TRIADE

This album, 1998: La Storia di Sabazio, is a hidden gem from the Italian progressive rock scene of 1973. Released during a time of political upheaval in Italy?where fascist and communist tensions, student riots, and rampant corruption created a backdrop of chaos?Triade's music offers a rare escape from this turmoil.

Rather than addressing the political unrest directly, 1998: La Storia di Sabazio takes a different approach. It's not a protest record but rather an introspective journey, almost mystical in its composition. The concept of Sabazio might be abstract, but the true essence of the album lies in its evocative music. Vincenzo Cenci's keyboards are central, blending classical influences with rock in a way that feels more like a dream than a manifesto. The album draws you into its own world, where the external chaos seems to recede.

Tracks like Sabazio and Caro Fratello exude a melancholic beauty, offering a sense of peace amidst the surrounding unrest. Il Circo, with its shifting moods, mirrors the disorder of the times but retains a controlled, lyrical quality.

Although some might dismiss Triade as just another Italian clone of ELP (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), this view misses the mark. While they share some classical and keyboard elements with ELP, Triade's sound delves into darker, more obscure territory. It's the minor, shadowy notes that define them, offering a depth and introspection that contrasts with ELP's more grandiose style.

In the context of the Italian prog scene, Triade stands out not for its overt rebellion but for its delicate, almost cinematic compositions. Their production is raw and authentic, reflecting the era's spirit and making the music feel immediate and alive.

Triade's story is a classic case of the "one-album wonder." They released just this one record before vanishing from the scene. It's a phenomenon in music history?where bands create a single, powerful snapshot of their sound and then disappear. This unique aspect of their story adds to the album's allure, making it a fascinating subject of study.

Adding to the album's mystique is the fact that Triade opened for legends like PFM and Le Orme . Imagine the scene: Triade, with their lone album, sharing the stage with two titans of Italian progressive rock. PFM's sophisticated Italian-British blend, Le Orme's maybe the most recognizable prog act in Italy , and Triade managed to hold their own in this prestigious company.

Listening to 1998: La Storia di Sabazio today is like unearthing a time capsule. It captures the essence of a turbulent era while offering a profound, introspective escape. Despite their brief career, this album stands as a quiet, compelling statement amidst a chaotic period.

ELP line-up right off, but without the occasional electric guitar. Raw Hammond sound from the earth cellar, gentle acoustic guitar and unmistakably Italian vocals. I haven't access to the music where I am now writing this so I can't comment any individual songs. I remember the relatively short running time but that's not a big deal. We never got a follow up album to this low-key masterpiece and will never know if Triade would've competed with the other big names of Italian prog scene.

Part of the reason the album maintains a great reputation is the continuous twelve minute, four-part `Sabazio' instrumental suite that occupies the first side, reminding a little of the title track opener of Le Orme's `Contrappunti' or keyboard heavy Italian albums like Rustichelli & Bordini's `Opera Prima' (but without the dirty menace!). The bass, keyboard and drum trio dart through a fleeting array of eclectic (and maybe even a touch schizophrenic!) symphonic themes, with the opening a brewing caress of organ ambience and Giorgio Sorano's rising cymbals about to explode, and after a searing implosion the trio tears through some bombastic and frantic little maddening bursts that sometimes hold a maniacal, light gothic glee. The third part `Il Viaggio' offers Agostino Nobile's lurking murmuring bass and calming reflective moments via glorious shimmering organ dreaminess, and the closing section `Vita Nouva' is a final showcase of fancy classical piano prettiness. It's staggering to think that keyboardist Vincenzo Coccimiglio was only 18 years old at the time this was recorded, because, despite a couple of the themes not being quite as fully developed as they could have been, his playing shows so much energetic precision and lightness of touch when necessary.

But, oh...the gems that still await on the second side...`Il Circo' is a final vocal-free moment, a short and peppy little instrumental rocker, but potentially the album highlight is `Espressione', a gentle acoustic guitar ballad that also holds dreamy whirring keyboards offering the lightest of elevating symphonic themes, where pristine piano and Agostino's warm tender voice takes the piece and album overall to another level. The wilder `Caro Fratello' opens as a propulsive rocker that pulses with thick grumbling bass, aggressive swirling Hammond organ and relentless drumming before floating into the sweetest of mellow acoustic symphonic atmospheres and another soothing Agostino vocal. After some jangling acoustic guitars spiked with an soft uneasy tension and urgent drumming , closer `1998 (Millenovecentonovantotto)' turns more uplifting with joyful humming synths in the final moments that perhaps brings the album the closest to a Premiata Forneria Marconi-like moment.

