H.E.X.

Nodo Gordiano's latest work will take no prisoners with 2 tracks both exactly 26 minutes long (how Swiss of you!), no silly pop music from this group, a trio of the most gifted musicians Rome has to offer. Andre de Luca is a slick multi-instrumentalist, providing monster bass lines, assorted keyboards and electric guitars with great skill and gusto. Drummer extraordinaire Davide Guidoni (also known as 'Bruford di Roma' (an internal joke) is considered as one, if not the champion of Italian percussionists, having a superb career already with numerous prog bands and a long list of recordings. Filippo Brilli handles the saxophones as a true student of the legendary Mel Collins. The spirit of King Crimson is firmly entrenched in their artistic vision, and we are the happy audience for it. Experimental prog is always a joyride when done at this level of commitment and creative juicing. Both tracks are fully developed, taking their sweet time to lay the foundation and build up the crescendo. Deliberate, mature, structured and self-confident.

"Heng" sets the general tone effectively, slowly but surely ramping up the frenzy with unabashed vision, until the maelstrom becomes outright explosive (around the 16-minute mark), with a plethora of short sax blasts to spice it up. Throughout Davide keeps the sounds and notes in line, effortlessly marshalling the beat. Howling synthesized winds serenely put this lavish piece to bed and a little suspended reflection as a "lights out".

"Kou" begins even more ominously, a crystalline flick of the wrist on the guitar, flowing over an eerie synth cloud, percussive raindrops of sound, building deliberately into a clearer definition of the road ahead, as the musical fog lifts. At the 9-minute mark, the mists have parted, and the furious saxophone enters the fray, like a crazed tornado, doom-laden and disturbing. Filippo does not content himself with a brief appearance, preferring to really blow like it's the end of the world. Ominous, dense, almost creepy, this is quite an achievement. Crimson fans will soil their pants out of pleasure, for sure! By the 15-minute mark, the storm has passed and the ozonated keyboard swells indicate the calm ahead. The mellotron choir outro is to die for, unsettling and otherworldly! Amazing track.

52 minutes of creative instrumental prowess, one of those recordings whereby each audition will divulge new sounds, new feelings, and new interpretations, thus never growing bland or taken for granted. A perfect soundtrack of our current times.

5 bewitching spells