CONFORTATE GLI ABBATTUTI LIVE

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to hear a great deal of music from Russia, who have some incredible progressive rock bands, and one of my favourites is definitely Roz Vitalis. Apart from the closing track, "Peace", which was recorded the year previously, this album was recorded in St. Petersburg on 27th February 2021. The line-up was Ruslan Kirillov (bass), Vladislav Korotkikh (flute), Ivan Rozmainsky (electric piano & synth), Vladimir Semenov-Tyan- Shansky (electric guitar, guitar synth) and Evgeny Trefilov (drums). One of the real joys of this instrumental band is the way they mix and blend the instrumentation, with everyone being given the chance to shine. The drums are quite low in the mix, but the picked bass (which provides a very hard strike) is very high, providing a counter melody for the other instruments to play against. The three melodic leads support each other, so while it may be guitar here, flute there, or keyboards, they all interweave to create music which has such complexity that it feels like modern classical.

Ivan utilises many different sounds, while it is not unusual for Vladislav to step away from proceedings, and this combines to ensure there is always plenty of space within the music. There is no feeling of compression or strain, rather that the musicians are allowing themselves and each other the room to fully express themselves. The music is incredibly melodic, yet complex as they allow themselves to bring in jazz and classical idioms while always progressing and challenging themselves while always taking the listener along for the journey. They have released a series of wonderful live albums over the years, and this is yet another which deserves recognition far outside their native city and country. If you already know the band then this is something you will enjoy, but for newcomers this is a wonderful introduction and a great way to discover one of the best bands to come out of Russia. Superb.