IL FANTASTICO VIAGGIO DEL "BAGAROZZO" MARK

Goblin's career has, since their early-1970's inception, become fundamentally entwined with the films of horror maestro Dario Argento and with the horror genre itself. The bulk of their discography is made up of film work, and the creepy, atmospheric, keyboard-and-synth dominated soundtracks that accompany Argento's classic films 'Profondo Rosso', 'Suspiria' and 'Phenomena' have become huge cult items over the years, influencing the likes of American director and musician John Carpenter and French electronic duo Zombie Zombie to name but a few. However, despite their penchant for film work, the group have managed to produce a couple of non-soundtrack albums, with 1976's 'Roller' followed two years later by the ambitious concept piece 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark', the first Goblin album of any sort to feature actual vocals. Whereas 'Roller' found the group blending their rich soundtrack style with a heavy dose of electro-tinged symphonic prog-rock, 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark' attempted to take the formula one step further, eschewing the creepy atmospherics in favour of more straight-forward song-writing. Fans of 'Roller' - the album that probably finds Goblin at their purest and most powerfully original - should find enough to satisfy their needs, and the occasional moment does hint towards their horror-film past, with the groups trademark ethereal synth passages and spooky keyboard riffs augmented by some scintillating guitar-playing from Morante that creates a deeply-layered and complex sound. However, Goblin's strength was always their ability to create tension-building accompiaments to Argento's gore-filled suspensers, and the dark, ominous overtones that made the soundtracks to 'Suspiria' and 'Profondo Rosso' so deliciously menacing is sadly lacking, probably the result of the group's attempts to update their once fairly-basic sound. A genuine departure for this most unique of groups, 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark' would be the group's final dabble in progressive rock. It may not have reached the same cult heights achieved by it's predecessors but it's still a highly-enjoyable, polished album, showing, if only for a glimmer, Goblin's slightly lighter side. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010