2973 - LA NEMICA DEI RICORDI

It's amazing to think this band was founded already in 1964 - and half a century later they have recorded a strong Heavy Prog album which continues the concept of their vintage eponymous album from 1972. And they have all the energy and inspiration to do it 100% all the way, as if there wasn't many decades in between. Yes, this music is totally retro in style and sound. Both the instruments used and the studio work (playing live on a 2-inch tape recorder with very few overtakes) are the same as in 1972.

Although Heavy isn't my cup of tea, I actually like this one as a representation of the genre, maybe exactly because it's so old school style, in the vein of classic BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE with lots of Hammond. There's also a notable ELP influence in the keyboard playing. Add some saxophone and flute (bringing occasional associations to VDGG) and you really have a full blown Heavy/RPI near-masterpiece guaranteed to please the listeners of vintage recordings of this kind. There are Symphonic Prog elements, maybe there should be a bit more in the songwriting before one could call this a masterpiece of Heavy Prog, but the music is firmly rooted in the Heavy soil. That is, the tempo is mostly quite fast and the vocals slightly angry - but luckily not plain aggressive or growly like nowadays so often.

Not that I can follow the story at all, but a few words on the concept: "Spettri" (1972; haven't heard that album) was about a young man searching for an answer and an alternative to the violence etc, and as the answer he gets in the afterlife(?) is the reflection of himself, he goes crazy. Or something like that. "In this new record we started from where the story ended... 1001 years after, in 2973, not much has changed... he tries a new journey that will lead him to realize that nothing will ever change unless he wins his fears and interior battles first. While walking at night on a solitary beach a seagull shows him the way to a mysterious ship which will take him on a journey that at last will land him on a new level of consciousness." Pretty deep and esoteric...

The attempt to follow the track list (and therefor to talk of separate tracks) is confusing since the list in the backcover misses the track numbers and both the division of one track in two plus three bonus tracks as represented here in the album info. A minus from that! And when I try to follow the Italian lyrics it seems even that track listing might be somehow faulty... Anyway, somewhere halfway there was a calm song with female vocals (Elisa Montaldo) which nicely brings variety, as well as the 8th track, a gentle acoustic instrumental ('La Stiva'? - but there are lyrics in the leaflet under that title?? Quite confusing really!)

But these problems don't steal the music's power. If that's what matters to you more than demands of originality or bringing something new to the genre, and enjoy both vintage Heavy and ELP-ish organ prog, and Italian lyrics, then this is your album.