SONNAR

NODO GORDIANO is an Italian group active for at least 25 years. their proposal is a cross of various colors, from the complex sounds of the Cremisi prog, to the instrumental experimentation of GYBE and Djam Karet, some flash of German cosmicity, and of course some good Italian rock. "Only Fool! Only Poet!" (4/5) begins the album in a quite dark and mystical atmosphere, in a crescendo enhanced by the use of various keyboards and guitars, to continue dynamically with Natalya's voice which underlines the various rhythmic changes and humoral of the song, up to a rather unusual ending for an open track of a disc. "Limbic Rendez-vous" (5/5) is pure crimson jazz rock matrix, with references to seminal groups such as embryo, but more markedly rock. Andrea di Luca's bass here finds an absolutely spot-on arrangement, the instrumental is embellished with fantastic work by Filippo Brilli at Sax, but it is worth remembering the excellent work of Davide Guidoni (Daal, Taproban) on percussion, making dynamism and technique for the entire album. Guidoni himself signs the next "Charun" (3,5/5) (an Etruscan mythological creature) an experimental interlude to soothe souls; here the matrix is ​​totally changed by entering with both feet in experimental and tribal territories, so near to the various Art Zoyd and Univers Zero, but in fact it is only one break for the next piece de resistance: "After Dusk" (5/5) is the center of the work: a suite of over 20 minutes that collects, elaborates, refines 25 years of the group: a summary of the new course of the group divided into eight chapters: a) Promenade b) Debut c) Hey, Mr. Professor! d) Sgalambro's Ghost e) Pometine f) Pale Gallery g) Transhipment h) Nightdrive. here is everything you could want from a modern progressive track: NODO GORDIANO pushes the dynamics to the limit, alternating them in an excellent way and always organically, without any forcing, in a majestic composition that flies away, leaving the listener delighted by so much grace. One of the most beautiful songs of the last 5 years imho. "Vanth" (4/5) (again an Etruscan mythological creature !!!) a calmer atmosphere moves, regular, with a fresh and melancholy guitar, which in the middle of the piece remains alone, duet with another guitar as was his shadow, slightly reminiscent of the Fripp - Belew duets of the "Discipline" era. "Sonnar" (4/5) is the closing piece, the title track (accompanied by a wonderful video clip) a conclusion with a melancholy atmosphere initially, and then explodes masterfully, Andrea's guitars and bass draw dramatic rhythms, and emphasize never banal lyrics: "Places, faces, stories Are just two steps apart So the sun creates its mirror Freedom overcoming The inertia of the start What's beneath, it's always queerer Shine! invokes Natalya Suvorina in a convincing vocal rehearsal, while the song closes softly in the same way it began. "Sonnar" is a musical bomb, this fifth album is much better than 2014's "Nous", work with which I met the band; they wrote beautiful heterogeneous music, with a good dose of originality, leaving me in a state of ecstasy!