L' ESTATE DI SAN MARTINO

I find the history of this band more interesting than their music. Mind you if your into pretty and fancy music in the GENESIS style with lots of class, then you need to hear this band. From the band's name, to the cover art here, to the symphonic/neo prog style, this is first class all the way. And to have artists like Steve Hackett and Francesco Di Giacomo guesting on here is saying something. Steve plays electric guitar on a couple of tracks while Francesco sings on the final two tracks.

This is a twelve track release worth around 45 minutes. A five piece including flute and sax but lots of guitars with three of the guys playing electric, acoustic or both. Plenty of piano as well. We also get some guest kawal flute on the opening and closing numbers. It's crazy to me that they would release this album 3 years later under the name "ESM#40" to celebrate 40 years as a band and re-doing this record "Talsete Di Marsantino" but making it all acoustic, and so even less adventerous than it already was. It was already a pastoral and light symphonic recording. Lets make it even sweeter.

It was cool though to see this band has released an album in 2022, I wish them nothing but success. Their road has been a long one filled with road blocks and detours, especially those years in the seventies and early eighties. Late in 1983 they did a couple of live shows that were recorded and eventually released as an archival recording in 2006, their first release. And that's not counting the single they were able to record in 1978 after being in a battle of the bands-like contest. They would break up after those live performances late in 1983, and not return until about a decade later. It wasn't an easy ride in the early days so it's nice to see them established and making music when they so desire.

I'm missing the grit here, it's all so clean, so perfect. So not me. I want tomato sauce on my face, and spilled on my pants if you know what I mean.

Death Reimagined

"It's not that I'm scared of dying, but I don't want to die knowing I could've done something more."

Kim Suozzi was a bright and lovely young woman of 23, a college student with a boyfriend she adored, and a very bright future she couldn't wait to embrace. When she was told she had an aggressive brain tumor and had little time left to live, she had a very bold and unique response. She raised money and decided to cryo-preserve her brain until such time as her cancer could be cured and her consciousness restored in some form. When she died in 2013, with her boyfriend Josh's love and support, she did just that. Kim's brain was removed and preserved at a cryogenic facility. It's a story filled with ethical dilemmas, chance, science, hope, human considerations, and more. And it is the lyrical theme of the album by the returning RPI band, L'Estate di San Martino.

L'Estate di San Martino has a long and complicated history that I'm not going to go into. You can read their bios and histories prepared by others if interested, but their origin story goes all the way back to 1975! I'm only going to discuss this current project, and it is a fascinating one. Per their liner notes, the band wanted to "address issues such as Darwinism, transhumanism, the eternal contrast between religion and science and the ultimate limit to which the latter can be pushed," and the true story of Kim Suozzi was the perfect template to achieve that. After learning about her story, I have to say that this album is really a beautiful tribute to Kim, and I hope that her family and friends were made aware of it.

It's been many years since I've heard the band's earlier works, but this album certainly feels quite different from what I remember. Whereas the older stuff had a more traditionally prog and neo-prog vibe, refined and pastoral, this album feels much more modern and less structured, less conventional, more spacey and odd---in a good way. They have stated that the change in sound was intentional and was due to the unique subject matter. They said they wanted to move "towards a modern progressive rock, almost free of old acoustic sections but full of various electronic injections." And that is what they've done. I'm a bit conflicted about the sound on Kim. At times I think it's a bit too refined and could use more edge, but I have that same issue with their old material and with most "refined prog bands." Beyond personal taste however, their sound here makes sense and supports the lyrical theme as intended. It's a striking collection of music in that it manages to sound quite unique without getting avant-garde or trying to shock you with histrionics. There's no shock happening here. The music is generally serene, thought-provoking, and chill.

