DIETRO L'URAGANO

Alphataurus was a group who despite have putting out of the more popular albums here at PA's with their S/T'd debut has little known or written of them. Sources aren't even sure whether they were from Genova.. or from Milan. Little of them was written of them during the groups existance. The main reference site on the web says little and a comprehensive text I have of them has even less. They were signed to Magma records formed by members of the New Trolls for several albums. After they released their first album they went back to the studio to record a second album. Personal issues tore the group apart and the album they recorded, which was completely instrumental due to the fact that vocalist Michele Bavaro never recorded any vocals by the time the group split apart for good. The album 'Dietro L'Uragano' sat unreleased for 20 years until Mellow Records released it 1993. This is what the follow up to their 1st album would have sounded like. The album was left as they left it ..with only the instrumental tracks down, with no vocals so this unintendedly is an instrumental album.

The album opens with 'Ripensando E....' a Moog and Hammond workout. The lack of a vocal track on this one really hurts.. sounds like exactly what it was. An instrumental track awaiting a vocal skin so to speak. Musically not bad.. just not intended to stand alone as an instrumental of course. Next of it ' Valigie Di Terra' which begins with an extended drum intro before the some synth chords come in. About 3 minutes in the pace and rhythm accelerates and picks up and we have a moog section, then finally we are treated to a section remenscent of the 1st album when some Hammand Organ and some great drumming and bass playing and after a song and a half into the album we are treated with something musically that stands alone well. Various sections follow that continue the unspoken rule here of not just sounding like a backing track. Anyway.. after a slow first couple of minutes this tracks satisfies the listener with something musically to sink their teeth into.

Next we have .. the aptly title.. 'Idea imcompiuta' which has a very strong jazz vibe though at less than 2 mnutes long wherever they were planning to go with it, they simply never arrived. The final track on the album is 'Claudette'' A nice electric piano intro which takes us to a bombastic symphonic main sections. Strong bass playing and some great keyboards mark this instrumental. The only one of the 4 songs that really is worth the purchase of the album for. The track is marked with some furoius sections that really rock out if that is your kind of thing.

Beware if you get this.. it is in large part what it is. An incomplete album. Only the last song really stands well alone. For myself and the site 2 stars. For hardcore RPI fans only.

Michael (aka micky)