QUIA NESCIUNT QUID FACIUNT

Roz Vitalis is one of my favorite prog bands. With their purely instrumental music, they manage to express lots of emotions and carry an uplifting message of hope and deliverance in times of trouble. Their most well-known previous releases are Patience of Hope (2012), Lavoro D'Amore (2015), and, of course, The Hidden Man of the Heart (2018) which stands out as the band's magnum opus. Each of those albums has impressed me very much, each in its own way. How about the new one?

First of all, I have to say that you have no second chance to make a first impression. Basically all compositions on QNQF album have been previously released as singles or as live performances, so the element of surprise is not present here. But I must mention that most of the tracks have gone through a lot of transformations, therefore the new album is worth your attention even if you own all those singles and live albums. Roz Vitalis is a very creative and improvisational band, so we have a chance to hear different versions of each song, which for me is especially interesting. And this new album has lots of surprises even for die-hard fans. I am not an expert in music composition or sound production, neither in classic 70s prog (which of course is a major inspiration for Roz Vitalis, but not so well known to me), and my perception of music is mostly emotional. Being an amateur drummer myself, I also take special notice of rhythms and grooves. Having said that, let me try to give some personal comments to each individual track.

1. Bait of Success

Well, this song slightly disappointed me at first, but it grew on me after more listens. Maybe it lacks some kind of delicate intro? It starts at full speed with a simple synth melody in 4/4, then switches to a rockier groove with a guitar riff in 7/8. Everything is cool, but kinda lacks variety. After a few loops in this style, we enter a "transit zone" with harpsichord and synth melodies and effects (that remind me of the Compassionizer project), and then a second part comes in where things become more epic. We have a ? surprise! ? reggae groove here, while the guitar starts a solemn solo in a 3:4 polyrhythm. Later the melody is picked up by the trumpet to make it more epic. Prog and reggae ? that's something new. Let's call it Proggae ))

2. Daybreaking

This one does have a gentle intro that I really enjoy. The whole melodic and tender side of Roz Vitalis is here in full bloom, with a beautiful flute melody supported by the whole band. But as soon as you start relaxing, you hear ominous guitar chords in 7/8 which take us to the next section, where acoustic guitar, percussion and trumpet give us some dark flamenco vibes. After the anxious section, we are back to the main sweet melody, this time both the flute and the trumpet have a chance to shine. I would propose "From Dusk till Dawn" as an alternative title to this song ;) This song is similar in structure to the first one, but it sounds more coherent and complete. All in all, a beautiful composition in the style of Progantino ))

3. Fountain

This is a nice small piano interlude which allows us to take a breath before next prog tracks.

4. Se Camminiamo Nella Luce (LP Version)

Translated as «If we walk in the Light», it portrays exactly what its title implies (yes, I also looked at the single's title photo). We start with a slow piano melody, then the whole band comes in and the flute leads, reminding me of "Lavoro D'Amore". Then the groove goes double time and we have epic trumpet solos over 70s-style synths and rhythm section, which gives me a taste of spaghetti westerns and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks. Is it the only song on the album that is only in 4/4? Sometimes less is more, and simple grooves work perfectly here. Great song, bright and cinematic. I'd call it Proggicone ))

5. Premonition

This is the longest song on the album, and it's the most epic, symphonic, classic prog rock with elements of prog metal. We start with a flute intro over an ominous backround. Then the main part kicks in, with the famous prog 5/4 groove (think "Mission impossible"). The guitar riffs, roaring bass and drumwork (we even hear the double bass here, is it the only Roz Vitalis' song that has that?) can be classified as prog metal. But there's more. Soon the good old 70s bass sound (that reminds me of «Nights in white satin» by Moody blues) leads us into the final part of the composition, where we have a pleasure to hear more beautiful flute melodies and a powerful Gilmour-style guitar solo. Wow. Weird titles are not applicable here. This is a good solid piece of «haute cuisine» without extra spices. This song is just awesome.

6. Walking

I'm not exactly sure what they call "walking bass", but that was my first thought. Syncopated bass line, drums and guitar work in the beginning of the song remind me of RHCP. In the middle, we have a cute medieval section with harpsichord and other interesting sounds. Imagine strolling through an old European town and finding an old castle haunted by ghosts. After that, our pleasant walk changes to some kind of panic run, as the tempo alternates between 11/8 (with some neat polyrhythmic syncopation on the bass) and 4/4 with galloping bass. I don't know if it was intended or just my sick imagination, but the whole song gives me RHCP vibes, and even the sweet flute and trumpet melodies can't stop me or make me give it away )) Let's call it Red Hot Roz Vitalis. A great song, by the way.

