UT

In my childhood I used to think of New Trolls as the "Italian BeeGees", cheerfully invading the airplay with their "saccarine" based "Quella carezza della sera". It was a shock for me listening, one tuesday night on my favourite heavy metal radio broadcast (music on request on that day of the week), to "C'è troppa guerra" from UT. I thought "I must have that album" and when I got it I realized that New Trolls were much, much, much more than what I used to know... This album is one of their absolute highlights, and one of the most beautiful works in 1970s hard-prog rock. Its introduction with "Studio/XXIIa Strada" really kicks ass: Salvi's keyboards really stand comparison with Emerson, while the hard/jazzy tune which follows, even if short, is wonderfully structured, powerful and dynamic. I really like the hard rock pieces "I Cavalieri del Lago dell'Ontario" and, most of all, "C'è troppa guerra", with those very, very heavy riffs, dizzy guitar solos (you know, Di Palo, the man, was alto rated as one of the 10 best guitar players in the world by Melody Maker in those years...) and a stunning vocal performance... If Di Palo were English or American he would eclypse many other singers around... But I really dig also the other pieces, the atmospheric "Nata Adesso" (great guitar solo, even if a little boring), the nice "Storia di una Foglia" (good voice/guitar interplay, straight and dynamic) and "Paolo e Francesca", a song which I could fall in love with, beautiful tunes and Di Palo's guitar in an amazing attempt to overshadow Carlos Santana and imitate human voice. Well, it's time to leave these lines - and rush to my stereo to play this record...