A journey through the Italianprog scene

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   STORMY SIX, WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Stormy Six were formed in Milan in the mid sixties and began their career as a “beat” band. Later their music turned to folk and West Coast and finally to progressive rock. In 1975 Stormy Six released their fourth album and in my opinion their most representative one, “Un biglietto del tram”, on the independent label L’Orchestra that they contributed to found. The line up featured Franco Fabbri (guitar, vocals), Umberto Fiori (guitar, vocals), Carlo De Martini (sax, violin), Tommaso Leddi (violin, mandolin, balalajka, guitar), Luca Piscicelli (bass, vocals) and Antonio Zanuso (drums). The overall sound on this album is acoustic and well refined featuring an original blend of folk, classical and progressive rock influences. In the early seventies the band got involved in politics and kept tight links with the left-wing protest movements and lyrics on this work reflect the commitment of the band. “Un biglietto del tram” is, in fact, a concept album based on some events of the last period of World War II and celebrates the Italian Resistance movement against the Nazi-Fascists. 

The opener “Stalingrado” (Stalingrad) is an epic track about the battle of Stalingrad that was fought between 17^th July 1942 and 2^nd February 1943 and marked a turning of the tide of war in favour of the Allies (this battle is also the subject of a good film directed by Joseph Vilsmaier in 1993). Old waltzes and Cossack dances clash while lyrics describe hunger, debris, bombardments and roads paved with blood while the city resists like iron. Hope rises as the news of the Nazi-Fascist defeat spreads out and some workers celebrate the victory drinking a toast... “On its frozen way the swastika knows it / From now on it will find Stalingrad in every city...”.

“La fabbrica” (The factory) is a lively track about the strikes that started on 5^th March 1943, after the news of Stalingrad victory reached Northern Italy. While the Italian “betrayed” troops are dying in the mud in Russia along Don river, in some Italian factories blue collar workers begin their fight against the regime... “As in Stalingrad the Nazis crumbled / At the red Breda factory on strike the Fascists rushed away...”.

Next comes the ironic, almost caustic “Arrivano gli americani” (The Americans are coming). It describes the arrivals of the American troops... “Statues sweat blood, they talk inside the churches / They announce a big miracle from the hereafter... The Americans are coming as Garibaldi’s troops from Mars...”. There was a strong anti-Americanism feeling in the left wings movements during the seventies (and in the extreme right wing as well) and here Americans are depicted in words and music almost as looney tunes characters, as bringers of consumerism and capitalism, as “Chocolate Kings” giving away “bars of freedom” as if they were bars of chocolate... 

“8 settembre” (September, 8) is sad and dark. After a delicate acoustic intro, lyrics describe a man walking along the rail-road singing a song to sooth his tension. He has thrown away his uniform and now he tries to go home. All is lost, the Italian army melted and the country is broken. The north is under the control of the Germans, from the south the allies are coming and the king has fled. It’s 8^th September 1943, a gloomy day for Italy that marks the beginning of a bloody civil war between Fascists and Anti-Fascists. “In a village the Death has come wearing the uniform... In the square a smothered scream rises / They were killed like dogs with a sign hanging on their neck: Partisans!”. 

“Nuvole a Vinca” (Clouds in Vinca) is another beautiful and melancholic track about a Nazi-Fascists massacre of helpless civilians suspected to support the partisans. In Vinca, a village in the Alpi Apuane mountains, in Tuscany, on 24^th August 1944, Nazi troops and Fascists brigades killed 174 inhabitants, most of them were just women and children. Lyrics describe a breathtaking landscape, in the sky there are black and white clouds, old peasants are able to look at them and predict the weather... Then a black cloud comes up the bends of the mountain and it brings nothing but pain... “They do the shooting, damned butchers! / What a good aim, they never miss the target!”. 

The evocative “Dante di Nanni” is a kind of haunting ghost dance. Dante Di Nanni was a partisan who died as a hero, fighting as a lion against the Nazi-Fascists who surrounded the house where he was sheltered. But his ghost is still walking around in the city, untamed... “I met him one morning on the subway / He was bleeding hard and smiling... Thirty years have passed since the day he was killed / It took hundred men to have him... And they can’t feel safe yet / Because they know he’s still strolling around, Dante Di Nanni”.

“Gianfranco Mattei” is tense and proud and features strong classical influences. Gianfranco Mattei was an university professor who contributed to the partisans attacks by making bombing devices. He was arrested by the Nazi-Fascists thanks to a spy and committed suicide in his cell to avoid revealing the names of his companions under the pressure of tortures... “Gianfranco Mattei, your science went too far / Gianfranco Mattei, you will never go back on your teaching post... Gianfranco Mattei, your tribune is always there / Gianfranco Mattei, your lesson won't get lost”.
“La sepoltura dei morti” (The burial of the dead) is a melancholic ballad dealing with fading memories... “April is really cruel / Lilac flowers blossom upon the dead / Winter has buried their souvenir leaving nothing but pity / And now a life is just a yellowed face, just a photograph / Death doesn't worth even the price of the newspaper / That you read and then throw away...”. 

Last track “Un biglietto del tram” (A tram ticket) is a kind of ghastly waltz where some ghosts of victims of the Nazi-Fascists still asking for justice seem to move through the indifference of busy people. One of them makes you a present, a tram ticket to go back in Piazzale Loreto, a place full of dark memories. In 1944 the Nazi-Fascists killed there fifteen partisans and exposed their corpses on the square. In 1945 in Piazzale Loreto were exposed the corpses of Benito Mussolini, his lover Claretta Petacci and other members of the National Fascist Party... 

On the whole an excellent album and an interesting way to explore obscure memories coming out from recent Italian history. At the end of the 70's the band had prolific collaboration with foreign artists and Stormy Six were one of the five founder members of the RIO-Rock In Opposition international movement, that gave them the opportunity to play all over Europe and their music became more experimental but in recent reunions they went back to their roots and “Un biglietto del tram” still represents the band at their best. 

