TRANSIBERIANA

In Italy beauty counts more than provocation, sharpness, showing off virtuosity, and maybe even innovation. Although the Transsibirian railway, a journey by which is the theme of this concept album, isn't exactly in Italy, after a hiatus of 25 years and for the first time without singer Francesco di Giacomo, who passed away in 2014, Banco have produced a truly Italian album. Transiberiana certainly isn't going to revolutionise music, however it is mainstream progressive rock as it should be. Beautiful, complex, and competent (with most emphasis on beauty), showing supreme musicality and compositional skill. The album has stunning highlights (La discesa del treno is the perfect music for the beginning of an exciting train journey; Scampo di fragole is magically beautiful), but what really makes it worthwhile is the variety. Banco put together trademark elements of their at times melodramatic style with diverse influences from mainstream rock, jazz, classical music, a pinch of more aggressive and darker RIO-like prog and traditional Italian songwriting. Lasciando alle spalle and Il grande bianco, though not electronic music, even show some affinity to the melodic material and approach of Tangerine Dream and Edgar Froese in the mid-seventies. That Banco are able to pull all this off in such a relaxed and organic manner is no small feat. New singer Tony d'Alessio is maybe not going to be my favourite singer and not quite di Giacomo, but he fits the music very well and has the variety of skills in his voice to make it work.

Overall a very rewarding album and one that convinces me pretty much as strongly as their legendary work from the seventies. Even if this is not quite as innovative in 2019, it still sounds fresh and not like a thing of the past.

I have the version that has two added live bonus tracks. These are very well recorded, however together with them the album has 69 minutes and feels maybe a quarter of an hour too long (I'm not necessarily saying that overlength only comes from the bonus tracks; still I shouldn't complain that the band has given me more music than what was 100% up to their top standard). I had concert tickets for a Banco show in 2020 that was cancelled due to Covid-19. It would have been my first experience of them live. I'm gutted that this didn't take place and will surely take the next chance to see a band that still seems on top of its powers. 4.0 stars.