SENZA TEMPO

UBI MAIOR's Senza Tempo is their second album. I got this CD after I hear first one Nostos many times. This second album is more fresh than first one I think. And while hearing the album, I was quite a good feeling of this CD, and it has a very good moments! I would like to give 4 stars on this second album that first album Nostos of course is same rating I would like to give. If you have generous mind of Italian Prog , this album is quite good . Just get it and listen, you like it and notice a different feeling than Nostos. thank you.

I got this album through a friend who was praising this band in a brazilian prog forum. The first notes from Senza Tempo had the effect of thinking this was one obscure outfit from the 70´s. I was quite impressed to know they were in fact such a contemporary italian band. Certainly they did absorb very well the right influences (other italian great ones from that era like Banco, PFM, etc plus some british counterparts, of which early Genesis is the most obvious one), and while they retain some every strong old styled symphonic sounds, I found they also incorporated more modern elements, even some metallic riffings here and there.

I believe this is a concept album, but I´m not really sure of it. All I can say the music is very good . The musicians are very skilled . Mario Moi has a strong voice that is fairly unique and overall their sound is less melodic and edgier than most bands I heard from Italy. Production and mixing are excellent.

All in all I felt this band to be quite promising. I´m looking forward to hear their next releases. If you like italian symphonic rock mixed with some alternative and metal bits to spice it up, then Senxa Tempo is for you. 3,5 stars.

Following the release of ''Nostos'' Ubi Maior eventually entered a fruitful period with numerous live shows in festivals, mainly in their homecountry, while they also covered ''Veteran cosmic rocker'' for the 2006 Moody Blues' tribute album ''Higher and higher'', released on Mellow Records.Once the concept of their next album was captured, the band begun rehearsing.Their new work was thematically based on Neil Gaiman's graphic novel ''Sandman'' and Ubi Maior recorded the album at the Pop Life Studio in Milano.May 2009 sees finally the release of ''Senza tempo''.

The sound of the band remained energetic, passionate and melodic with heavier underlines between their most typical symphonic glory, displayed with a balanced instrumentation and plenty of mood changes.Still they seem to be heavily influenced by the classic Italian acts such as BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO and BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERNO, combining Classical influences with harder moments and lyrical intensity.Very bombastic and pompous material with shifting keyboard textures, starting from orchestral keyboards and old-fashioned organ and ending up in flashy, modern synth deliveries and atmospheric piano interludes, while the guitar work is often great with impressive solos and inspired lead parts.There are also some surprising jazzy overtones in a few tracks, what the album lacks is some of the striking compositions of their debut.Otherwise ''Senza tempo'' is a very good album in a typical Italian Prog vein with a hard edge and dramatic, symphonic influences.The band never forgets to add some fine melodic lines between the bombastic executions and the result is charming, adventuruous and often intricate, even if not exactly on par with their amazing debut.

Solid second effort by Ubi Maior.Essential or fans of dramatic Italian Prog and rich Symphonic/Heavy Prog.Recommended.

In 2005 Italian formation Ubi Maior pleasantly surprised the progheads with their debut CD entitled Nostos, firmly rooted in the Classic Prog tradition and layered with vintage keyboards, especially the Mellotron sound is awesome. In those days Ubi Maior also performed on a Biglietto Per L'Inferno tribute concert (along legendary bands like Le Orme, Banco and Area), they made a huge impression and a lot of fans! Four years later Ubi Maior released their eagerly awaited successor named Senza Tempo. Was it worth waiting that long? Yes, it was!

Listening to Senza Tempo I conclude that the band has matured during the years between their two albums, the 10 compositions sound more balanced and structured than on Nostos. Singer Mario Moi (he also plays electric violin) has an important role with his unique vocals: a bit raw and very passionate and in songs like Disperazione, Delirio and Destino he colours the music in a very special way with strong theatrical undertones. To me it sounds as a perfect match with Ubi Maior's often dark, compelling and heavy bombastic progrock. At other moments he very sounds warm, almost tender. Like in the mellow mid-section of Sogno (in combination with beautiful violin- Mellotron waves), the intro of Desiderio (wonderful duet with sparkling Grand piano) and especially in the first part of Distruzione (subtle blend of warm vocals, Fender Rhodes-like piano and soaring keyboards).

But I am mostly impressed how Ubi Maior succeeds to build up the tension in many songs, especially in the long compositions Delirio (delivering moving guitar work and swirling Hammond organ) and the exciting, very varied Destino (fantastic 'grand finale' with strong hints of Pallas due to the compelling choir-Melllotron sound and the fiery guitar runs). Other strong examples are:

Sogno : from heavy and compelling with a dark climate in the vein of Il Balletto Di Bronzo to sultry with soaring viloin-Mellotron, and from a slow rhythm with howling guitar and inspired vocals to gradually bombastic with propulsive guitar riffs and violin-Mellotron waves,

Desiderio : from a beautiful Grand piano intro with warm vocals to bombastic eruptions with fiery guitar and majestic choir-Mellotron eruptions

and the sultry Distruzione : from dreamy with hypnotizing Fender electric piano to romantic with dreamy vocals and melancholical electric violin.

The short Morte sounds as a PFM inspired 'classic meets rock' song featuring lots of Moog and Hammond along folky acoustic rhythm guitar. And the final track Morte Parte IV is a good example how Ubi Maior has found the balance on Senza Tempo: after the long and alternating composition Destino, the band ends the album with the dreamy sounding Morte Part IV featuring warm acoustic guitar and electric violin and pleasant vocals.

We had to wait four years for this second Ubi Maior CD, but in the end it was really worth to wait that long, highly recommended. And we even had to wait six years for the successor entitled Incanti Bio Meccanici, released in 2015, I am not (yet) familiar with their third effort.

This was my final review in this 2008-2014 Italian prog serie, to compile and publish it was great fun. Because it evoked cascades of pleasant memories: all those neverending, beer and wine drenched prog nights, attended by an increasing amount of Dutch progheads, listening to the brandnew Pandora, Narrow Pass and Il Bacio Della Medusa, 'la dolce vita', ciao.