At the moment Franco Fabbri is university professor and teaches musicology. You can contact him on his website:
http://www.francofabbri.net/

Umberto Fiori is a musicologist as well and recently started an acoustic project with guitarist Luciano Margorani...

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/fiorimargorani

Tommaso Leddi recently collaborated with an experimental band called Yugen...

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/yugenband

Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 11:37

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andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 18 2010 at 09:42
	STORMY SIX, WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Stormy Six were formed in Milan in the mid sixties and began their career as a “beat” band. Later their music turned to folk and West Coast and finally to progressive rock. In 1975 Stormy Six released their fourth album and in my opinion their most representative one, “Un biglietto del tram”, on the independent label L’Orchestra that they contributed to found. The line up featured Franco Fabbri (guitar, vocals), Umberto Fiori (guitar, vocals), Carlo De Martini (sax, violin), Tommaso Leddi (violin, mandolin, balalajka, guitar), Luca Piscicelli (bass, vocals) and Antonio Zanuso (drums). The overall sound on this album is acoustic and well refined featuring an original blend of folk, classical and progressive rock influences. In the early seventies the band got involved in politics and kept tight links with the left-wing protest movements and lyrics on this work reflect the commitment of the band. “Un biglietto del tram” is, in fact, a concept album based on some events of the last period of World War II and celebrates the Italian Resistance movement against the Nazi-Fascists. The opener “Stalingrado” (Stalingrad) is an epic track about the battle of Stalingrad that was fought between 17^th July 1942 and 2^nd February 1943 and marked a turning of the tide of war in favour of the Allies (this battle is also the subject of a good film directed by Joseph Vilsmaier in 1993). Old waltzes and Cossack dances clash while lyrics describe hunger, debris, bombardments and roads paved with blood while the city resists like iron. Hope rises as the news of the Nazi-Fascist defeat spreads out and some workers celebrate the victory drinking a toast... “On its frozen way the swastika knows it / From now on it will find Stalingrad in every city...”. “La fabbrica” (The factory) is a lively track about the strikes that started on 5^th March 1943, after the news of Stalingrad victory reached Northern Italy. While the Italian “betrayed” troops are dying in the mud in Russia along Don river, in some Italian factories blue collar workers begin their fight against the regime... “As in Stalingrad the Nazis crumbled / At the red Breda factory on strike the Fascists rushed away...”. Next comes the ironic, almost caustic “Arrivano gli americani” (The Americans are coming). It describes the arrivals of the American troops... “Statues sweat blood, they talk inside the churches / They announce a big miracle from the hereafter... The Americans are coming as Garibaldi’s troops from Mars...”. There was a strong anti-Americanism feeling in the left wings movements during the seventies (and in the extreme right wing as well) and here Americans are depicted in words and music almost as looney tunes characters, as bringers of consumerism and capitalism, as “Chocolate Kings” giving away “bars of freedom” as if they were bars of chocolate... “8 settembre” (September, 8) is sad and dark. After a delicate acoustic intro, lyrics describe a man walking along the rail-road singing a song to sooth his tension. He has thrown away his uniform and now he tries to go home. All is lost, the Italian army melted and the country is broken. The north is under the control of the Germans, from the south the allies are coming and the king has fled. It’s 8^th September 1943, a gloomy day for Italy that marks the beginning of a bloody civil war between Fascists and Anti-Fascists. “In a village the Death has come wearing the uniform... In the square a smothered scream rises / They were killed like dogs with a sign hanging on their neck: Partisans!”. “Nuvole a Vinca” (Clouds in Vinca) is another beautiful and melancholic track about a Nazi-Fascists massacre of helpless civilians suspected to support the partisans. In Vinca, a village in the Alpi Apuane mountains, in Tuscany, on 24^th August 1944, Nazi troops and Fascists brigades killed 174 inhabitants, most of them were just women and children. Lyrics describe a breathtaking landscape, in the sky there are black and white clouds, old peasants are able to look at them and predict the weather... Then a black cloud comes up the bends of the mountain and it brings nothing but pain... “They do the shooting, damned butchers! / What a good aim, they never miss the target!”. The evocative “Dante di Nanni” is a kind of haunting ghost dance. Dante Di Nanni was a partisan who died as a hero, fighting as a lion against the Nazi-Fascists who surrounded the house where he was sheltered. But his ghost is still walking around in the city, untamed... “I met him one morning on the subway / He was bleeding hard and smiling... Thirty years have passed since the day he was killed / It took hundred men to have him... And they can’t feel safe yet / Because they know he’s still strolling around, Dante Di Nanni”. “Gianfranco Mattei” is tense and proud and features strong classical influences. Gianfranco Mattei was an university professor who contributed to the partisans attacks by making bombing devices. He was arrested by the Nazi-Fascists thanks to a spy and committed suicide in his cell to avoid revealing the names of his companions under the pressure of tortures... “Gianfranco Mattei, your science went too far / Gianfranco Mattei, you will never go back on your teaching post... Gianfranco Mattei, your tribune is always there / Gianfranco Mattei, your lesson won't get lost”. “La sepoltura dei morti” (The burial of the dead) is a melancholic ballad dealing with fading memories... “April is really cruel / Lilac flowers blossom upon the dead / Winter has buried their souvenir leaving nothing but pity / And now a life is just a yellowed face, just a photograph / Death doesn't worth even the price of the newspaper / That you read and then throw away...”. Last track “Un biglietto del tram” (A tram ticket) is a kind of ghastly waltz where some ghosts of victims of the Nazi-Fascists still asking for justice seem to move through the indifference of busy people. One of them makes you a present, a tram ticket to go back in Piazzale Loreto, a place full of dark memories. In 1944 the Nazi-Fascists killed there fifteen partisans and exposed their corpses on the square. In 1945 in Piazzale Loreto were exposed the corpses of Benito Mussolini, his lover Claretta Petacci and other members of the National Fascist Party... On the whole an excellent album and an interesting way to explore obscure memories coming out from recent Italian history. At the end of the 70's the band had prolific collaboration with foreign artists and Stormy Six were one of the five founder members of the RIO-Rock In Opposition international movement, that gave them the opportunity to play all over Europe and their music became more experimental but in recent reunions they went back to their roots and “Un biglietto del tram” still represents the band at their best. At the moment Franco Fabbri is university professor and teaches musicology. You can contact him on his website: http://www.francofabbri.net/ Umberto Fiori is a musicologist as well and recently started an acoustic project with guitarist Luciano Margorani... More info: http://www.myspace.com/fiorimargorani Tommaso Leddi recently collaborated with an experimental band called Yugen... More info: http://www.myspace.com/yugenband Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 11:37