You will still find the personality of the old L'Estate here, the acoustic beauty they mention. There is plenty of refined RPI beauty in the warm and pleasing vocals, acoustic guitars, flutes, and piano. But there is that notable injection of modernity that they reference. There are lots of modern keyboards, ambient sounds, techno samples, and feisty grooves and percussion in places. But what really sticks out to me regarding the sound is that there is lots of space, lots of atmosphere. This album breathes, takes its times, and has patience. They have created an album that is both pleasant to listen to actively but also perfect for personal introspection or pondering Kim's situation. It just works. I can only imagine what she went through and how devastating it must have been without even getting into the science part. But even without understanding the Italian language, the music alone was enough to engage me in the story. The cover art could not be more perfect for the album's music and theme.

"The options are either I die and nothing happens---likely---or I come back and things are weird probably, but I'm alive again. I think there's a one or two percent chance of this working. It's not like I'm counting on it, but it's definitely worth it."

While Kim's beliefs about faith and afterlife are different from my own, her optimism and spirt in the face of a horrific disease are inspiring to all of us. Years later Josh would bring Kim's special belongings to her Arizona cryo-facility. Kim's dad still calls her phone daily to hear her voice and leave her a message of support. He believes she may hear them one day. I ponder if Josh will marry someone else, or will he hold his torch for Kim until he dies? We can only wonder how it all turns out, but in more ways than one, it's a love story for the ages. My heart goes out to Kim and Josh. If you're curious, you can search and read many stories and find videos about her unusual journey.

Finally, I had to laugh because a blog review I read elsewhere calls the closing "Tewar/Ghost Tracks" the one "misstep" on the album, and I thought it was one of the finest moments! I can't read the band's mind, but my own interpretation is that it seemed a perfect condensed instrumental timeline from Kim's diagnosis, decline, death (the 40-second gap), her long stasis, and finally her conscious awakening (the angelic wordless female vocals) and her new life in some fascinating-to-imagine future. I could be completely wrong about that interpretation, but that's how it felt to me. In any case, it was a stunning and beautiful coda to an album that made a sad topic into a lovely listening experience. It could be the finest release to date from L'Estate di San Martino. Bravo.

L'Estate di San Martino with Kim has arrived at its fifth album. The band began in 1975 with the intention of writing music for a theatrical work and has come a long way with a very articulated path. Their debut with the 45 rpm "Il bimbo e l'eroe", with which they participated in a music competition, dates back to 1978. After some changes in the lineup, they only released their debut album in 2006, based on two concerts in 1983, which tells the story of a fisherman, "Alder". In the same year, one of the members, Adolfo Broegg, passed away, and the band dedicated the song "Il ricordo" to him. The album that the musician had actively collaborated on, Febo, was released in 2007. In 2012, the archivist Talsete di Marsantino (an anagram of the band's name) idea came to life, resulting in a mostly instrumental album presented live with the help of a narrator between each track to explain the story. The album featured two important figures in progressive rock, Steve Hackett - former Genesis guitarist - and the unforgettable and great Francesco Di Giacomo. Finally, in 2015, to celebrate the band's fortieth anniversary, they released ESM#40, an acoustic version of Talsete. The band then began working on this new project, Kim, which was released in November 2022. The album was performed in its entirety and presented during the preview of the third edition of the Trasimeno Prog Festival at the Giardini del Frontone in Perugia in August 2022. The work focuses on the figure of the young Kim - terminally ill with cancer - who, hoping for a future where a cure will be possible, is cryogenically frozen. The novelties are a couple: the most appreciated is the debut of Andrea Pieroni and his voice on the recording, which finally gives the band a well-defined identity; moreover, a more pronounced use of electronics contributes to personalizing the band's sound. In this perspective, the album starts off with the instrumental track "Cretto", which is very catchy. "Sul prato" starts with a dreamy introduction, followed by Pieroni's beautiful voice, and then a riff with overlapping sax and keyboards. "Inanna" features elements of folk music, while "Gocce" has some Genesis-style references that won't go unnoticed by fans of this musical genre. A more rock sound is present in the initial part of "Libera"; once again, Pieroni's voice is highlighted, and then Tofi's keyboards take over; it's another great track. "Il ciclope" is a short instrumental track, starting with electronic elements and continuing with a guitar solo, while "Il Monaco Pierre" travels into rock territory, tempered by the voice and a quieter final part. "Immaginami" is my favorite track; I had the chance to listen to it in preview, and I immediately noticed Andrea's voice. When the atmosphere becomes calmer, and the acoustic guitars start arpeggiating, a beautiful electric guitar pattern starts under a powerful drumming. Winds and keyboards join in and conclude the track greatly. But there are still about 20 minutes of music left to listen to...and what a finale; "Caleidoscopio" starts off very calmly, then the rhythm becomes powerful, and in the end, a beautiful keyboard solo embellishes everything. The album concludes with "Tewar," which is just eleven minutes long, but actually quite short since it includes a ghost track. The band members improvise freely in this instrumental finale, punctuated by a few brief vocalizations. The album is available in both CD and limited edition vinyl, with only 300 copies produced. L'Estate di San Martino has truly made its mark with this modern work, which tastefully draws from the 1970s progressive rock - undoubtedly the band's best album yet. We can only hope to enjoy it live in concert sometime in the near future.

