IN HOC SIGNO

I've listened to this album a huge number of times before writing this review. Its a good album showing excellent musicianship, it has a good concept and shows an excellent knowledge of history by the lyricists, it has all the ingredients to be a masterpiece but there's something wrong.

Several times I've tried to understand what I don't like in it, why I'm unable to get it.

After repeated listens I think I have found the reason. There are bands which have repeated almost the same song for ages: in the pop world I think to R.E.M or Dire Straits. I can enjoy one or two of their songs, but at the third I'm bored, it's always the same song.

For Ingranaggi Della Valle it's different: they don't repeat the same song, their compositions are very well arranged and orchestrated, I really like the vocalist, but what doesn't change it's the mood. "Cavalcata" and "L'Assedio Di Antiochia" are excellent songs, but I can rarely resist to listen to the whole album in one shot.

It's very likely my issue, not theirs. I'm sure that I'm failing to enter into this album, it's not the album failing to catch my interest.

Anyway, the band deserves attention and I'll be happy to hear their future outputs. This "In Hoc Signo" has some very good moments, a keyboardist whose skill is somewhere between Emerson and Wakeman, they have the vintage sounds that I usually like, they have violin, flute, ethnic instruments... well, it's possible that sooner or later I'll completely rewrite this review. This album has everything it needs to be called progressive, all the required ingredients...why it doesn't make for me it's still a mistery.

But it's good. I can not like it, but from an overall and detached point of view I must say that it's a good album and most of the prog, and in particular, RPI fans will love it.