The lack of electric guitar puts Triade in the company of other obscure Italian groups such as Corte dei Miracoli (whose self-titled sole work from 1976 is equally as essential), and you can even hear their influence on terrific up-and-coming younger Italian bands like Kalisantrope. It's a shame they were only to deliver a sole album before vanishing, a curse that befell quite a few Italian acts at the time, so it just makes this dynamic and relentless mix of ravishing instrumental and charming vocal pieces even more precious. Once you've moved past the big names like the Banco's, the P.F.M's (actually two bands that Triade supported live in concert in their short time together) and the Osanna's, etc, it's time to start delving into the rich selection of more obscure Italian works, and there's no better example of a very special one than "1998: La Storia di Sabazio".

Five stars

(and be sure to check the Italian Prog page for wonderful interviews with both Vincenzo and Agostino, who recalls a lovely moment supporting Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - http://www.italianprog.com/a_triade.htm )

Triade was yet another keyboard-driven Prog group, which has been compared to E.L.P. and LE ORME, but their music was rather darker and more in the vein of IL BALLETO DI BRONZO and CORTE DEI MIRACOLI with extreme organ workouts followed by haunting orchestral textures and surrounded by sinister bass lines and metronomic drumming.The music is mostly performed on Hammond organ with plenty of haunting solos, atmospheric breaks and of course strong Classical-spiced interludes.Half about of the album, which is quite short (30 minutes), is dedicated to the sidelong ''Sabazio'' piece, which features great organ performance and impressive bass work all the way through until the romantic piano-led outro.The rest of the album shows some diversity with the addition of vocals, acoustic guitars and Moog synthesizer, passing from virtuosic solos to calmer textures and maintaining a strong symphonic attitude.Here comes the more balanced side of the trio, which now eventually recalls LE ORME, trying to offer more sensitive playing in a Symphonic Rock enviroment, full of piano lines, laid-back synth flashes and romantic Italian vocals.

As Gariboldi moved to Munich, new producer Lombroso asked the trio to retuirn with a more commercial album.Triade refused and this was the beginning of the end for the band, which played numerous lives next to P.F.M., Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Franco Battiato before fading out.Vincenzo Coccimiglio came close to joining I Dik Dik, but he eventually became a bar pianist, travelling all over the world.He sadly passed away in 2012.Tino Nobile remained also involved in the music industry, lived for some time in Los Angeles and eventually settled in Madeira, working as a composer and author.

Dramatic and dark Symphonic Rock in the vein of IL BALLETO DI BRONZO.Triade never really surpassed the challenging sound of similar sounding Italian bands, but their sole document is so well-played and pretty atmospheric that is worth investigating.Recommended.

Triade was a bit of a mystery for many years, as the original Derby LP did not specify the band members' complete identities, only pictures and songwriting credits. Luckily this situation was resolved in 2003 thanks to the tireless research of Augusto Croce, which in no small part led to the CD reissue on BTF/AMS two years later. The wonderfully recorded album begins with a side long, instrumental suite: "Nascita" kicks things off with dark organ and cello overtones, before drums and bass conspire to attack in a classically-inspired fashion; "Sabazio: Il Viaggio" is silly at first, but turns far more sinister as tritone intervals dominate the harmony between bass and Hammond - some nice melodic synths transition to the next movement; "Il Sogno" features cello in a more obvious way, and to good effect before bass and keys piddle along to interrupt; "Vita Nuova" uses classical music as a framework for this pleasing piano composition; "Il Circo" recapitulates many of the previously used elements in a more aggressive way.

"Espressione" begins the disparate second side, which largely abandons the organ-bass- drums format in favor of lush keys, acoustic guitar, and vocals. I could definitely handle an album's worth of this material, but these 16 minutes will have to do. "Espressione" is a joy and the best example of traditional RPI on the album. "Caro Fratello" regrettably returns to an ELP impersonation for the first two minutes, but is luckily saved by airy synths and guitar for its duration; drums enter toward the end and give the song a pensive, driving feel. An extended organ solo closes the track. "1998 (Millenovecentonovantotto)" is a worthy closer as it does the best job at integrating these various elements - the classical musicianship, singer-songwriter vulnerability, and gentle tension - into a cohesive concept and one that finally works, at least for these six minutes. 1998: La Storia di Sabazio suffers from a case of quality over quantity, as the former is abundant...there's just not enough of it to go around.

Very little is known about this band and they released only this album. Which is a pity because this album is a bit of a gem. A bit.

The first impressions of this album is that the band must have been listening too much on ELP. Although ELP is quite an influence here, I would rather listen the likes of Trace and Triumvirat as influences. But Triade has a lot more to offer too. There is even some hints of Zeuhl here too. The ELP/Trace/Triumvirat adulations dissipates on many songs here and leaves a perfectly good RPI album. This album has a lot of faces and angles.

The quality of the songs are good throughout. Unfortunate, my gripes is the lack of any truly great, memorable songs and also the lack of an identity. This is very typical ills of a debut album from a band not quite sure what they want. There are some great melody lines, but not enough to make this a great album though. But still.............