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 21 2010 at 04:28
	FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT... La Comagnia dell’Anello are one of the very few historic bands from the seventies linked to the right wing movements. They’re still active today and they’re working on a new album. According to some interviews with the band, it will be a self produced double album in two parts. The first one will be strongly prog influenced and will feature a concept inspired by the work of Ezra Pound. The second one will feature some new tracks and old unrealised stuff re-arranged. At the moment a new track is available, a piece dedicated to a pilot of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Giovanni Battista Boscutti, who died in 1944 fighting against the Allies forces that were bombarding the city of Padova. La Compagnia dell’Anello began life in Padova in the mid seventies on the initiative of Mario Bortoluzzi under the name Gruppo Padovano di Protesta Nazionale and with a sound definitively “low-fi” and “cantautorale”. The present name of the band was chosen in 1977 and was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien work (La Compagnia dell’Anello means The Fellowship of the Ring). All the members were linked to the right wing movements, their songs were politically committed and on account of the poisonous political atmosphere of that period they were completely out of market. After many troubles and line up changes, in 1982 Marinella and Massimo Di Nunzio joined the band contributing to more elaborate arrangements featuring an interesting folk prog taste. In 1983 La Compagnia dell’Anello released their first album, “La Terra di Thule” with a line up featuring Mario Bortoluzzi (vocals), Adolfo Morganti (percussion, cymbals), Gino Pincini (keyboards, piano, vocals), Marinella Di Nunzio (synthesizers, keyboards, vocals), Massimo Di Nunzio (guitars, bass, vocals) and Marco Priori (drums) plus the guest musician Maurizio Sebastianelli (harpsichord on two tracks). The overall sound of this album is very different from the mainstream sound of the early eighties, here medieval and Celtic influences are blended with Italian “canzone d’autore” and a classical taste. The final result is quite good... The solemn title track “La terra di Thule” (The Land of Thule) opens the album and depicts the life of a young warrior from his happy childhood to his death on the battlefield... “Now that you have known the blood / Now that you have passed through the fire / Peace is back on the battlefield / The moon kisses your slashed throat / You look astonished at your body / Then a choir of imperious voices calls you...”. “Pensando ad un amico” (Thinking to a friend) is a lively piece which stylistically could remind of Italian singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini. It’s a reflection about time passing by and friendship, about the wish to break the chains of a bourgeois tranquillity, about days of rebellion and a quest for a better way of living and a new spirituality... “And still I’m talking to you and I can’t help thinking to what we were some years ago...”. “Nascita” (Birth) is a dreamy and evocative ballad about the mystery of motherhood... “The deer drinks from her source / And it eats from her hands / She lies under the lime tree / Her dress is made of ancient white silk / Her songs fill the wood until dusk / And her hot womb feed a new life / So the fate is taking shape...”. “Il costume del cervo bianco” (The white stag custom) is a traditional Celtic tune rearranged. It’s about the conflict between love and knighthood and tells the story of Erec and Enide, two characters taken from a poem by Chrétien de Troyes. The story begins at Cardigan Castle, when King Arthur wants to hunt for a white stag, reviving a custom where the knight who kills the white stag will be allowed to kiss the most beautiful woman in court... “Il domani appartiene a noi” (Tomorrow belongs to us) is the Italian version of a piece by John Kander from the musical “Cabaret”. Lyrics celebrate Fatherland, Faith and tradition and invite you to fight against capitalism and communism... “Listen to my song soaring into the sky, towards the immensity / Man, join your call for freedom, begin to fight... Nobody will erase Fatherland and immortal Faith / People will defeat the gold of the landlords / Tomorrow belongs to us...”. This song was chosen as an anthem by Azione Giovani, a juvenile movement of the right wing. “Nanna ninna” (Lullaby) is a dreamy song inviting you to enter in a fairy tale world... “Wake up my baby / The night is falling / Take my hand / It will lead you in a world of magic and beauty...”. Next comes “Fiaba” (Fairy tale), a lively track featuring a medieval flavour. Lyrics tell the story of a beautiful lady waiting for his young groom kept far away by the spell of the wicked witch Calorga. The end of the story is not revealed but... “Hope is in the eyes of the sun which everyday wins against darkness...”. “Il contadino, il monaco, il guerriero” (The peasant, the monk and the warrior) is another track with a medieval flavour. It describes three emblematic characters of Middle-Age society: a peasant, a monk and a warrior. Still a way to express love for Tradition... Fatherland, Faith and Honour! “Sulla strada” (On the road) is an optimistic track. It describes a journey through Europe and its traditions on the footsteps of the winged lion of Venice with a backpack full of dreams and hopes for a better future on the shoulders. Brittany, Ireland, Romania, Stonehenge, Carnac, Montségur and many other places to visit... Although this work is not at the same level of other progressive folk albums from a strictly musical point of view, in my opinion “La terra di Thule” is a nice one and should be of some interest for prog lovers. La Compagnia dell’Anello released two other albums so far, “In rotta per Bisanzio” (1990)... ... and “Di là dall’acqua” (2002) More info about the band: http://www.compagniadellanello.net/ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24239478861&v=wall Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 11:49

Starless Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: June 29 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 85	Post Options Post Reply Quote Starless Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 21 2010 at 12:02
	Oh no, another 736 bands to check out!
	Beware of the flowers, cos they're gonna get you yet!