With the exception of a stray promo single released three years after the band formed in 1975, Italian band L'Estate di San Martino share a similar history to groups from that country such as Il Cerchio d'Oro - vintage Italian acts who never released a studio album in the period of their initial activity. A belated release of a 1983-recorded live album came in 2006, with a proper studio debut a year later, but the band gained better notice with their last album, 2012's warmly received `Talsete di Marsantino', a rather special pastoral gem with worldly flavours that is fondly remembered. So fondly, in fact, and especially by the band themselves, because they've decided to completely remake the album all over again!

`E.S.M # 40' doubles as a celebration of the fortieth anniversary of L'Estate di San Martino, but while they again present the above-mentioned previous album in the same running order, the highly skilled musicians have completely reinterpreted the material here with great taste and sophistication. It has breathed new life into the work and given it a gentler acoustic personality full of jazzier laid-back passages with controlled improvised jamming bursts, and it even has a fleeting guest vocal spot from the late great Francesco Di Giacomo of legendary RPI group Banco del Mutuo Soccorso on the final track.

Looking at some of the highlights, the brief introduction opener `Silbo' and `Il Cielo per San Lorenzo' float with early Deuter- like meditative flute, and `Archivista' sets a style that maintains throughout much of the disc, with Stefano Tofi's ravishing piano runs, Riccardo Regni's fancy acoustic guitar flair, Marco Pentiricci's purring saxophone, Massimo Baracchi's bass sweetly murmuring in the background and Sergio Servadio's drumming moving between subdued and lively little bursts. `Fretta' is dreamy and wistful with the lightest of introspective moments, and `Ely' is a lonely saxophone rumination that could have easily come from the `Fifth'-era of the Soft Machine.

The inviting piano of `Long Now Clock' has a`brand new day' warmth that reminds of the Seventies albums of American jazz- fusion instrumentalists Oregon, and the group even manages to utilise bagpipes throughout `Hallucigenia' and somehow give them a very exotic flavour! There's plenty of late-night improvisation-heavy sax and piano noodling on `Monolake', the chiming acoustic guitar of `Otto' reminds of those fancy old Genesis interludes, and the album closer is lightly psychedelic with flute drifting in and out of alluring acoustic guitars with breezy warm-weather vibes all around, a sole uplifting vocal from Banco's Francesco wrapping the disc with refinement.

If you're a fan of the first version, please don't instantly dismiss this impossibly pretty re-interpretation as nothing but a mere `remake'. L'estate di San Martino have taken what was already a wondrous work and made it lovelier than ever, and listening in early A.M hours or on an unhurried summer day will reveal an exceptionally beautiful album full of delicate magic and embracing intimacy.

Four stars.

