SONO IO IL SIGNORE DELLE TERRE A NORD

It strikes me that any useful evaluation of a Progressive Rock album ? an assessment of its worth ?always ultimately addresses, at some level, the issue of authenticity. To evaluate an album only according to criteria of personal preference or taste surely amounts to little more than a supreme act of arrogance. How can critics condemn or elevate an album if the grounds upon which they proceed are purely subjective? How often have we read a highly positive review of an album that we also enjoy and then, believing that this critic must share our own taste, acquire another album upon his or her recommendation only to experience much disappointment when it fails to meet our expectations? Surely a more objective footing is necessary, therefore, if we are to trust any evaluation. Perhaps this is one reason why some notion of authenticity, with all its connotations of 'faithfulness to an original' or the 'personal integrity of the musicians' has become so central to debates regarding Progressive Rock. In this respect I can safely declare that 'Sono Lol Il Signore Delle Terre a Nord' by the Italian Group Il Castello di Atlante is an album with impeccable Progressive Rock credentials. From its series of lengthy and relatively complex tracks which often employ both conventional and non-conventional 'Rock' instruments (Violin, Classical Guitar, etc.) to better achieve a loud-soft musical dynamic, to its obviously non-commercial aesthetic (the band's name, alone, is unlikely to attract any pop-media mogul) this is a thorough piece of Progressive Rock according to any criteria. But is it any good? Well, the musicianship is reasonably impressive without ever achieving any degree of virtuosity. The violin playing, however, is a little unconvincing and seems to often and unnecessarily replace the role of an evidently competent lead guitarist, and the band, without extravagance or flamboyancy, offers some pleasant and cleverly wrought compositions. The mellifluous vocal style of the singer is particularly impressive and is given more charm by the lyrics sung in Italian which, even if they are meaningless to anyone not fluent in the language, at least sound suitably poetic ? I presume, anyway, that they are of more depth than the 'OK Barbie Let's Go Party' style of Pop lyricisation. But such comments, I suppose, only reflect my personal taste. So, if Progressive Rock is to your liking ? and I assume, if you are reading this review, that it is, you might well enjoy this album. But, then again, you might not.