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 22 2010 at 00:28
	GOTHIC PROG FROM THE ETERNAL CITY... DUNWICH (see post #2) are mainly the brainchild of keyboardist and composer Claudio Nigris who started to work on this project back in 1985... The present line up was assembled in 2004, after three albums released in the nineties and a long pause. Along with Claudio Nigris, Dunwich now features Francesca “Elayne” Naccarelli on vocals and Roberto Fasciani on bass. For their last studio album, Heilagmanoth, they got the help of a large number of guest musicians (including a choir and a string quartet) who provided an extremely rich musical texture. The result is a very interesting blend of dark metal, classical music, Celtic and Medieval influences that every now and again could remind of Rhapsody (Of Fire). The excellent artwork describes with images the musical content... Most of the pieces have been inspired by esoteric literary works by writers such as Gustav Meyrink (“La casa dell'alchimista”) and H. P. Lovecraft (“Escape from Innsmouth”) or by legends and myths like “Beowulf”, inspired by the protagonist of an epic poem set in Scandinavia and recently portrayed in a film as well, Beowulf. Lyrics are in Italian, Latin and English and words seem “swimming in the dark”, sung by the beautiful operatic voice of Francesca Naccarelli, often backed by a powerful “church-like” choir. Keyboards and electric guitars perfectly interact with acoustic instruments like flutes and strings all along the album. My favourite tracks are the dark and mysterious “La casa dell’achimista” and “Il falso principio” that features an obscure and Medieval atmosphere and was inspired by the character of Giordano Bruno (1548 – 1600) an Italian philosopher burned at the stake as a heretic by the Roman Inquisition who was victim of a false principle and of his quest for knowledge... “Blind is who can’t see the sun / Fool is who can’t know / Ungrateful is who doesn’t thank such as great light...”. Good also “Terra di Ambra, Neve e Fuoco Nero” (Land of Amber Snow and Black Fire), conceived as a mystical musical journey through a forgotten frozen land and the epic “La lama, il ghiaccio e il fuoco” (The blade, the ice and the fire) Anyway, the overall impression I got from all the tracks on this album is very positive. If you’re in dark symphonic metal atmospheres I’m sure that this album will be an excellent addition to your collection... By the way, don’t miss Dunwich interview on PA. You can find it HERE More info about the band: http://www.dunwich.it/ http://www.myspace.com/dunwichband Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 13:48

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 23 2010 at 03:23
	NUOVA ERA NEW ALBUM NUOVA ERA (See post #2) have just released a new album on the independent label AMS/BTF, Nuova Era, with some new tracks and old stuff rearranged. The new line up features along with founder member and composer Walter Pini two former members of the Roman band TAPROBAN, Davide Guidoni (Myspace) and Guglielmo Mariotti (Myspace) By the way, if you don’t know who Nuova Era are... Nuova Era were formed in 1985 in Firenze, on the initiative of keyboardist Walter Pini. Their music was heavily influenced by Seventies prog and, going against the stream in a period when prog was completely out of fashion, the band managed to release some very interesting albums and had a good live activity... Their fourth album, “Il passo del soldato”, released in 1995 for the independent label Pick Up Records, is usually considered their best work. The line up here featured Walter Pini (keyboards), Enrico Giordani (bass), Gianluca Lavacchi (drums) and Claudio Guerrini (vocals). Claudio Guerrini took the place of former singer and guitarist Alex Camaiti but only on vocals so, on this album there’s no room for guitars and the overall sound is extremely keyboards driven. Nonetheless the result is excellent. “Il passo del sodato” (The soldier’s step) is a concept album about war, every war in every time. Lyrics were written by Ivan Pini, poet and brother of the keyboardist and the excellent art work by Riccardo di Stasi tries to describe their content, showing soldiers of every era fighting each other like marionettes, manipulated by the hands of power... As you can read in the booklet as an introduction to the concept, “weapons always play the only role they know from the script of hatred, the audience will be always formed only by winners and losers, but no one but Death will applaud”. The opener “All’ombra di un conflitto (La dichiarazione)” (In the shade of a conflict – the declaration) begins with an insistent and obsessive military marching beat, then music and intense high pitched vocals express the anxiety for the impending drama. Lyrics describe two great nations that are divided by hate while powerful men are sharing out death... “White hands upon Destiny / Draw wars like in a play / Ancient songs will be anthems / And the strained blood will be violated... Today’s dawn, please do not ever rise!”. “Lo spettro dell'agonia sul campo (Costernazione)” (The spectre of the agony on the field – consternation) begins with a frenzy rhythm where you can imagine the Dark Lady dance foretasting her harvest, then the atmosphere becomes darker and heavier. Time is running out but some people can’t stand the change and are scared by the gloomy clouds of war that are gathering on the horizon... “In my contracted body a fear shines through / The purity of the dreams lies in a background never seen before / My life floats in the wind with a sword into the soul...”. Then there’s a touching comparison between the war games that children play and the cruelty of a real war underlined by music before the final explosion... “La parata del simboli (La truppa)” (The parade of the symbols – the troop) is a beautiful short instrumental evoking troops manoeuvring and marching to the front that leads to the long and complex epic “Il passo del soldato (Verso la battaglia)” (The soldier’s step – towards the battle), more than twelve minutes where the battle rages on leaving death and destruction behind... “Armed ghosts defeated by Fate / Slow agony on the buried faces / Nobody seems to see the dying soldiers... And now they look just as deadly relics...”. The void erases forever dull banners while the instrumental finale evokes a ghost dance... “Armicrazia (I pensieri di un cecchino)” (Weaponcracy – The thoughts of a sniper) describes the thoughts of a sniper wondering about the thin thread of one man’s life. “I was ordered to kill / And I have many hours left to die...”. The middle section features a delicate and intense passage with piano and vocals. Next comes “L'armistizio (Le decisioni dei generali)” (The armistice – the decisions of the generals) that after a thundering start becomes melancholic and describes a silent battlefield... “Harmless eyes in a truce / Hands up towards the sky to pray...”. The survived infantrymen invoke peace... “Riflessi di Pace (Oltre il fronte)” (Reflections of peace – beyond the front) begins with a joyful sound of bells and keyboards, light starts to shine through the dark clouds... “When peace will grow along the days / Like a sincere tear / Springtime will come back on the first steps / And everywhere you’ll go / You’ll find true looks... The sky is not so dark after all...”. “Epitaffio (La morale)” (Epitaph – the moral) sounds like an ominous warning and is dedicated to memory of an unknown soldier that sacrificed his life fighting at the front among other unknown men. Recitative vocals tell that only behind the marble of his grave he could find back the peace that he had before... “Nuova Era atto secondo” (New Era Act Two) is a beautiful instrumental finale that tries to evoke a new era where peace can rule overdubbing hate and incomprehension. Well, an excellent conclusion for an outstanding album. I’m sure that if you like bands like Le Orme or Banco del Mutuo Soccorso you’ll love this one as well... More info: http://www.myspace.com/walterpini http://www.facebook.com/pages/NUOVA-ERA/45188312625 Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:20