A brief introduction; it still makes sense in 2015 to label the music, that is to want at all costs to differentiate kinds; maybe not and a clear example is the record that we examine which blends different genres to reach an attractive "fusion". This is the year in which "L'Estate di San Martino", the historic group of progressive Umbrian (but young in terms of record because their first album "Alder" was published only in 2006 thanks to renewed interest towards a "kind" which the progressive), celebrates the milestone of 40 years of career and does resumed his game once again; In fact, back in the market with an operation that could certainly seem risky, reread your last job (Talsete of Marsantino, ingenious anagram of the name of the group), according to an unusual pattern noise; I personally witnessed the growth of the product, from the presentation about 18 months ago in concert in a small and pleasant city, until the release of the album in question), and say that he does not "purely and simply", but by a deep change in the arrangements , favoring winds (also thanks to the invaluable contribution of Maestro Francesco Santucci, all-round musician who has managed to give a soul "jazzy" to work, and the introduction of other instruments (delicious percussion and accordion), the disc re-read thus becomes a project to be discovered again and opens the horizon for future work of the band); Talsete, published in 2012, is a work that certainly has its roots in the teachings of some leader of the international prog (Genesis of the first period after Gabriel in the first place), despite a personal search of originality as topics covered including its musical as well as texts, and we appreciate the work of the group that gradually grew to reach an effective executive level; we are pleased to recall in this regard that the group has so embraced the acoustic dimension to start the performance of Stefano Tofi who juggles very well the piano (as already observed in some tests concert), no longer immersed in the many electronic keyboards, but the whole group (Marco Pentiricci, guitars, vocals, woodwinds and harp Celtic, Sergio Servadio on drums, Massimo Baracchi on bass and Riccardo Regi on guitar) and offers a mature test showing that this could be the new path of the "ESM""; of course we must not forget that courtesy of the widow there is once again possible to listen to the wonderful voice in a couple of cameos of the late Francesco Di Giacomo who had already enriched the first version of "Talsete"; happy birthday "ESM", we hope that the future will bring even your new jobs to bring prestige to Italian prog but overall to delight the ears and if about ten years have produced four works of the group wait with confidence the new productions.

Sometimes they come back, and when the return makes noise then is better turn up the volume, so that everyone will listen to better. This is not a great return, only one of the many bands that in Italy of 70s haven't had so much fortune. The grandeur of this return is represented by the exceptional maturity acquired during the last 38 years. Also their name is a good idea. In fact L'estate di San Martino (San Martino's Summer) is a period, in case it occurs, in which in autumn, after the first frosts it happens climatic conditions more pleasant of warmth (is the "indian summer" for Anglo-Saxon country). This album seems transmit the same feeling. It's as if it finally came after a long period of cold.

Time is something of fascinating for men, something that seems to play with human reason, hiding its real essence while it flows on relentlessly. And precisely this is the theme that they have chosen. The concept album Talsete Di Marsantino (acronym of the band's name) tells the fantastic story (written by guitarist Riccardo Regi) of an archivist, the most known of his time for his skills and his intelligence, that received the important burden to record all the human knowledge (intended maybe also like tradition of Progressive Rock) . So, in a time that do not seems to belong to the conventional rules, between oddities that seems coming from an unknown past and a futuristic device that will punctuates the present time, the adventure of Talsete Di Marsantino seems to get back to childhood, hearing its whistle.

The album has an aptitude completely Progressive. From the architecture as concept album to the sound typically vintage, from the elegant romanticism of RPI to the musical moments with unpredictable dynamics it sounds as the best tradition of Progressive Rock of a memorable musical experience. The work is mostly instrumental, based on acoustic guitar (Riccardo Regi) and piano (Stefano Tofi), where melodies seems to chase each other, merging and then give life to intense and warmth atmospheres, but there are also pure moment of Prog Rock (intro in "Hallucigenia"). To enrich this treasure there are the flute and sophisticated saxophone plots (Marco Pentiricci) that makes it more dreamy and airy and the participation of great musicians! Is possible to discover a soul more "restless" (if so it can say), in song such as "Archivista" (archivist / file clerk) with an electric guitar in Hackett / Genesis style. From here starts the beautiful "Fretta" (hurry), feeling which Talsete is kidnapped so much to not notice to embraced already his assignment, with exciting tones underlined by female vocals (Conny Rausch). After a little look under the stars in the San Lawrence's Night (Il Cielo Per San Lorenzo), here comes the first great guest. A wonderful intermezzo short but intense of electric guitar by the unmistakable Steve Hackett get us through a new concept of time, where the clacking of the "Long Now Clock" alternates every year. A romantic song with violins, acoustic guitar and piano and electric guitar laments that loads the piece of no time atmosphere.

