TRIMEGISTO

Runaway Totem started their trip in 1988 from the town of Riva del Garda in North Italy with Roberto Gottardi and Renè Modena ( both on guitar/keys) and the starting line-up included also Giorgio Golin on drums and Giuseppe Buttiglione on bass.All band members had pseudonyms and stated the band would pass from a specific phase to another as time goes by.The starting one was Analisi,when the band started performing live,the second being Sintesi,begun in 1991,with Modena leaving for Men of Lake,replaced by Roby Santorum on sax/flutes and Sergio Amadori on keys along with Giorgio Revelant and Ana Tores Fraile on voices.The band's first release ''Trimegisto'' from 1992 was released by Black Widow both on CD and vinyl versions.

The musicianship on ''Trimegisto'' is rather strange,heavily based on dissonant parts, sound effects and distorted vocals,but falling generally into Heavy Prog with sudden breaks and with some very dark atmospheres throughout.What is to be noticed is that the bass is really upfront here,leading sometimes the music,while guitars are heavy but often distorted as well.The keyboard work is varied: Sounds from synthesizers,organ waves and obscure electronics pop up during this weird musical trip,used in a way to create some very dramatic climates.Vocals,both male and female,have a haunting almost operatic feeling,making them a good addition to the concept of the band.However not all tracks are equally interesting,with the band often using a boring steady groove under sound effects,while the atonal parts are not my cup of tea either.

Trully uncomparable,Runaway Totem's debut is certainly a personal approach to prog music with some haunting mood around and impressive yet not always conveincing compositions.You should give them a try,a recommended musical weirdness.