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 24 2010 at 12:08
	THE FIGHTING DOVE IS STILL FLYING... ALPHATAURUS recently reunited (see post on this blog, page #7). Here you can watch two videos featuring the new line up in the rehearsal room and on stage... By the way, do not miss the interview with Alphataurus’ founder member Pietro Pellegrini on PA. You can find it HERE

Nightfly Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nightfly Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 25 2010 at 13:29
	Hadn't realised that new Nuova Era album contained some new material. I'll be getting that one then.

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 26 2010 at 14:11
	ENCHANTMENTS FROM TOSCANA INCHANTO come from Siena and prog folk lovers could find some interest in their music. The band was formed in the early nineties and so far they have released some interesting albums like Muliermala (2000), Amors (2002) and Città sottili (2006) where they blend classical music with Mediterranean and Celtic influences. They’re working on a new album... More info: http://www.inchanto.org/ http://www.myspace.com/inchanto Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:21

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 27 2010 at 03:21
	A NEW ROCK OPERA MARCO BURGATTO is a rock opera composer from Milano (see post #1 on this blog). He has just released a new rock opera on the independent label Fridge Records, La sottile linea, that should be of great interest for prog lovers. You can listen to it in streaming, just click HERE You can listen in streaming also to Marco Burgatto’s previous rock opera Il rovescio della medaglia, released in 2009, from HERE You can listen in streaming to Marco Burgatto first rock opera Il castello in mezzo al mare, released in 2008, from HERE More info: http://www.myspace.com/marcoburgatto http://www.myspace.com/ilcastelloinmezzoalmare Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 13:59

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 28 2010 at 05:16
	MORE PROG FROM VENETO IPERURANIO come from Verona and have just released a debut album on the independent label Green Production, Le meccaniche celesti. It’s a long suite in two parts that should be of interest for Italian prog lovers and it’s available on the main digital stores. You can listen to in streaming, just click HERE or HERE and have a try! More info: http://faxuno.magix.net/website/biografia.1.html#1 Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:05

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 07 2010 at 07:14
	MORE PROG FROM SICILIA... ADDAMANERA come from Messina and blend folk and psychedelia in an original way. Their debut album, "Nella Tasca de il Zio", was released in 2005 on the independent label Lizard Records. I’m waiting for the new one... More info: http://www.myspace.com/addamanera Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:08

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 07 2010 at 14:18
	FROM THE VAULTS... CALIBRO 35 (see previous post on page 2 on this blog) have just released a collection of soundtracks, B-sides, alternative and unreleased tracks taken from their archive. You can listen to it in streaming, just click HERE More info: http://www.calibro35.com/ http://www.myspace.com/calibro35 http://www.facebook.com/calibro35fan

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 08 2010 at 04:01
	FROM THE WELL... PICCHIO DAL POZZO recently re-united and released a live album, A_Live. A series of concerts has been announced and the first one is scheduled in Genova, their home city, on January 15, 2011 (more info about this event HERE). By the way, don’t miss the interview with Paolo Griguolo on progarchives that you can find HERE! More info: http://www.picchiodalpozzo.com/ http://www.myspace.com/picchiodalpozzo Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:10