Deep and elegant musical plots alternates masterfully in track such as "L'Estate Di San Martino", proud expression of the "same old" RPI of Great 70s Masters. My favorite musical passage (considering the entire listening) is in the song "Mono Lake", that establish oneself let me forget, if only for a moment, that I'm listening to it in 2014! Conclude the album the songs "Otto" (eight) and "S.E.N.O.". In the first appears the Voice (in my personal opinion) of RPI Francesco Di Giacomo, a flash of nostalgia for Banco's lovers. Here there is also the last (short) participation of Steve Hackett effective and unique like ever. The song S.E.N.O sounds with the Progressive band's mark, one of the few singed moment in the album but really good with Franceso Di Giacomo that sings "I've Got No More Time For Memories" in the way that only he can do.

There are also two (wonderful) bonus tracks. "Res Gestae" is the report of the story with the principal themes of all the songs. The narrator is Italian but don't worry, on the booklet there the translation with a tale more complete full of strange happenings and situations! If someone wants a more pleasant experience naturally must listen to the album reading the tale. "Pesce Vela" (sailfish) is their old piece here with another great participation. Yes the voice is that of Bernardo Lanzetti (ex ACQUA FRAGILE and PFM) that still the same of at least 40 years ago.

This album is far from the experimentation of new sounds and sonorities, oriented to a glorious past for Progressive Rock. This could be considered "the real project" of this band with a strange past that finally is materialized and that only now they are receiving the right attention. The presence of some great name is the proof of their commitment and their passion for Progressive Rock, with the desire to retrieve its essence, "swept away, at the time, far too hastily from the punk genre" (from a personal intervention of Riccardo Regi). Someone could label them such as band boring too Genesis oriented (and I must admit that previous two works are only decent with a few glorious moments) listened by nostalgic of Prog. This wonderful album sounds a Progressive Rock intelligent, bonded to the past but with a look to the new sonorities. This album let me changed opinion about them. Its sound is elegant such as BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO and effective like PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, depth like GENESIS and unique like this renewed style of L'ESTATE DI SAN MARTINO. An exciting journey of a man in front of the magnificence and the mystery of time. A mix of feelings and emotions upon the notes of more than one hour of beautiful music.

5 Stars - Fortunately they come back!

L'Estate di San Martino began life in Perugia in 1975 on the initiative of Marco Pentiricci and Giuseppe Petrazzini. In the seventies the band had no chance to release a full length album and it wasn't until 2006, after a long hiatus and many line up changes, that they managed to release their d'but work, 'Alder', a concept album recorded live in 1983. In 2007 the band released a second album called 'Febus', featuring old stuff from the nineties re-arranged, and, finally, in 2012 they released what is their best work so far, 'Talsete di Marsantino', on the independent label AMS/BTF. The current line up features Marco Pentiricci (sax, flute, acoustic guitar), Riccardo Regi (electric and acoustic guitar), Stefano Tofi (keyboards, vocoder, acoustic guitar), Massimo Baracchi (bass) and Sergio Servadio (drums) but during the recording sessions they were helped by some prestigious guests such as Steve Hackett (electric guitar), Francesco Di Giacomo (vocals) and Bernardo Lanzetti (vocals). The result in my opinion is excellent and this work is a must to have for every prog collector.

'Talsete di Marsantino' is a concept album based on a short story by Riccardo Regi that you can find in the booklet (if you can't speak Italian do not worry, in the booklet there's a translation into English as well). The protagonist of the story is an imaginary character, an archivist who in an Autumn day receives a mysterious letter containing nothing but a verb: 'to pick'. The album is almost completely instrumental, there are some jazzy passages but calm, dreamy atmospheres prevail. As time is running out the protagonist has to hurry to collect memories, sounds from the past, fragments of human knowledge and dreams. What kind of link can you find between an enormous clock hidden in a mountain that chimes just one time per century, the strange fossil of a bacteria and an ancient lake in California? Maybe the beautiful vocals provided by Francesco Di Giacomo could give you a clue... 'It will only take a time equal to eight to this last work / If standing towards North it will be East / And standing towards South it will be West...'. Is it not clear? Well, all in all it doesn't matter: just let the music draw you away! If you like bands such as Genesis, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso or Premiata Forneria Marconi I'm sure you'll enjoy this magnificent album as well.

