OF FATE AND GLORY

The Rome Pro(g)ject is a progressive Rock project led by the Italian musician Vincenzo Ricca. Of Fate And Glory is the second album released under this moniker and like on the first album Steve Hackett and David Jackson are again involved. In addition, Ricca has this time enlisted the talents of the amazing Billy Sherwood. The names of these four men (Ricca, Hackett, Jackson, and Sherwood) are printed on the front cover of the album, but there are also some further people involved in the recording.

The presence of Hackett and Sherwood obviously invites comparisons to Genesis and Yes, and while references to these bands (as well as to some other classic progressive Rock giants) are indeed relevant, perhaps even more relevant are references to Hackett's solo work and also to the solo work of Rick Wakeman whose keyboard playing is an obvious influence on Ricca's. David Jackson's flutes and saxophones, however, remind more of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and Mel Collins' contributions to King Crimson and Camel than they bring to mind anything by Jackson's day job in Van Der Graaf Generator.

Since the music found here is lighter than that of bands like Genesis and Yes, and also in virtue of being completely instrumental, comparisons can also be made to more mellow and folky acts like Gandalf (see, for example, the latter's collaborations with Hackett) and to Mike Oldfield. Occasionally, a jazzier aspect can also be detected in some tracks.

As indicated above, there are no vocals on this album. But the opening track does have some spoken word courtesy of Steve Hackett's wife Joanna, which is basically just a matter of reading out the titles of each subsequent track of the album! I find this aspect pretty lame and pointless and the fact that this opening track also includes a melody that comes a bit too close for comfort to Genesis' Hairless Heart does not help the track. Once you get past this, however, you are in for some excellent music.

My favourite tracks are The Wolf And The Twins and The Conquest Of The World both co-written by Sherwood and S.P.Q.R. co-written with Hackett. Overall, a very nice album!

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