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 09 2010 at 01:51
	NEW TROLLS, MYTHS AND LEGENDS (Part 1) NEW TROLLS started their career in 1966, influenced by beat and psychedelia before turning into progressive rock and later into pop. On their debut album they collaborated with two other great artists from their home city, Genova, singer-songwriter Fabrizio De Andrè and composer and producer Gian Piero Reverberi. Nowadays New Trolls continue to keep alive their repertoire with excellent live performances even if they are now broken in two branches with old and younger members militating in two different line-ups. The first one is LA LEGGENDA DEI NEW TROLLS (Official Website - MySpace), featuring founder members Vittorio De Scalzi and Nico Di Palo, that in 2007 released an interesting new album with an orchestra, Concerto Grosso, The Seven Seasons, followed by a live album. The other branch is IL MITO DEI NEW TROLLS (Official Website - MySpace), featuring historic members like Ricky Belloni and Giorgio Usai, more focused on the pop side of New Trolls’ production although on stage they perform also pieces from the progressive period of the band... Historic New Trolls’ members Gianni Belleno and Giorgio D’Adamo recently joined La Leggenda dei New Trolls and now they are working on a new “Concerto Grosso” with composer Luis Bacalov. I’m looking forward to it! Well, “Concerto Grosso per i New Trolls” is the best known album of the band and both branches of New Trolls have in some way to deal with its legacy... In 1971 New Trolls met with composer Luis Enrique Bacalov and producer Sergio Bardotti for the soundtrack of the film “La vittima designata” directed by Maurizio Lucidi and starring Tomas Milian. The plot was settled between Milan and Venice and featured the scene of a murder in Venice... So the idea of a soundtrack inspired by Vivaldi and featuring the strength of a rock band interacting with an orchestra seemed a good idea for the musical comment of the scenes on the screen. Then, from cinema to vinyl the step was short. New Trolls line up features here Vittorio De Scalzi (guitar, keyboards, electric piano, flute, vocals), Nico Di Palo (guitar, vocals), Giorgio D’Adamo (bass), Gianni Belleno (drums, vocals) and Maurizio Salvi (keyboards, organ) while the orchestra was directed by the Maestro Bacalov himself. This album is usually regarded as a masterpiece of Italian progressive-rock and it’s historically important because it was the first experiment of this kind in Italy, moreover it was quite successful and it opened the way for other works in the same style. On the first side the band interact with the orchestra blending prog-rock influences (for instance the flute in “Jethro Tull style” and the distorted guitar) and classical music passages with balance and good taste. The first movement is the lively instrumental “Allegro”. On the second movement, the slow and passionate “Adagio” well balanced vocals soar in an evocative way... “Wishing you to be so near to me... Waiting for the sun to shine again / Finding that it’s gone too far away / To die, to sleep, maybe to dream...”. The short lyrics were inspired by the poetry of Shakespeare... To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; or in that sleep of death what dreams may come (Hamlet, Act III - scene I). The third movement, “Cadenza – Andante con moto” is a beautiful melancholic piece, to sleep and to dream... The fourth movement, “Shadows”, is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. It’s a reprise of the “Adagio” where the band with electric guitar and flute in the forefront seem to look for Jimi’s shadow in the dark and struggle to find it... On side two there is a long track where the members of the band showcase all their musicianship, “Nella sala vuota, improvvisazioni dei New Trolls registrate in diretta”: it is almost completely instrumental (in the middle there are just some vocals in Italian, a short reprise of a single previously released “Il sole nascerà”) and though the title means “improvisation in an empty room” it is very far from being just a boring free improvisation sounding more like a medley of different pieces put together. According to Vittorio De Scalzi, this is not just a filler and the aim of the band was to reproduce in studio the same energy that they were able to express live on stage during their concerts. Well, the result is definitively not bad at all! On the re-release on CD of this album you’ll find also its sequel, “Concerto grosso n. 2”. Indeed, after their first split up and the separate experiences of the members with Ibis and New Trolls Atomic System, in 1976 New Trolls reunited with e renewed line up and tried to repeat the success of “Concerto Grosso per I New Trolls”. Luis Enrique Bacalov composed the music of the first three tracks and the band interpreted them interacting with an orchestra. Perhaps you can’t find here the originality of the album released in 1971 (on the third movement every now and then there are slightly reminiscences of Mike Oldfield’s Tubolar Bells…) but the pieces are well structured and well performed. On the second and third movement there are some remarkable harmony vocals and the romantic lyrics are sung in English… “She's many miles away from me / She's wasting nights away from me / But every sing and every tear and every lie and every fear / Are always calling back my love keeping back my love”… An amazing example of contamination between classical music and progressive rock… It’s a pity that the other tracks of the album seem to go in another musical direction… Just some nice pop songs (the dreamy “Quiet Seas”, sung in English and “Bella come mai”), some West Coast echoes (“Vent’anni” reminds me slightly of CSN&Y, with amazing harmony vocals built up around a remarkable acoustic guitar work, while “Let It Be Me” is the cover of a song made famous by the Everly Brothers) and some vocal experiments (“Le Roi Soleil” where the words of the bleak nonsense lyrics are nothing more than sounds while the music reminds slightly of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”). On the whole an album heterogeneous and not always completely convincing, but with some great moments… Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:14

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 09 2010 at 02:18
	NEW TROLLS, MYTHS AND LEGENDS (Part 2) For the next “Concero Grosso” we had to wait until 2007 but it would be unfair define last La Leggenda dei New Trolls’ works just as a pure nostalgic and commercial operation... The line-up that recorded “Concerto Grosso: The Seven Seasons” featured excellent musicians gathered around the founder member and leader Vittorio De Scalzi. The other founder member, Nico Di Palo, here is in the background: because of the consequences of a car accident he can hardly move his left arm and he can’t play guitar anymore, but New Troll’s fan still love him and his voice... Of course, New Trolls don’t disown themselves and there are some self-quotations, nonetheless you can find in this album a new creativity and an excellent interplay between rock instruments and orchestra... The conductor of the orchestra, Maestro Stefano Cabrera and guitar virtuoso Andrea Maddalone play an important role in this work and the executive producer, PFM’s drummer Franz Di Cioccio, contributes to the good final result as well... The opener “The Knowledge (Overture)” is an instrumental that reminds of the first Concerto Grosso with an excellent interaction between the orchestra and the band, while the following “Dance With The Rain (Ballata)” is a delicate and soft ballad featuring soaring vocals upon a classical guitar arpeggio and the flute by Vittorio De Scalzi interacting with the strings... New Trolls were very successful as a pop band and they don’t seem to be ashamed at all of this side of their career, nevertheless even in their more “pop oriented” passages you can find a great musicianship and a pleasant and never banal sense of melody... “Future Joy (Scherzo)” is another interesting and joyful “instrumental dialogue” between orchestra and electric instruments with the guitar of Andrea Maddalone in the forefront. “High Education (Cello cadenza)” is a cello performance provided by Stefano Cabrera that leads to the following track, “The Seventh Season (Ostinato)”, more in a pop vein, that in some way reminds of the Gianpiero Reverberi’s project called Rondò Veneziano. The piece features the recitative vocals of Shel Shapiro who wrote all the lyrics of the album. “One Magic Night (Larghetto)” is a beautiful and melodic air where the lead “pop vocals” of Vittorio De Scalzi are counter-pointed by the operatic vocals of the soprano Madelyn Monti (who sings in Italian), while “Barocco'n'Roll (Allegro brioso)” is another interesting example of blending between rock and baroque music. “Intro and Canone” is a short classical guitar piece that introduces the following track, “Testament Of Time (Andante)”, featuring a beautiful melody and excellent harmony vocals. “The Ray Of White Light (Rondò)” is another track in a peculiar “pop vein” that could remind of some works of Queen (or, if you prefer, of “Le Roi Soleil” on Concerto Grosso N. 2). “To Love The Land (Adagio)” is a piano ballad featuring the lead vocals of Vittorio De Scalzi and a remarkable electric guitar work with the orchestra in the background. “The Season Of Hope (Piano preludio)” is an interesting quiet duet between piano and viola that evolves into a more “progressive” and “jazzy” mood leading to the following track, “Simply Angels (Suite)”, in my opinion the best track on this album and the closest to the prog vein of the early Seventies, featuring shifting tempos and well balanced harmony vocals. The final track, “Ethix (Canzona)”, is just a simple melodic song sung by Vittorio De Scalzi that seem trying to lead the listener far from every day’s troubles... “I hate the noise of the world of today...”. The “bonus track”, “So che ci sei”, is the Italian version of “Dance With The Rain” and I have to say that I prefer this version to the English one... Perhaps this album is not an essential one, but it’s definitely an excellent work and it’s worth listen to... In 2007 La Leggenda dei New Trolls released also a live album + DVD recorded in Trieste featuring the three “Concerti Grossi”, “Concerto Grosso Trilogy”... Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 12:17

