IL GIOCO DEL SILENZIO

Italian band Nichelodeon's debut Studio album Il Gioco Del Silenzio straddles the line between Avant-Prog (a genre I'm quite familiar with ) and RPI (one I'm not so familiar with). The band's sound is highly atmospheric and rich. The overall feel of the album is akin to that of a soundtrack for theater or an opera. One can easily visualize actors frolicking to and fro on stage to this strange and unusual music. The focal point of the music is obviously Claudio Milano's vocals, which range from a smooth, silky texture to a raspy type of growl, that seem to tell a story to the listener. There is also excellent sax work throughout the album, which is probably the highlight for me. And though the album as a whole can meander at times there are a plethora of guest musicians that prevent the album from ever getting dull or boring. This is really dramatic music that draws you in and is an excellent debut for this promising Italian band. Many thanks to Claudio Milano for sending me the CD + DVD. I can't wait to hear more from this exciting new band.