ALPHATAURUS

What a discovery this unique self titled album by Alphataurus. Well produced, well played and sung and, most of all, very well composed, "Alphataurus" is one of those hidden jems which never saw the light of fame but, with the passing years, have gained a "cult" status for their high-quality profile. This album can display a wide variety of styles and mood, blending them in a coherent and amazing result. "Peccato d'orgoglio" is a clear instance: a beautiful melody for the sung parts (reminding me of the Trip's "Atlantide"), then a series of instrumental passages, with sudden rhythm and melodic shifts. The technique is amazing, each member displaying fancy and good taste (I find the sound of the hammond organ incredible here), never prevailing on each other and alternating atmospheric moments to heavy-prog. Vocals are really powerful and impressive, but they came to the forefront in the following track, "Dopo l'uragano", where heavy blues rock (think about Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused") and progressive à-la Van Der Graaf Generator mix and generate a beautiful song. The core of this work is, nevertheless, represented by the two following tracks. "Croma" is one of the best instrumental pieces I know; it can be compared to VDGG's "Theme One" and Banco's "Traccia 2", yet it is (IMO) far more intense: at the beginning the band plays as if it were a clockwork device, lead by a harpiscord, then the music seems to open up as an epic, with solemn keyboard layers and minimoog solos. "La mente vola" has been defined (not by me!) as the equivalent to "Starway to Heaven" in Italian prog rock. Its three-minute harpiscord driven introduction is incredible, standing out as the missing link between Emerson Lake and Palmer and Brian Eno; then the song evolves into a slower, but energetic, piece, with good vocal harmonies and a stunning vibraphone solo. "Ombra muta", another 9-minute piece, is still a good and powerful track, but I find it the least interesting in this work. Nevertheless, a very good song! Buy this album, if you can find it, and you'll not repent.