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 11 2010 at 05:53
	LOGOS, COMING BACK SOON! Logos are working on a new album and I’m looking forward to listen to it. In the meanwhile they keep on playing live to check their new compositions... By any chance you don’t know who Logos are? Well, Logos are an Italian prog band from Verona that was formed in 1996 by Luca Zerman (keyboards), Alessandro Perbellini (drums) and Fabio Gaspari (bass and guitar) as a cover band of Le Orme. Later guitarists Massimo Maoli and Andrea Dossi joined the band (although Andrea Dossi only for a short period) and they started to work on original compositions. In 1999 they released a first self produced eponymous album that was recorded in two weeks with the help of two friends, Simone Chiampan and Tommaso Carrara, using a 8 tracks analog recorder in a home-made studio. According to the band, all the tracks were recorded “live” and there is very few overdubbing. As a result, the sound quality is very far from perfect but at least you can appreciate the freshness of the compositions and the good song-writing... The opener “Il grande fiume” (The great river) is a long suite that reminds of Le Orme. It begins calmly with keyboards in the forefront and a “mysterious” atmosphere, then comes in a repetitive bass line and the rhythm goes up and down until vocals soar upon a classical piano pattern depicting a river slowly flowing towards the sea... Lyrics were inspired by Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddharta” that tells about the spiritual journey of the protagonist to reach the “enlightenment”. After many troubles, he at last finds his way by listening to the murmurs of a river... There are many changes of tempos and moods, but the music perfectly fits a subject where joy and pain walk along the same spiritual path that leads to awareness... “Time passes by and doesn’t forgive / The empty days of a sad age / While the old man is still learning / Why to live, why to fight / If life wins against you...”. “Arc en ciel” (Rainbow) is a short dreamy ballad with a beautiful melody featuring keyboards and strummed acoustic guitar... Imagine to be on the outskirts of a forest with some friends when the dark is falling. Near a bonfire your eyes mirror the nature and you can talk to each other about the future and about the past until the morning comes... Well, more or lees lyrics are about this. “Sentiero nel prato, porta dell' universo” (Path on the lawn, door of the universe) is a long track that starts with an acoustic guitar arpeggio and then develops with fiery organ rides and delicate piano passages. Lyrics tell about the loss of a child in a poetical way... “It’s not a star nor a fire that far light / It becomes just a little point in the universe / Until you can’t see it anymore...”. “Un giorno...” (One Day), is another good track about an impending journey towards the unknown while “In una nuova terra?” (In a new land?) is about the come back from a journey in the space. In these tracks you can find slight echoes of Le Orme and Franco Battiato... An alternate version of “Arc en ciel” concludes the album. The album was self produced with poor means, self distributed and in 1999 it couldn’t reach a “large audience”. After the interesting but immature eponymous debut album, between August 2000 and February 2001 Logos recorded their second effort “Ásrava”. It’s another self production but the sound quality is definitively improved if compared with the previous work. The line up featured Fabio Gaspari (bass, acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar, vocals), Massimo Maoli (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar, pedal steel guitar), Alessandro Perbellini (drums, vocals) and Luca Zerman (keyboards, vocals). You can find on this album influences of artists like Le Orme. PFM and Franco Battiato, but the band managed to add a touch of originality mixing new ingredients with the classic “Italianprog” style. The album opens with “Prologo”, a symphonic instrumental introduction featuring a multiple overdub of keyboards. Next comes another instrumental, “Ezra Pound”, full of energy and well balanced changes of rhythm and atmosphere, from symphonic to funky... The long and complex “’99” is about the fear for a nuclear disaster... A nightmare where the protagonist dreams to fall asleep in the footprint of a dinosaur and to wake up alone in that peculiar and gigantic cradle. The music is good enough but vocals every now and again seem to be a little insecure... “La leggerezza della libertà” (The lightness of freedom) is a beautiful short acoustic ballad featuring acoustic guitar and keyboards, “not too delicate, not too simple”... Next comes the title track, a long instrumental featuring a trumpet solo where rock, funky and jazz are blended in an original way. The mysterious “Terra incognita” (Unknown land) is about the discovery and conquest of a new world in the name of a king that will come to upset the quietness of a beautiful savage nature. Clear melodic vocals alternates with distorted ones while music gives a sense of impending tragedy... “When the first of these new days / The sunset will come out from its hiding place / It will cover with darkness a new world / The World of the new Kingdom”. Last track “Epilogo” (Epilogue), reminds of some works of Franco Battiato of the Eighties and features just keyboards and an acoustic guitar solo... “Wind and snow play together / Ten children run after each other in the empty square...”. Both albums album can be legally downloaded for free from the official website of the band, so click HERE and have a try! And do not miss the interview with the band on progarchives that you can find HERE More info: http://www.logosprog.it/ http://www.myspace.com/logosmusica http://www.facebook.com/pages/Logos/45030817535?v=info#!/pages/Logos/45030817535?v=wall Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 12:28

AtomicCrimsonRush Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258	Post Options Post Reply Quote AtomicCrimsonRush Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 11 2010 at 06:30
	Incredible amount of work here - one of the best blogs i would say!


andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 13 2010 at 15:35
	AND I‘LL FOLLOW DISTANCES AND FROST... Court are working on new album featuring a new singer... Court are an Italian prog band from Varese (see post #2 on this blog) formed in 1990 by five skilled young musicians: Paolo Lucchina (vocals), Mosè Nodari (guitars, oboe and recorders), Luigi Bonacina (bass), Andrea Costanza (guitar) and Francesco Vedani (drums, flute and recorders). Their debut album, “And You'll Follow The Winds' Rush 'till Their Breath Dwells”, was recorded in Germany and released in 1993 by the indie label Music Is Intelligence. It features a very interesting and fresh blend of rock and classical influences... If you like bands like The Strawbs, Gryphon and Amazing Blondel try this work! The short instrumental opener “Rising The Tale” introduces to the long and complex epic “Alviss’ Revenge” that tells a cruel story inspired by Nordic Sagas... “Flying from the south / Maidens came through the dark forest / Young Goddesses they were Valkyries / On the seashore they set to rest / Spinning precious flax...”. Despite the English lyrics, vocals are good enough and music flows for over fifteen minutes avoiding the kingdom of boredom... “Lovers” is a beautiful and tragic prayer, a peculiar ballad with a dramatic “Romantic” feeling while the next track, the dreamy “Eckol” slightly reminds me of Gryphon and Angelo Branduardi... “I’ve fallen asleep dreaming of colours growing inside / I’ve fallen asleep dreaming of colours growing inside / Night! It’s the time, I’ll have my best / See you next sunset, Eckol my friend...”. The long and complex “Cries” is a beautiful “anti-war epic”... While music goes through many changes of rhythm and atmosphere lyrics describe the celebration for the return of a victorious army... But in the crowd someone can’t stand it, a soldier who is speaking up against his mind: “There is no meaning, nonsense is war / We claim for us the rights of lands / As slaves we humble before a tyrant / And him we pray though he slew us / I lost my will in lies of king / I blinded my eyes and denied my dreams / I lost the chance to smile to dawn / To hope at dusk and fly by night...”. “Willow Tears” is an amazing instrumental for acoustic guitar, while “Mirth For A Guest” is another short and joyful piece that reminds of Gryphon. “The Song Of The Omniscient Dwarf” is a long ballad that every now and again reminds me of Amazing Blondel and that tells the story of a dwarf cheated by the God Odin and petrified by the sun... The instrumental “R.” and “Fading The Tale” close this excellent work... The whole album can be legally downloaded for free from HERE Four years after their excellent debut album Court released a second work called “Distances” featuring less folk and medieval influences and a soft and more refined rock sound that every now and again could remind of Pink Floyd... Here you can find “wider spaces”, “purer sounds” and “crimson reveries” in “a cage of beauty and grace”... “Does my singing live just when someone is enjoying it? / Or maybe it behaves like the wind that blows over seas although there are no leaves to stir? / I say: It lives because someone has lived and sang it... it lives because someone has lived”... After the short instrumental opener “Shantàl (Far)”, the hypnotic and melancholic “The Turn I Was Gifted” leads you in a dreamy mood, followed by “Joy” (where rhythm takes off like a “Zeppelin”), “The Spell Of The Rain” and the acoustic instrumental “View Gone”... Words and sounds draw moony soundscapes where acoustic guitars and flutes are in the forefront... Then comes the amazing long and complex epic “Sumptuous Moment”, inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson, my favourite track on this album, closer to the sound of their previous album where folk influences are blended with a strong classical romantic flavour. Good also the other epic “Carved Box” and the soft instrumental “Close”... “The box is now closing / With her walk through the time / Kept safe inside...”. On the whole “Distances” is a good album and it can be legally downloaded for free as well, have a try and judge by yourselves! Click HERE “*Frost Of Watermelon” is the third Court’s album. It was released in 2007, ten years after “Distances” and it’s definitely more various, heterogeneous and with a richer sound. The line up features a new guitarist, Marco Strobl who took the place of Andrea Costanza, and some guest musicians... The “recipe” is tasty and well balanced, including “ingredients” like classical and acoustic guitars, mellotron, recorders and glockenspiel along with powerful bass lines, electric guitars and “smashed pumpkins”... Well, the band is not stuck in the past and you can find on this work not only echoes of Genesis and Pink Floyd but also some peculiar “grungy passages”. “I will be back again / Just to step and fly away / Believe me / I founded my world on a dream...”. In my opinion the highlights on this album are the dreamy “My World” and the hypnotic and mysterious instrumental “Bridge To Maya”. Prog lovers will find very interesting also the long and complex suite “Mad and Child” and the acoustic ballad “When I Lose” featuring mellotron, glockenspiel and recorders... The overall result is very good, so... “Sprinkle on the frost of watermelon” with slivers of dark chocolate, put the bowls in the fridge and serve cold”! You can listen to the complete album in streaming from HERE* By the way, don’t miss the interview with the band on progarchives that you can find HERE More info: http://www.courtband.com/ http://www.myspace.com/courtband http://www.facebook.com/pages/COURT/34310775909 Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:17

andrea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: May 20 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 2064	Post Options Post Reply Quote andrea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 19 2010 at 02:24
	NEW TROLLS OFFSHOOTS Well, history of New Trolls is rather complex. In 1973, after first New Trolls split up, former members of the band formed three different groups: NEW TROLLS ATOMIC SYSTEM, IBIS and TRITONS. In 2008 Maurizio Salvi, former member of New Trolls and Ibis, tried to revive one of this offshoots with a new line up under the name IBIS PROG MACHINE... More info: http://www.myspace.com/quotibisquotprogmachinequotipmquot Edited by andrea - December 27 2010 at 14:18

Baggra Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: December 16 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 221	Post Options Post Reply Quote Baggra Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 21 2010 at 12:43
	If anyone is interested in the (much lesser-known) Italian early PSYCHEDELIC ROCK scene then go to Galactic Zoo forum (yahoo groups) where Antonio G. has some detailed posts.