ATTO TERZO

I am a music fan from my teens, and active jazz and prog researcher and collector for last few decades as well. And I love Italy - usually spend some days or even weeks there every year (or at least-when possible). Then, you can imagine my surprise when not too long ago I discovered,that such thing as RPI exists! Speaking with my friends and music fans from all around Europe, I heard the same many times - no-one of them heard about Italian progressive rock at all!

So, I started to dig deeper and found , that RPI really exists, and even contains such a great band as Area! Plus many other artists. So - why I didn't notice them before (as many other music fans?).I think the reason is Italian progressive music is too different from what we expected to hear under that tag. For sure, I listened some Italian bands, where classically trained musicians played melodic, sometimes even baroque-based compositions in a more modern manner, sometimes even with rock arrangements, but I never ever thought this music could be named "progressive rock". Similar situation is with many Italian non-RPI proggers - their sound is too different from US/UK/W.European tradition. (Similar situation exists with many Eastern European or Japanese prog rock artists as well). So - if you want to understand them better, you just need to open your years and forget your stereotypes.

Delirio Sonoro isn't RPI band , but it's classic "Italian Eclectic Prog Band". Their third album contains songs, recorded during 2000 and 2007, and in fact is more collection of songs, than real studio album. Even band's line-up was changed few times during that period. So - we have here eclectic album of Italian Eclectic prog band?

Album's opener - "Avventura"- is keyboards-based energetic song with half -spoken vocals, combining some spacey sounds with repetitive rhythm constructions and melodically rounded tunes. "Flusso" has rich groovy bass line and vocals of the same kind as previous song. Keyboards there are a bit on the back for some second sound layer. And electric guitar solo as final accessories.

"E Se Domani" is more usual Italian modern pop-song with female guest vocalist Roberta Tomasino. Caribbean rhythm mixed with heavier keyboards explosions in a moments. "It's Braining Again" is beautiful instrumental with guest clarinettist Marco Guidi, nice symphonic fusion piece.

"Stando" starts from electric guitar sounds, and continues as classical Italian pop-rock song."Non Ti Aspettero" is a keys-led energetic pop-rock song once again."Be In The Mystery" is funky composition with guitar and keyboards interplays. and even some guitar solos.

"Lascio Andare Il Mio Riposo " combines great funky work of rhythm section with usual yet half-spoken vocals. There I can hear real Italian funky rapper Jovanotti influences!

"Un Altro Mare" is more classically influenced composition, with same vocals as above. And , at the end, "Darkest Hour" - without doubt catchiest album's composition, mixing Arabic/Oriental female vocals, groovy bass, and world music elements in some nu.fusion brew.(Wait for a minute and you will hear 11-th,secret track after).

So - what is my impression after few spins? Very eclectic album of "Italian Eclectic Prog" - melodic, soft, well rounded music, sometimes with excurses to prog zone, slightly psychedelic, often - on the border with pop. As RPI is an Italian face of symphonic prog, this Delirio Sonoro album is Italian face of Eclectic prog for me. Don't expect complex musicianship or heavy sound there, but if you like melodic keyboards-based pop-rock songs, with some doze of spacey/psychedelia, slightly jazzy arrangements and excurses to prog - just listen this album.