NOSFERATU IL VAMPIRO

This four piece formation was founded in the second half of the Nineties, a few years later the band started to play live with the images of Werner Herzog's movie Nosferatu (1979) on the background, a 'cinema concert' as the band explains on their website. This was the starting point of their ambitious double CD debut release entitled Nosferatu : Il Vampiro. Instead of creating rock-opera's at the scale of Tommy by The Who or The Wall by Pink Floyd, RanestRane decided to build their music on Nosferatu Il Vampiro around the Werner Herzog movie, because of the costs and the fact that this double CD is an auto-production.

Most of the 28 compositions on the two CD's sound dreamy, mellow and ambient. These songs are blended with sounds, voices (based upon the original lyrics), soaring keyboards, wonderful Grand piano, pleasant Italian vocals and atmospheric guitar work. The albums Love Over Gold by Dire Straits and Brave by Marillion come to my mind, but RanestRane delivers a more progressive rock touch to the music. Due to the way the musicians present compelling shifting moods, subtle accelerations and captivating build-ups. Especially in tracks like:

Via De Wismar : a mid-tempo with bombastic keyboards and powerful guitar and in the end sensitive work on guitar and piano,

L'Assalto : raw, pretty aggressive sound with hypnotizing distorted electric guitar runs,

Saranno Giorni Tristi : a slow and compelling rhythm with Hammond organ in the vein of Ken Hensley),

Ritorna : beautiful moving guitar similar to Steve Hackett,

Gli Ultimi Momenti Di Wismar : warm accordeon and piano sound,

L'Ultimo Incontro : bombastic interplay between keyboards and drums,

and the awesome final composition Via Da Wismar (close to neo-prog): first wonderful Grand piano and Italian vocals, then the music gradually turns into bombastic with propulsive drum beats, sumptuous keyboard layers and delicate synthesizer flights, what a splendid 'grand finale'!

Let yourself carry away by this wonderful 'soundtrack-progrock', a big hand for RanestRane their daring debut!

Meanwhile RanestRane released three other highly acclaimed studio-albums, their latest is A Space Odyssey Part Two H.A.L. from 2015.

My rating: 3,5 star.