The Italian Prog Appreciation den

TheH wrote: Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: I'll definately put in to pre-buy the CD before the due date! Their first is one of my favourite modern RPI titles! Urh, having a lot of trouble with the latest Submarine Silence album `There's Something Very Strange...'. I'm not surprised they sing in English, but something about the particular vocals on this one really rub me the wrong way. Musically it's quite good, but.... Can anyone else offer some thoughts on it if they've heard it?   Heard it on a streaming site. I had very much the same impression, music is ok but the vocals are rather anoying.   Crossed that one out of my shoping list.

Thanks to hear your thoughts, guys, and I'm sorry some of you have made the same mistakes I did!

H, thanks for the tip, I'll be listening to the rest of the Periferia tonight, so I'll keep your opinion in mind!

Thomas, it's not even that Submarine Silence sing in English on this one that bugs me, it's that the vocals have this kind of....try-hard Bowie/Goth/cabaret edge that seems really forced and put on. There's definately other Italian bands that have done the `cabaret' thing much better than this. Anyway, it's been one listen so far, I've still got it in the car, so I'll spin it some more. I hope it comes better, because the CD sleeve/booklet is quite lovely!

Todd, at least the new Periferia is encouraging me to dig out that earlier album and give it a new spin. I'm sure I remember it being very decent. However, I did notice there were two other albums between the debut and this new one, so perhaps their move away from the more traditional prog sounds was already well on the way.

Excellent, my friend.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: I picked up these two for a few dollars each recently, thoughts on them if you've heard them? http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3493

Awesome cover. Who painted it?

TheH wrote: AEProgman wrote: TheH wrote: Finnforest wrote: Gran Turismo Veloce fans!  The band has launched a new project and is asking for your help....details here.http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gran-turismo-veloce-new-albumCheers! Already donated my money on the very first day. They also lost their bass player lately, and are now actually a duo (rather than a band).   I need to get their first, I guess only album....I have listened to it once but do not have it yet. Yes they only have one Album, and you should get it. It's a really great Album, if you don't mind some harder guitars.

Edited by AEProgman - October 30 2013 at 21:44

verslibre wrote: Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: I picked up these two for a few dollars each recently, thoughts on them if you've heard them? http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3493 Awesome cover. Who painted it?

From what I can tell, it's credited on the simple CD sleeve to Dario Campinile. Does the name ring a bell at all?

It wasn't until I looked at the cover closer that I realised how good it was, I want to know what the story with the hand is! I bet it would look beautiful on the vinyl LP copy.

Pierre/guys, I'm loving this one! I was expecting a somewhat typical fusion album, instead there's these lovely ambient passages, electronic experimentation, quiet acoustic moments, droning hypnotic vocals, shimmering psychedelic flavours....wonderful!!

Kind of made me think of a more fusion heavy Agitation Free in parts.   

^ Ars Nova was Quite good and entertaining .  From a wikipedia site, PFM and Goblin are some of their infulences also.Sounds like I may enjoy those Monks also if they are in the ELP vein.

Edited by AEProgman - November 03 2013 at 19:17

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Never too late to start, Proggman! Why don't you tell us which ones you've been enjoying, and I'm sure some of us Italian Den regulars can offer some more suggestions for you to try?

Hello again sorry for the late reply. I was busy listening to music. The only italian bands that I have heard so far are Premiata Forneria Marconi, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme. I like PFM the most of those, so some suggestions in that direction would be nice.

Jimmy, that Amanita is a tasty poison 

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: From what I can tell, it's credited on the simple CD sleeve to Dario Campinile. Does the name ring a bell at all?

None at all. I'll search some info on him. Thanks.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Now, I'm kind of cheating here, because that female Ars Nova band are Japanese, so I'll link away from this Italian thread, but if you like what you heard with Three Monks, and I think you dig stuff like ELP, then you should enjoy this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5vCoyZGCRw Actually, that clip of them sounds better than one of the actual DVD's I bought of them. If you like them, let us know and I'll recommend which albums to look into.

Ars Nova is one of my favorite bands. The Kumagai-Shibata-Goto line-up (in your linked YT clip) was my favorite one since the double-keyboards line-up of Across The World. Granted, the two line-ups aren't that apart, but it was like the Transi/GoD line-up again, with Masuhiro pounding the hell out of those drums.

They're finally back to work writing/jamming/rehearsing/recording. It's the quartet formation of Chrysalis, so I suspect it won't sound like the last one, which was a bit Ayreon-esque for my taste.