The third chapter of l'Estate di San Martino is probably the consecration of this group so long- lived but strangely with only three albums released. The history of Talsete is fascinating in real prog-style, an archivist with the dual role of guardian of knowledge and the essence of progressive music. In this sense be seen the illustrious collaborations of Steve Hackett, Francesco di Giacomo and Bernardo Lanzetti. The compositions are of great freshness and originality both from the point of view that rhythmic and harmonic. The amount of music in each song is such that is necessary more than one listening to discover the depth. The sounds ranging from classic prog to most modern. 12-string acoustic and electric guitars with analog and digital synths and vocoder. The colors of the saxophone and the flute and the addition of bass pedals enrich the entire job. A particular note for the great drum parts and for the quality of the recordings. Even the packaging is beautiful, in style with the previous covers of the group. There is also a limited vinil version...Whoaa

As I listened to this disc the first time I couldn't help be feeling repeatedly astounded at the freshness of the music I was listening to. I am also a witness to the extraordinary contributions to the whole by prog legends Steve Hackett, Francesco di Giacomo, and Bernardo Lanzetti. This music could be called neo-prog, but really it's neo-RPI, but with all new ideas--new melodies, new combinations, new emotions, new, 21st Century energy. As other reviewers have pointed out, I, too am reminded at times of GENESIS, ANT PHILLIPS, ROBIN GUTHRIE/COCTEAU TWINS, and even Norway's AIRBAG (because of the tremendous keyboard support work) and Poland's COLLAGE, but, for the most part, it is all Italiano--or, rather, in this case, L'Estate di San Martino. Congratulations.

This one goes down in the history books as a modern classic, a masterpiece for the ages! Thank you for achieving something so rare in this modern era of very good (and very alive) progressive rock music: creating a modern masterpiece that fills the listener with blissful nostalgia for the prog classics of the 70s. Something so many groups (especially in The Netherlands [Trion, Flamborough Head, Knight Area, etc., etc.]) seem so desperate to do. In my humble opinion, none have done it better than this one.

Favorite songs: I LOVE THEM ALL!!!

Talk about a majestic slice of classic RPI , mixed with the latest modern symphonic tendencies and words are hard to come by. Insanely orchestrated, never boring, between sheets of pastoral folk, stormy sequences and fluttering flutes, woodwinds, brass and that masterful rebel, the saxophone ?.. Truth is, this one shines from the very get-go and never releases the pedal, scouring into a magnificent wonderland of style and texture. The various instruments have a huge organic feel that is quite unexpected and the wealth of musical ideas even within a single piece is masterful. Obviously if you include guest artists Steve Hackett and Banco's Francesco di Giacomo, you get a pretty clear idea that this will be an adventure in dreamland, with strong emanations of classic RPI, superb miniature pieces that recall Penguin Café Orchestra and Ant Phillips and full-blown Genesis-style symphonics.

"Silbo" sets the slithery mood from the very beginning, a hoarse flute scouring the airwaves. "Archivista" is where this album really hits the mark: a luminous guitar phrasing is supported by some brilliant drumming and rolling bass, all masterfully combined in a sensuous symphonic sheen. The sexy sax is blazing out in front of the undulating beat and the intensity is tangible as the brew becomes intoxicating, tossing in vocoder effects, whirring synths (including a dizzying choir mellotron finale) and a shuffling beat. This is primo stuff! What a breeze, when music is so effortless and brilliant, as exemplified on the languid "Fretta", an indescribable gem that resonates deeply with any audiophile. A barrage of acoustic guitars weave a web of delicacy that provides the foundation on which flute, soprano sax, electric guitar and assorted ivories can paint the harmonic skies, as vocalist Conny Rausch wails in a very 60s style. Effortless, dynamic, cinematographic, expressive and possessing that magical mixture of freshness and elegance that affect ones pleasure nodes. The simplicity of the electric guitar section is truly masterful.

