STRIGMA

Taproban is an italian Progressive Rock Trio formed by GIANLUCA DE ROSSI on Keyboards, ROBERTO VITELLI on Bass, Guitars and Bass Pedals Synthesizer and FRANCESCO PANDICO on Drums and percussions. The new line-up aim from 2012 was to close up the four elements tetralogy, that started in 2002 with the album "Ogni pensiero vola" , inspired to the Bosco di Bomarzo carved-in-stone statues (Earth), and continued with "Outside Nowhere" in 2004, this time dedicated to space explorations (Air), and "Posidonian Fields" in 2006, inspired to the ocean abyss as a metaphor of human subconscious (Water). The elements tetralogy had to close up with the fourth element of Fire, this time associated with the female figure. The new album, in fact, is titled STRIGMA, from the two latin words strix (witch) and stigma (brand) "The brand of the Witch". Throughout Strigma tracks you can find something misterious, sinister and arcane, growing to get the fascinating trademark of the whole album. There are many heavy passages as well, leaded by De Rossi's exuberants sonates and Vitelli's powerful strings. The three tracks are long-lenghted, as in the best tradition of Progressive Rock, neverthless I think is reductive to catalogue Strigma as a pure Progressive Rock album, because if the presence of the Progressive sound of the '70 (ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull) is undoubted, there is also a more personal taste, featuring many others references, that reveals the band members' musical culture. The second track "Lo sguardo di Emily" is particularly remarkable, with all its exciting variations, where De Rossi shows all his unfailing virtuosity, not pretentious, that raises the listener to the higher top of aestetic enjoyment and then brings back him to a more earthly dimension. Finally I think Strigma is the fully mature Taproban album, and if you love Progressive Rock, and not only, you can't miss it!