CAUTION RADIATION AREA

'Caution Radiation Area' is the second studio album of Area and was released in 1974. The line up on the album is Demetrio Stratos (vocals, organ, clavicembalo, steel drums and percussion), Giampaolo Tofani (guitar, synthesizer and flute), Patrizio Fariselli (electric piano, piano, clarinet and synthesizer), Areas Tavolazzi (bass and trombone) and Giulio Capiozzo (drums and percussion).

This is the first album that contains the more stable and better known line up of the group. On their debut and previous studio album 'Arbeit Macht Frei', the bassist of the band was Patrick Djivas, who left the band after the release of the album to be a member of Premiata Forneria Marconi. On the other hand, that musical work was the only album with the participation of the saxophonist Eddie Busnello, which wouldn't be replaced by any other musician on their new works.

'Caution Radiation Area' has five tracks. The first track 'Cometa Rossa' is a typical track of Area and it seems to be built around the ethnic and traditional music. In this case, we are presented to some influences of Arabic music, and are very close to some of the songs presented on Area's previous debut studio album 'Arbeit Macht Frei', especially its first song 'Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)'. It represents a perfect introduction to the band that shows their unmistakable type of music and the unique vocal style of Demetrio. The second track 'ZYG (Crescita Zero)' is a track that begins with more experimental music, which is the main characteristic of the rest of the album. It's a song that after begins with some distorted industrial noises and some electronic experimentation, shows a more rocking and psychedelic side of Area. However, we can say that this is basically a free jazz/fusion track with magnificent musical moments and fantastic individual performances all over the track, which gives to the album another wonderful musical moment. The third track 'Brujo' is, musically, a real wild track that opens in a chaotic way and where they play a lot of notes with a total improvisation. This is another free jazz/fusion track with great electric piano, bass, percussions and guitar works. It finishes with some vocal experimentation by Demetrio, accompanied by keyboard noises on the back. This is another great musical moment on the album with fantastic improvisations by all band's members. The fourth track 'MIRage? Mirage!' is, in a certain way, a surprising track. It's a song with a mix of a contemporary classical music and again the free and avant-garde jazz/fusion music. This is the lengthiest track on the album and is a song with a dark and a dissonant atmosphere, with very interesting and improvised musical moments. But, it's only recommended to the hard fans of the band, because it represents one of the scariest musical moments ever created by the band. The fifth and last track 'Lobotomia' is the most experimental track on the album. The track is an amalgam of distorted electronic sounds and noises, and this is, in reality, what this track is all about. I think this is a piece that intents to provoke the usual listener, something like lobotomize the listener itself. This isn't a piece to enjoy or hate. This is more something like if we can drop everything we knew on music and leave for something new and inscrutable. It reminds me the new contemporary classical music. It closes perfectly well this strange, savage and almost completely experimental album.

Conclusion: Area is a very special and unique band, even in the universe of Rock Progressivo Italiano. No other band can be compared with them. Their style is basically avant-garde jazz rock/fusion with clear influences of other type of music that ranges from Greek, Italian, Arab and Mediterranean music with a very special and inimitable touch of the unique voice of Demetrio Stratos. However, 'Caution Radiation Area' is a completely different work from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. 'Arbeit Macht Frei' represents the highlighted Area's early musical sound, less experimental, which featured folk melodies, Canterbury Scene sound, acid psychedelic stile and avant-garde experimental jazz music, all together filtered and mixed through a very special and very particular Italian musical sensibility and taste. 'Caution Radiation Area' is much more experimental with plenty of electronic effects. So, this is the album where the truly experimental music was really introduced. As its name indicates, it's much darker than their previous debut album, which obviously intended to provoke and disturb the ears of the listener. We get more disturbed when we remember some nuclear accidents that have occurred since 1974, the year that we were all provoked by the terrible warning on the front cover of this album. I remember the Seveso disaster in 1976, the Bhopal disaster in 1984, and especially the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 and the most recent of all, the Fukushima Daiichi, the disaster in 2011. Backing to this album, this is really a great working. It's especially recommended for people who like free avant-garde jazz fusion music. Still, if you aren't yet familiarized with the band's music, it's preferable to start with 'Arbeit Macht Frei' or 'Crac!' which are more accessible. 'Caution Radiation Area' is more 'radioactive' and needs an extreme caution approach, especially by the newbies.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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