SONO IO IL SIGNORE DELLE TERRE A NORD

Il Castello di Atlante were formed in Vercelli in the mid seventies but it wasn't until 1992 that they had the chance to release their first album, "Sono io il Signore delle Terre a Nord" (I'm the Lord of the Northern Lands), thanks to the independent label Vinyl Magic. The line up here features Dino Fiore (bass), Aldo Bergamini (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Paolo Ferrarotti (drums, vocals), Roberto giordano (piano, keyboards, vocals) and Massimo Di Lauro (violin, keyboards) and the overall sound is surprisingly fresh and up to date. Il Castello di Atlante were influenced, of course, by British and Italian prog bands like Genesis, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso but they managed to shape an original sound and their song-writing is quite good. The result is an amazing debut album full of passion and dreams.

The opener "Tirando le somme" (Drawing the conclusions) is a reflexive track about the meaning of happiness. A steady marching beat and keyboard waves set the atmosphere and a question rises... Who is greater, a powerful king coming back from a victorious battle or a happy gnome? Well, when you have the death inside you, you can't be happy, even if you are the greatest of the kings... "Is it really so sad to be as tall as the stem of a flower?...".

The long and complex "La foresta dietro il mulino di Johan" (The forest behind Johan's mill" begins softly with acoustic guitar and violin, then a piano pattern leads to a darker mood. The piece is about the fear of an impending obscure destiny knocking on your door. You can shout loud your questions about your fate into the wind but only the spirit of the old forest can hear you... and it laughs! Fear spreads its tentacles in you and you can't do nothing but close your eyes and delay for a short time the upcoming reality while the weight of silence becomes overwhelming... "Future will be knocking at your door anyhow / Future will be knocking at your door anyway!"

"Il saggio" (The wise man) is a delicate and melancholic ballad about time passing by. Listen to the sound of the pouring rain, it's the same sound you could listen to in your childhood, it's the same sound you could listen to when you grown up... "Now I listen to the sound of the rain falling in my solitary hermitage / My hair is white and I'm indifferent to everything around me / And on the doorsteps the rain is still falling, drop after drop, until my new morning...".

"Semplice ma non troppo" (Simple but not too much) is a nice and lively instrumental piece full of energy where the musicians express all their joy of playing together.

"Il pozzo" (The well) is a beautiful acoustic track with a strange medieval taste that could remind of some Angelo Branduardi's works. Lyrics describe a strange journey. Like in Lewis Carroll's novel "Alice in Wonderland", the protagonist of the song explores a magic world that lies behind the images mirrored by the water down in a well... "Master Spider leads the way / The imagine mirrored at the bottom of the well is reality...".

"Non c'è tempo" (There's no time) is e melancholic piece featuring good harmony vocals and some nervous passages. Sometimes everyday life is full of compromises and hard to endure... "The wet asphalt reflects the colours of the morning / I listen to the sound of my steps echoing in the street... There's no time to think, there's no time to talk / There's no time to dream, there's no time to be happy / There's no time to love...".

"Estate" (Summertime) starts softly with a piano solo intro. Here music every now and again could remind of Procol Harum, the atmosphere is pastoral and lyrics describe a hot summer day in the country... "On the horizon shines that coloured bow / It's like the touch of a painter on this new summer...".

"Il vessillo del drago" (The dragon's banner) is a perfect finale for this excellent album. Medieval influences are blended with powerful rock passages and evocative images... "I'm the Lord of the Northern Lands / Under my banner you will fight...".

A must for every Italianprog lover!