NUOVA ERA

For many years this Italian prog formation was a very popular and often reviewed band, with ratings around 3,5 and 4 stars. Nowadays you hardly see a Nuova Era review, the latest is from April 2018, and 4 in the last 5 years. So I would like to re- introduce Nuova Era: four studio albums releases between 1998 and 1995, and after a second reunion Nuova Era released a new studio-album in 2016 entitled Return To The Castle. This compilation is from 2010 and contains recordings from 1987 until 2010, in different line-ups and with a wide range of guest musicians.

The CD begins with 3 compositions from the Dante's Inferno trilogy, this is great fun for the ELP, Ars Nova and Gerard fans: sumptuous keyboards (including a church organ sound), swinging piano runs, soaring Mellotron waves, flashy synthesizer flights and powerful Hammond organ, wow! But I am not pleased with the screamy saxophone in the final part of Inferno. Then again Vintage Keyboard Heaven, especially the contrast between de subdued piano and Mellotron with the bombastic Hammond and synthesizer is exciting, like in the conclusion of Paradiso. Next new versions of the titletracks from Dopo L'Infinito (wonderful romantic undertone and final part with keyboards), Io E Il Tempo (more dynamic than the original version but also sounding a bit more clinical) and L'Ultimo Viaggio (varied keyboard sounds, from violin to accordion).

Unfortunately the pleasant keyboard driven mood is disturbed by the final 3 live tracks, pretty poor recorded. I love the raw guitar and wah wah solo in Cattivi Pensieri and the psychedelic sounding organ like early Pink Floyd in La Tua Morte Parla. But the final track Epilogo is really bad, and also last 10 minutes, this is an awful musical experience.

I wish Nuova Era had decided to say goodbey on this compilation with a song that does honour to their wonderful keyboard driven prog sound, topped with beautiful, very warm Italian vocals (although Nuova Era delivers a lot of instrumental parts in their music). And this compilation is a good one to discover more of one of the finest 24-carat symphonic rock bands in Italian prog.

My rating: 3,5 star.