DRAMMA DI UN POETA UBRIACO

Pandora is an Italian prog band from Piemonte that was formed in 2005 on Beppe and Claudio Colombo initiative, father and son... Beppe Colombo during the seventies was a music fan and a musician who never had the chance to record an album, but his passion for music has always been hanging on and he could transmit it to his son Claudio. So, along with keyboardist Corrado Grappeggia they started an interesting musical project blending influences from the past (PFM, BMS etc.) with a more "heavy" and modern taste (Dream Theater): a kind of bridge across the generation gap. The present line up features Beppe Colombo (synth, organ, backing vocals), Claudio Colombo (drums, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar, synth), Corrado Grappeggia (vocals, synth, organ, piano) and young guitarist Christian Dimasi (electric guitar, backing vocals). Pandora's debut album, "Dramma di un poeta ubriaco" was released by AMS/BTF label in 2008 and the result is excellent.

The opener "Il giudizio universale" (The Last Judgement), aggressive and desperate, is an imaginary dialog with God on the Day of Judgement... "Here we are before you! / We are the exiles, breed of Eve and Abraham / And we're waiting for the apocalyptic and universal Judgement / Everybody is guilty / We turn down the head and accept the fate / But you, try to explain this fate / To the innocent children, tired and hungry... Wondering souls hanging into the limb of time / There's no one anymore / No one who has got any tears to cry / Anguish rules... Silence rules... / Behold what you have done!".

The next track, "March to Hell" is beautiful instrumental. According to an interview with the band it was written 13 years ago and it was inspired by the war in Kosovo. The band imagined all the mighty ones of the earth marching naked towards hell on a powerful and fiery "marching beat"... So, close your eyes and try to imagine the scene while listening to this track...

"Così come sei" (The way you are) comes like the calm after the storm, acoustic and delicate... "You are as you are / You can't help it, that's the way you are / You want to come down / When suddenly you go up, up, up / Your arms broaden and become wings / You go up, up, up...". Then the rhythm goes up in wonderful crescendo featuring sudden changes of musical direction, taking off and landing again on a softer atmosphere...

The long "Pandora" is probably "le plat de resistance" of this album... A gloomy voice describes the opening of Pandora's box: only a little and pretty blue bird remains to give comfort to the humankind while the evil is spreading all around... Then the music flows in every direction and the members of band can showcase their great musicianship and their taste for challenging compositions...

The acoustic ballad "Breve storia di San George" (Short tale of Saint George) is about the myth of Saint George and the dragon, where the "hero" kills the monster with his spear and save a princess. You can find here almost a medieval atmosphere...

The title track "Dramma di un poeta ubriaco" (Tragedy of a drunken poet) is about a poet that rely on alcohol to find inspiration and dreams to get his bottles on fire to break free from his addiction... The music alternates frantic passages, delicate piano arpeggios and soaring melodies featuring a peculiar bittersweet mood.

The complex and long "Salto nel buio" (Jump in the dark) closes the album. The track is dramatic and almost mystic... It's divided in four parts: reflection, jump, fall and awareness. The mood is dark and lyrics develop some reflections about death.

Excellent album, beautiful package and booklet... A must for every Italianprog lover!