FINISTERRE XXV

For the 25th anniversary of their debut album, this band from Genova, Italy decided to re-record it with the current line-up. It's a pretty grand stretch of music with a lot of variety. Naturally, the approach and textures of PFM are an inspiration, and there are hints of Focus and the instrumental stretches of Caravan. The big chord mellotron thing happens every so often. The drums sometimes have a Carl Palmer-esque rhythmic flexibility. Although I've owned a couple of Finisterre CD's, I'm not familiar with the debut that this recreates. But if I hop over to Youtube and sample the old one there, first impression is that the newly recorded sound is more open, with more prominent drums and more polish to the performances. If I had immersed myself in the atmosphere of the original over time, would I consider this re-recording to be an upgrade? I guess I'll never know.