3 stars

The album opens with a four piece instrumental suite called "Sabazio". Part 1 has a mellow beginning with floating organ. Some life 1 1/2 minutes in as cymbals and cello join in. It kicks in at 2 minutes with keyboards leading. Part 2 has this pulsating organ with bass and drums. A calm 2 minutes in as we get a spacey mood. Part 3 features drums, pulsating organ and cello. It settles after a minute to a haunting soundscape then it kicks back in but more powerful than earlier. Part 4 is a dual keyboard piece at times.

"Il Cirio" has lots going on as keyboards and drums standout. Organ comes in too. "Espressione" opens with floating organ and acoustic guitar. Piano replaces the organ 1 1/2 minutes in. Vocals for the first time on the album arrive a minute later. Synths after 4 minutes. "Caro Fratelio" has some impressive organ work on it early in this uptempo track (for a change). Some nice bass too. It settles before 2 minutes with mellotron-like sounds, acoustic guitar and reserved vocals. Organ before 4 1/2 minutes takes over to the end. "1998 (Millenovecentonovintotto)" opens with strummed guitar. Vocals a minute in then drums after 1 1/2 minutes as it picks up. Great instrumental sound after 5 minutes.

Barely 4 stars but I think it's worth the rating. A nice change of pace actually for an RPI release.

Like early Triumvirat, all aspects of their music are really endearing and special to me, and fit together really well- just as good as Le Orme, and that is saying something! The keyboard work is especially well done, and the keys player must be a seasoned veteran-believe me, it shows in his professional delivery. The drummer and guitarist are no slouches, either; with their technique, they hold their own, and then some!

Quite a few of the tracks have no vocals at all, but that does not detract from things, Triade can hold your interest, instrumentally-such a beautiful and fulsome sound they create.

Side one of the lp is instrumental, only, and as a band, the musicians play tight, creating quite an impressive, exciting sound. There is some music for solo piano, as well, which is quite beautiful and emotive. It is on side two of the lp that vocals are included. Though i don't know Italian, i can appreciate it being sung like in Triade , in such a lyrical way.

I am so glad that i stumbled across this gem, as it is hard to come by. One of the finest of the seventies Italian progressive groups-obscure,or otherwise. If you like seventies, keyboard based prog trios, check this album out-you will not regret it. I give it five stars, unhesitatingly.

The "Sabazio" suite is quite simply a classical music and keyboard lover's dream. Organ, piano, cello, bass, and percussion drive the piece. I suppose in spirit it could be compared to keyboard-heavy Italian albums like Rustichelli Bordini, Toto Torquati, and to a lesser extent Tower but Triade has its own charm. The cello gives parts of the suite a dark heaviness. The drum playing is quite good and this keeps the piece moving well. Some of the piano portions are simply gorgeous in the fourth part. The suite is an enticing and elegant piece of music. I'm not sure how good it is in comparison with classical music as my knowledge in the classical realm is quite limited. But I certainly find it appealing. "Il Circo" is quite a shift to a rocking beat and heavy organ but it works. "Espressione" sounds more like typical classic Italian with synths, acoustic, and piano leading to warm, pleasant vocals. It's the softer and more romantic side of Italian like early PFM, in this case with no drumming. Great piano song and nice acoustic work that would appeal to anyone. "Caro Fratello" is similar to "Il Circo" being an uptempo rocker with the organ, but here it expands to include mellotron, acoustic guitar, and the mellow vocals. Nice jamming early with organ, drums, and some pretty good bass playing that you can hear perfectly in the mix. Bands that actually know how to mix the bass so you can hear it get points from me-it's sad how so many bands now bury the bass and have the drums too loud. After the vocal section it ends with a dramatic organ run, this is a very cool track. "1998" begins with a wash of acoustic strumming panned back and forth in the stereo spectrum. Soon the gentle vocals, bass, and drums are back and then well played acoustic sections mix with nice keyboards. All of the music on side 2 is rather upbeat in mood, not really dark or heavy. This is Italian that aims to please musically more than it aims to shock you or push your buttons. It ends rather abruptly but at least not as a fade-out!

The album takes much heat for not being very original and perhaps it isn't in the sense that people note ELP influence, but in another sense it is somewhat unique. While perhaps not a thorough representative of the complete Italian sound the dual nature of the two sides does provide an interesting experience to me. I also find the sound to be expressive without being overly, intentionally gaudy, which is nice sometimes even though I also appreciate those kinds of albums too. I do agree there are more well-rounded Italian classics you should own before getting to this one but I personally find this quite enjoyable. It has spirit and high quality performances throughout. For classical music buffs and keyboard nuts this album is recommended, for others there are other Italian classics to check out first. 3 ½ stars, round up if you're an Italian fan, round down if not.