a public enemy, a dangerous, mad murderer. Of course, he is found guilty and sentenced to death… Then the music evokes the return to naught and every now and again it makes me think of the final track of Le Orme’s Felona e Sorona. At last the protagonist feels he’s melting in a dark lake and his body gives up… He’s going to meet the creator in a dream without awakening where a new utopia will cradle him in the sky, forever and ever…

All in all I think that this is a really good album. The songwriting is good and the music perfectly fits the storyline even if it could be difficult appreciate it at the very first spin. Anyway, have a try! You can listen to the complete album on deezer or spotify…

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/AfasiaOfficialPage/