INFERNO

Another in a long line of Italian prog albums, METAMORFOSI released two albums before disappearing. Their debut gets only a lukewarm response in comparison to "Inferno". The one thing that really threw me off about their music is vocalist Jimmy Spitaleri. If you thought BANCO's Francesco di Giacomo was overbearing and overdramatic, wait until you hear this guy! Without the presence of guitar, it's the Hammond organ, piano, and synthesizers that take center stage, with some great jams, experimental passages and more passages where the vocals take on a theatrical presence. All the lyrics are based on Dante's Divine Comedy. Somewhere amongst all this music is truly screwed up versions of the American and Soviet national anthems played on Moog (so if you're wondering about the talk of hearing the band playing national anthems, it's not quite GENTLE GIANT doing "God Save the Queen" here, just silly Moog renditions in between all the bizarre, experimental stuff). Musically, this is recommended if you like such bands as BANCO, L'UOVO DI COLOMBO, Paolo Rustichelli & Carlo Bordini, and CORTE DEI MIRACOLI. There's only one song I don't care much for, it's "Lussuriosi", which is a cheesy overblown ballad. The rest of it is top-rate Italian prog and recommended to all who like this kind of music.