IO SONO NATO LIBERO

Although I surmise that the album title means "I am born free," since I don't speak Italian, I am at something of a disadvantage regarding the lyrics here. Thus, I must assume that these guys write good lyrics about interesting topics. Having said that, this is my first experience with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and I am extremely impressed by the music. Indeed, I am finding that the prog-rock coming out of Italy is arguably the most consistently excellent European prog, from this early entry to more recent bands like Deus ex Machina. Interestingly, I am also finding that the influences on Italian prog-rock as a whole tend to be very similar: ELP, Yes (especially Wakeman), and, unexpectedly (and quite happily), Gentle Giant (among others). Banco del Mutuo Soccorso makes excellent use of its influences, weaving light symphonic sections with heavier prog-rock sections. The musicianship is at a very high level (only Deus ex Machina impresses me as much), especially the keyboard work, and the music is mostly very creative - though there are times when it sounds like they took alot of great ideas and simply strung them together somewhat haphazardly. Still, this does not negatively impact the overall effect of the music, which is excellent. I very much look forward to listening to more of their albums.