BABYLON

A fair amount of what has been written about VIII Strada contains discussion of their classification, of just what kind of music this band plays. ProgArchives has been gently ridiculed in other spaces for our prog-metal labeling of said band. It's been years since I've had to worry about such classifications, but I probably concur with those who feel this band might sit a tad better in RPI. They certainly check some RPI boxes, are both powerful, symphonic, and complex, and they feature excellent Italian vocals. Yes, without question there are some metal tendencies: metal guitar tones, shred, and blast drumming are sprinkled generously throughout. Still, prog-metal may be a stretch.

While VIII Strada's story goes back to the late 1990s, the band's proper introduction to the world arrived with 2008's impressive full length debut, La Leggenda Della Grande Porta. The debut generated a lot of positive buzz here and elsewhere in the prog community. Seven years later, they have returned with their follow-up album, Babylon. In what I'm starting to notice as a trend, the enthusiasm for RPI generally that I recall from years back seems to have waned somewhat in the later years of the 2010s. It's unfortunate because, from what I can tell, the quality of RPI is just as high or even better. The band remains grounded with long-time leaders Tito Vizzuso (vocals) and Silvano Negrinelli (keys, songwriting), as well as Riccardo Preda (drums). Changes on Babylon include the addition of new guitarist Davide Zigliani and bassist Sergio Merlino.

The music of Babylon is another feast for the senses. Let's call it power-RPI for now. While I don't speak Italian, the lyrics are purported to be an examination of a relationship affected by issues both within and without. It is conceptual, but the songs are also meant to stand alone. The couple is blessed with a child at the end, so perhaps it is a happy ending--I can't be sure. But the music makes me happy. Their sound is big and bold with excellent musicianship and vocals and production, just like the debut. Melody is embraced and certainly heaviness is emphasized. They rock big time. The approach works well most of the time. The criticism I do have is one that I have with much "modern metal" or in this case "metal-influenced" bands, that there is sometimes a penchant for density when I would prefer a bit more space. It never gets to the mechanical coldness I feel from some DT albums, but the title track feels unnecessarily impenetrable in the heavier parts. Other tracks are much more successful though, blending in emotion, melody, and fist-pumping energy convincingly. There are even some jazz-fusiony notions and plenty of piano which I love. My favorite part is the last three tracks which fit well together (in my head) as a 15-minute suite: the intro "Time of Stardust," the epic feel of "Slow," and the conclusion of "Ninna Nanna" where the heaviness falls away in favor of a simple beauty. The entire album is consistently strong in songwriting.

If you are one of the PA-ers who embraced that debut, you should really hit this up as well. Fans of Pandora, Senza Nome, Sinestesia, and S91 should all take note. The CD features a tri-fold digi with cool continuous artwork created by Vizzuso and Negrinelli themselves if I read the notes correctly. The band is still active in terms of doing gigs, so hopefully we'll get another album one day.

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