TERRAMARE

A prog-metal-psychedelic band from Rome. "Terramare" is their return after a ten years silence, and shows a really great performance: it's a strong and dark sound, guitar based but with a lot of keyboards too. Lyrics, in italian, is a fascinating journey into Eros and Love through ages and ancient italian poetry, with great male and female vocals. Best tracks, in my opinion: "Rosa", "Diana", "Umbrìa" and "Luminosa". Very good album for any prog lover!

Arpia don't seem to be a very prolific band... Their second album comes out more than ten years after the interesting "Liberazione" and in my opinion it's not at the same level. According to the band, there's a common source of inspiration for all the songs: the recurrent idea of Earth and Sea, "elements of physical force and sexuality, poles of a real and recognizable continuity, horizontal and pertaining both to a game of commonly accepted contrasts..."

Although there's a common thread, "Terramare" is an heterogeneous album where you can find excellent tracks and really weak ones... The lyrics of some pieces are just XIII Century Italian poems adapted by the band and dressed up in hard rock sounds: this operation could conceal a lack of creativity, however it works very well at least in two songs ("Rosa" and "Luminosa").

The highlights of this work in my opinion are the complex Umbrìa (a little dark gem, featuring a gothic atmosphere that reminds of some films of Dario Argento and of the music of Goblin... "Come to this caress of mine / It will be that which you haven't grazed / Come, feel in this kiss / All my silences...") and "Luminosa", (inspired by Guido Cavalcanti's poem "Luminosa apparizione di donna", featuring a peculiar and tasteful blending of rock, Piazzolla's tango and Italian folklore).

The album also features some good straightforward hard rock pieces like the opener "Bambina Regina", the cynical "Monsieur Verdoux" (inspired by a film directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1947 about the story of an unemployed banker who becomes a serial killer... "If a single crime never pays / With nine killed wives you are a hero / Monsieur Verdoux!") and "Libera" (lyrics from a Torquato Tasso's poem).

Not bad also are "Rosa" (featuring a good duet with male and female vocals), "Diana", the mysterious and unquiet "Mari" and "Piccolina", while the weak points in my opinion are "Metro", "Contrasto della villanella" and the final title track.

In the whole, a good "hard-dark-prog" album, although I don't think it's an essential one in a prog collection.

This one really threw me for a loop, I mean these guys should be in Neo-Prog as much as TOOL should. This is dark, heavy and at times atmospheric prog that would even fit under Post-Metal. There are Italian male vocals with some guest female vocals that are so impressive. Looking around the internet I was having trouble finding any reviews were as enthusiastic as I was until I found one on the Gnosis site.Thankyou !

"Bambina Regina" opens with gentle guitar followed by deep bass then a full sound kicks in with vocals. Kicking ass ! Fast paced riffs as he sings with passion. I like when it settles. Contrasts continue. Killer track ! "Rosa" opens with drums and this guitar that almost soars. Nice bass too. It calms down quickly as almost spoken vocals come in. Female vocals before a minute. Her name is Paola and she's amazing. This track is more laid back with the vocalists taking turns. A great instrumental sound 4 minutes in to end it. Love this track. "Diana" has a bombastic intro before vocals arrive a minute in with synths. This isn't as good as the first two songs. "Monsieur Verdoux" is a return to form with heavy riffs to open as vocals join in. A fairly aggressive and dark tune. Some backing female vocals then synths wash in after 2 minutes. Huge bass follows. Great tune ! "Mari" opens with synths and some atmosphere. Reserved vocals join in. They turn passionate 2 1/2 minutes in. Some nasty riffs before 4 minutes as vocals get emotional. Amazing sound 4 1/2 minutes in with ground shaking riffs and background synths. "Libera" is dark with restrained guitar and vocals. Heavy guitar before 1 1/2 minutes followed by fast paced vocals as the tempo picks up.

"Umbria" opens with keys and guitar sounds that fill the soundscape. Vocals a minute in. Great sound ! More deep bass lines. They're cooking again 3 minutes in. It's dark again with keys 4 minutes in. Bass and synths join in too. I really like this one. "Luminosa" sounds so beautiful to open with the laid back guitar and synths. Vocals before a minute as it starts to build. It calms down then hits the fan again after 3 minutes then settles back down to end it. "Metro" has a TOOL-like intro with the drums and fat bass lines as the guitar makes some noise over top. Vocals join in. Ripping guitar 3 minutes in. It gets pretty intense later. I love this stuff. "Contrasto Della Villanelia" is raw and heavy. Fast paced vocals come in. Check out the female vocals though ! This is where she shines as she just lets it rip vocally. Killer tune. "Piccolina" opens with high pitched sounds and synths as gentle guitar comes in then reserved vocals. It's building. Electric guitar before 3 1/2 minutes lights it up. Powerful song. "Terramare" just makes me laugh with those heavy guitar riffs and huge bass line as drums pound. Vocals come in spitting out the lyrics. It's a free for all ! Some atmosphere follows then the female vocals come in. Contrasts continue. An absolutely monster track !

4.5 stars from this Metal-head. A huge surprise.

Their first album "Liberazione" already showed some strong "prog" metal tendencies, but when I listen to the opening number from their follow-up album "Bambina Regiana" (released more than ten years later), it sounds as if the band has little to share with the Italian genre I have praised (ISP, I mean). OK, lyrics are in Italian. But don't look any further for a relation with the style which you might love.

This is not the first time that I have made the same comment since the "fusion" of all sorts of genres which are now grouped under the "RPI" umbrella instead of the "ISP" one. When I listen to "Monsieur Verdoux" I definitely feel that the move was not a favorable one. Metal lines like "Dream Theater". Yes, this is what you get here. Sung in Italian?

Here and there, some fine moments of Italian emotion like "Mari", but too scarce to imprint this work. But even this one is affected (or infected should I say) with metal lines at the end of the song. "Libera" is just a carbon copy I'm afraid: quite noisy and little prog. Not even talking about Italian prog?

Few are the moments of prog passion. Still, "Umbria" holds some of them (the first half). It is ruined thereafter with the same metal sounds. A (bad) habit by now. Some doom fragrance with "Contrasto Della Villanella" is just the track too much. Even if I quite liked the model (Sabbath of course), I can't feel the same enthusiasm here. The same applies to the title track and closing number.

In all, if you are looking to a heavy metal album sung in Italian, this might be a good option. I was not looking to this. Two stars for this lengthy album.