PALEPOLI

When I finished listening to this record, I didn't know should I laugh or smash my head against a wall or...what? This is, my friends, humanity. This is one of those moments when pathetic little creatures that evolved from the monkeys actually show to the all living creatures, or ,other nature, or God or some alien observers, you name it, how brave, how daring human attempts in expressing themselves may be. No matter the type of the art - some subset of music which is a set of sounds for or ears anyway, or oainting or whatever - but sometimes you just feel the power and sincerity behind and you don't need a degree in art to write a comparative review, because who cares?

"Palepoli" starts with calm yet moody, authentic Italian folk theme depicting the all things ancient and terranean (Mediterranean if you want) ,when a cross-fade introduces us to the lust of the pure musical debauchery and palette beyond the scope one can perceptualize within one listening. Sudden changes from brutal, I mean brutal riffs and hooks will instantly collapse - like 20 ton truck hitting the rock - into a pace of grounded calmness, disillusioning our brain impression in it's shallowness, but instantly slapping the depths of the very same brain with dark impression behind the even darker curtains. All that underlined with mellow Italian vocals and lovely acoustic guitar parts - parallely bouncing the melody with flute that couldn't care less it's duties to a more conservative musical approach. Yes, it could be only Italian music. If you ever, ever felt your soul is full to the very edge of your tear-filling eyes by listening to Banco or PFM, not because of their skill or cunning ideas, but simply because of the beauty itself, then stick to me when I tell you this one is not the opposite - although it will tear your guts out the very next moment. Or perhaps make you die in a horrifying lust of gold melted and poured into your mouth, as it was used to be done centuries ago.

If you take, for example, a guitar solo - oh how I hate the analysis at this moment - you can't resist of agonizing and playful at the same time, I should say, spastic feeling of one who's performing the music, of the instrument itself, and of the listener. On the very next beat, a new layer of equally spastic guitar is added, this time in thirds, it's a good old rockin' trick, but would they stop there? No. They have no shame, in the third beat, the new layer will appear, and the new one, and the new one, Brian May wouldn't dare to do it, a new one, you start asking yourself how dare they and will they ever stop? but of course, you're enjoying it...along with the drum stampedo - I mean stampedo of buffaloes compares to this like an ant circus.

Like that's not enough, you will get a mind-blowing dosage of schizophrenic steaming flute that can not be compared to the entire volume of condensed air that went mutilated through that instrument in all output of Tull and Focus. Seriously. And when you think you can't stand any more, there's a nice, calm, majestic, psychedelic tapestry with a saxophone solo on the top. Van Der Graaf Generator? Or one of the most daring "Shine On" moments?

You're already absorbed, assimilated: this album is big as life. And I didn't even mentioned the best part, which sound nothing like you ever heard before, because it came from the worst nightmare defined in raping, tearing of Hammond organ, guitars...and THE ENTIRE BAND ...through the Ring Modulator effect, the one that's skewing the frequencies.

This is tedious. Because it's not an autopsy of a record, it's an autopsy of a listener. So I wouldn't even dare to start building a new layer about overall coherence, artistic expression, unique ideas. If anyone manages to do it, it will be a masterpiece...mirroring this one. But I'll throw down my virtual pen and recommend this thing to live with it or to die with it. Deep breath. Good night my dear reader, thanks for staying with me.

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