A SEVEN DAYS LONG WAIT

A group from Rome with a Ray Bradbury-inspired band name. According to the band this concept album recounts "a journey of purification necessary to be reborn to new life." It starts out sounding like neo-prog, but as it goes on, it settles into a stretch of heavy prog with memorable, dark riffs, lots of organ and impassioned Italian-accent vocals in English. Best songs are the title track, which develops from smoldering to intensity, and "Tears," which uses the "Black Sabbath" tritone riff. Effective if derivative and there's great personality to the keyboard sounds. Also noteworthy is "A Narrow Passage," a triple-time pile-driver of a song.