7. Wides

Well, well, well, that's a very interesting one. This song is not the longest one on the album, but definitely the most action-packed one. We start with a catchy 3/4 groove led by bass and supported by ethnic percussion on a background of jungle animal noises, then the groove seamlessly (special respect to the rhythm section for that) shifts to 4/4 and the flute comes in with a sweet melody. Beautiful and pleasant. Then other instruments follow. I'm happy. But wait, there's more! Suddenly the drums go double time, while the bass line changes to some kind of funky disco. When I first heard this transition, it made my eyes wide and my smile big, and it still does at every listen. The guitar chords also mimic this unexpected change of style, while the 70s synths play around the main melody in a Doors-like manner. Additional syncopation makes you wanna dance, but be careful, because all of a sudden the whole train at full speed shifts back to 3/4, and the bass starts playing Terminator 2 beat (WTF?!). Then we have a distorted guitar solo, then comes another dancing section, this time in a medieval style with harpsichord, then more guitar. What a party! And especially for us drummers out there, we have a couple bars here and there with a cute little polyrhythm. The extravaganza ends with the whole band playing the well-deserved T2 theme. Mission complete. This whole description may sound crazy and comic, but this song sounds great and runs so smoothly. In my opinion, this is the most creative, original, versatile composition Roz Vitalis has ever released. My favorite song on the album! Ima callit Proogie Nights ;)

8. The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off (LP Version)

The track title is a fair description of feelings of many people during latest 2 years, although it was originally composed in 2019 and released during COVID times of 2020. The song content basically corresponds to its title. This is the most avant-garde / chamber style composition on the album, recorded together with participants of Ivan Rozmainsky's other project, Compassionizer. It also serves as a nice preview of what Compassionizer music sounds like, and I definitely recommend you to check out that project too. The composition itself is quite sophisticated. The sense of anxiety is with you throughout the whole song. Time signatures and their changes are too many to keep track of. There are lots of unusual sounds, including ethnic instruments rubab and doira and even a little ukulele. Bass and drums are not always present which adds to the avant/chamber atmosphere. The middle part is a more straightforward 7/8 instrumental prog march (Subdivisions by Rush comes to my mind) where all instruments participate. But that would be too simple )), so later we seamlessly shift to 4/4 and back. Then we have a quiet outro with acoustic guitar and synths. Welcome to the world of Compassionizer. Generally a good track, very creative and rich in sound palette. However, to me something is missing. Maybe there is too much happening and the flow is not as smooth as in the previous song? Maybe I wanted to hear the message of hope? I'd call it Prog Noir.

9. Beautifulness (LP Version)

Oh well. Here it gets personal. I first heard the single version (released in 2020) at a very special time and place, and it immediately grabbed my heart. The first notes of the slide guitar sounded like greetings from George Harrison, and the whole composition was so bright and uplifting, it was a physical pleasure to hear. I literally had it on repeat. It had a lot of air and that sweet sound of slide guitar blended so well with gentle melodies of flute (although synthetic), clarinet and keys. However, it had some drawbacks, especially lack of real instruments, so the band recorded a new version and released it on the album. What do we have here? It's still a beautiful slow ballad with delicate rhythm section, but this time the whole arsenal of instruments is present. Here most of the solo parts are played by flute while other melodic instruments play a supportive role. The slide guitar is barely heard, and it's a pity for me. Ballad sections alternate with slightly avant-garde parts, and the ending gives us some "morse code" (similar to YYZ, but somewhat different) played on guitar and marching snare drum. Looks weird, but sounds nice and feels good. Beautifulness it is. A great track, especially the new flute melodies, but my heart is still with the single version. It had that slide, lots of air and some kind of special tenderness. The title of "My sweet Prog" goes to the single version. The album version could be nicknamed "Fluty Beauty". But that's my personal biased opinion. Please listen to both versions and decide for yourself.

10. Nocturne

This is another nice small piano piece which is a perfect closing track for this exciting album.

My favorites are: Wides, Premonition, Beautifulness.

Good solid songs: Daybreaking, Se Camminiamo Nella Luce, Walking.

Less convincing for me were: Bait of Success, The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off.

So, for the album in general. It's not a big conceptual opus as the Hidden Man was, it's rather a patchwork-like collection of various songs. But to me, the strength of the album is this variety of styles, sounds, moods and emotions. The new side of Roz Vitalis is their capability to play with different stylistic elements while at the same time maintaining their own signature style. After all, Progressive is about progress, but very often we see artists that fall for that "bait of success" and start repeating themselves. This is absolutely not the case with Roz Vitalis and Ivan Rozmainsky. How often do you hear reggae, flamenco, funk, disco, metal, avant, ethnic and other genres on the same album? Well, that's what prog is for me. The band is evolving and exploring new musical territories, and that's great.

Roz Vitalis also plays great live shows, so their live albums are also worth exploring. I was also blessed to visit their concert in April 2022 (the album Peace Live is also available here), and I definitely recommend to see them live if you have a chance. Compassionizer, Ivan's new project which is anything but rock, is also very interesting and highly recommended. Like, share, subscribe, buy the albums, support the band, go to the show to feel the warm thrill of confusion))

And finally: this music, despite being instrumental, conveys a strong message of compassion and hope that the world needs to hear in these times of darkness.

Many thanks to Ivan and the band for a great album! May the Force be with you as you walk in the Light! Looking forward for more musical adventures with you!