"Il Cielo Per San Lorenzo" keeps things nicely minimalist with Riccardo Regi's 12 string electric guitar swerving amid Stefano Tofi's spectral keyboards in a style very reminiscent of classic Anthony Phillips. A sparkling and crystalline composition with discreet orchestrations and ornate piano work.

Wait until you hear Hackett's slithering lead on "Ely", a bare minute + of sonic genius. Tofi lays down a synthesized carpet for Steve to roll around on and the sonic master does not disappoint! Riveting,frightening and spectral.

"Long Now Clock" is anomalous, smoggy and atmospheric in an oddball way, bordering on experimental, with a celebrated stance of unwavering poise and ingenious juicedom, infusing Nickleharp, a strange Swedish instrument that stretches the boundaries of violin and viola. This creative side is what makes this release so attractive, an RPI comfort zone that is stretched to the hilt. The yearning guitar aches for some reassurance and fades, deeply relieved.

"Hallucigenia" confirms the talent of drummer Sergio Servadio, who positively rocks on the intro to this complex and demanding piece, as the mood settles for some brilliant piano musings, incorporating some lovely jazzy moves and then exploding into a bright section where the recorder played by Marco Pentiricci reigns supreme, amid the colossal drum fills. Throw in a little guitar synth and acoustic 6 and 12 strings to add some spice and flavor. Definitely hallucigenic. "Bang!" is a playful 12 second sonic experiment. Cute! The title track has a fretless bass solo to murder for, within all its other delights and its one of slayer cuts. A woozy synth solo launches this one into the night sky, swerving into a neo- tropical shuffle (them congas), soon to be united with piano madness and booming bass and blooming into a sensational composition.

"Mono Lake" is another massive highlight track, simple and effective, organ-fueled and just a plain brilliant instrumental. Stefano Tofi's stirring butterfly synth solo is damning, tugging on the heartstrings and delivering heavenly bliss. A straightforward beat, two note bass, boom-boom drums, that wrenching organ and a mood for excitation, as the guitar confidently mouths the melody. Brooding, sulfurous and raging.

"Otto" has the Banco fatman singing in his unusual tremolo, with Riccardo Regi's acoustic guitars weaving the way, catering nicely to another patented Hackett outburst. All screeching power and impossible sustain. Oh yeah, and balls to pull it off, Fripp would be proud.

The final track, "SENO" is a perfect bedtime story killer, goodnight sleep tight affair, a sensational concluder that has all the ingredients from raucous guitar, howling choir mellotron (my fave sound ever), blistering sax salvos and tight, tight playing within almost complex arrangements. This is no commercial music by any stretch, quite the polar opposite with perhaps too much music to absorb even after a few auditions, mighty as this music will appear to any unexpectant fan.

2 bonus tracks: "Res Gestae": If you want to bask in lengthy Italian speak, nothing better to get your girlfriend hot and bothered than by this husky Latin lover voice, oozing into your sexual spirit, babe! Unless of course, that is deemed to be too "progressive"! Claudio Cardinali narrates for 7 minutes, its very funny and very weeeeeeird. The second features Bernardo Lanzetti's love it or leave it special voice in a spirited little rumble, very RPI and very agreeable. Formica's fretless wobbles mightily once again, especially in the finale where the mood gets fiery intense.

This is a musical recording that inspires utter confidence and creativity, firmly influenced by a variety of regal prog choices (Genesis, Ant Phillips and Hackett, as well as the more exploratory forms of current Italian prog like Hostsonaten, Zaal, Maalavia, La Coscienza di Zeno, Labirinto dei Specchi, GTV, Daal etc..

Masterpiece that will stand even the test of time?..Finn, trust me on this?.

5 radar solos (you can read them also in both directions)