IL-LūDĕRE

After three years from "AlieNatura" the wise band from Genoa, now enriched with the (not only) drummer Mattias Olsson (ex-Anglagard, Necromonkey, White Willow), is out with its third studio album.

As the preceding album, also in this case the title is a word game. The union of latin verb "ludere", that means 'the act of playing', with the italian article "il" generates a dualism between "il giocare" (the act of playing) and the verb "illudere", that means 'to deceive' or 'to generate expectations that will never be satisfied'

Actually, along the lyrics find place the sweet illusion to have the world at your feet when you're very young, the sad reality to face when you're adult, the tricks, the games, the consequences of love and the need to come back to act and think as a child, to go beyond obstacles otherwise insurmountable, if faced with an adult mind.

All is supported by ITDC's Music, every time rich and refined in arrangements, but here a bit different with the respect of past albums: now all the musicians are involved in composition, not only Fabio Gremo and Elisa Montaldo. This leads to more heterogeneus sounds, more rock oriented, though the lovely presence of Gremo's classic guitar works moderates the effect. There is more electric guitar, but Giulio Canepa takes away the usual RPI jazzy polite register, substituting it with more opened and distorted effects, very near to heavy rock. In the meantime Elisa Montaldo's great work of searching new fascinating sounds, unusual harmonizations and atmospheres sometimes ethereal, sometimes sumptuos and anxious takes place. The searching of new effects is extended also to vocals: always warm and emphatic the one from Francesco Ciapica, always sweet and touching the other from Elisa Montaldo, helped in the chorus line from Canepa and Gremo. Also Mattias Olsson, with his huge amount of percussion and samplers has given his contribution to the new aspects of ITDC sound.

In my opinion the best moments are "La Parola Magica", "Prospettive", "Nuova Alchimia" and "La Spirale del Vento", while "Manitou", with its evoking melodic line and the wise Olson's drumming, gives me a pleasant sensation of ethereal melancholy. I've heard both versions of this song: one sung in Italian by Ciapica (on CD) and the other sung in Japanese by Elisa (Live) and I prefer the second one because feminine voice and Japanese language render it more evoking and ethereal. You may find the Japanese version of this song only on CD Japanese edition. "Spettro del Palco" is the single come out to anticipate the album. The lyrics, the music and the video pay their tribute to Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and has the virtue to be quite catchy, but not too easy. "Gnaffe' " is the bonus track: it's inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron novels. It's a music trick, as to refer to album title.

Track by Track shivers

"Le Regole del Gioco" The album opens with sounds and atmospheres which bring you away, a nice piano arpeggio that seems to anticipate something unnamed, and footsteps with english conversation...

"La Parola Magica" Powerful track, but what has given me shivers is that crazy synth effect which jumps from right to left at the beginning of the second verse! If I know a bit Elisa Montaldo, she could have lost her sleep until she has found it in the right way!

"Come nelle Favole" It's an heavy rock song, quite unusual for ITDC. Here Francesco Ciapica shows his great vocal range. Great strong ending with two powerful solos: guitar and keys.

"Dentro la mia mente" It has a long coda (ending part), widely used in RPI. In this case it's enriched with histrionic Ciapica's vocalism who experiments a double voice effect as in the second track.

"Spettro del Palco" It's a good single song. It takes place in your mind even if it's not easy-listening as well. Once more I have to remark Ciapica's great interpretative vein. Please notice how does it change the sense of the words "nella mia mente" in the two different situations: in the first he is sweethearted in love, in the second he is hoplessly desperate! The piano coda anticipates the main theme of "La Spirale del Vento" ... and also this means "to play with music"!

"Prospettive" Starting from this song until the end of "La Spirale del Vento" in my opinion there's the best part of the entire album. Starting with an intro with classic guitar and piano, after the keys crescendo (with that bass chords I truly love!) the music seems to spirally close into itself to give space to Canepa loud screaming guitar, very inspired along the whole track. After the 6/8 bridges his solo is powerful and full of feeling. The coda is heart breaking. Very beautiful!

"Manitou" is ethereal, spiritual and sweet. The continual but suffused Olsson's percussion and his almost tribal drumming render this song a priceless musical pearl.

"Nuova Alchimia" is the track less easy to bear in mind. It practically hasn't an intro, almost showing an urgency of expression. The up-tempo singing, the solemnity of keys and the unbelievable atmosphere that lingers in the whole track find their fulfillment in the opera-symphonic ending, with the astonishing Elisa's chorals which give us pure emotion. Great!

"La Spirale del Vento" Beautiful piano intro with Olson's delicate cymbals work. The lyrics are almost autobiographical and talk about the choices we make, that seem crazy to others. The powerful synth solo opens the incredible epic and overwhelming ending. I must confess that I'd have preferred that the album would come to end with this track, because the bonus track misrepresents the fulfilment sensation that lets you to play the entire CD another time.

"Gnaffe' " It's almost a goliardic game, as mentioned before. Well played in mediaeval way, as it is.

At the end, "il-ludere" is a very good album. It takes a bit distance from typical RPI stylistics (we don't find long epic songs and continuous tempo variations) but still chained to it by the enriched arrangements (instrumental and vocal) and the search of unusual rhythm solutions and in something new or unexpected, which is the vital lymph for music REAL lovers. ITDC original and characteristic sound remains almost untouched, even if it pays a great tribute to past glorious prog bands

Please don't miss to listen to this album, you would bitterly repent!

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