MELAPESANTE

Italian band SYNDONE is the project and creative vehicle of composer and keyboardist Nik Comoglio. Formed in 1990 and disbanded three years later, following the production and release of the albums "Spleen" in 1992 and "Inca" in 1993. 17 years later Syndone is once more a going concern, and the first chapter in this band's second lease of life arrived late in 2010 in the shape of the CD "Melapesante", issued on Electromantic Records.

While not quite meriting a pure perfection grade from me, Syndone's comeback album is an inventive, high quality production through and through, of the kind that should warm the hearts and souls of even the most jaded symphonic art rock fans. In particular those who generally enjoy typical Italian lead vocals and the extensive use of traditional classical symphonic instruments. A strong production and one likely to be regarded as among the best albums of the genre released in 2010.

Syndone return with the third album. Everyone thought this band was a goner after their Inca album. Well, wrong.

The return shows up what Nico Comoglio, the man behind Syndone, has been up to since the last album. The basis is still faintly RPI, but Melapesante is a lot more than RPI. The first impression is that Nico must have heard a lot on Radiohead albums. Some of Riccardo Ruggeri vocals is really Thom Yorke'ish. So is some of the music too. But there is a lot more to it than that. Some old style pop and folk hall singalong pop music is also very present here. So is blues, jazz and rock. RPI in the vein of Angelo Branduardi is present here. So is The Nice. In short; this album has a lot of very different voices.

Melapesante is also bordering to be a fractured album which is perhaps too ambitious. It is based on Nico's tangents and Riccardo Ruggeri's vocals. There is no electric guitars on this album and that is a rare event, a RPI album without electric guitars. Which gives this album both a very contemporary and almost a 1930s jazz soundscape.

The quality is good throughout. The title track is very good. My gripes is the lack of some really great songs. I appreciate the music here and find is good. But it does not enthuse me. This is an album I wanted to rate highly, but I can't. I would still recommend it though to the many RPI fans here in ProgArchives. Melapesante brings something different to the RPI smorgasboard than the usual fare. That's for sure.

3 stars

To my great surprise I discovered only recently that Syndone is far from gone when I clicked on an old link I had bookmarked, and I was confronted with the new album Melapesante of Syndone.

Other than the last song, the 4-hand boogie, which is more like a small desert after dinner, the album is far from fragmented. It's a diverse, multi-faceted and inspired musical portrait, and the addition of various other instruments did not detract from the music, but they were a very worthwhile addition.

The danger with bands making come-backs is that they end up all too often in the role of trying to 'bring back' the past, becoming parodies of themselves in the process, offering nothing new, but instead rehearsing yesterday's music in a different, yet uninspired jacket. I am glad that Syndone does not fit into this mold in any way, shape or form. The music sounds fresh and inspired, coming from straight from the heart, and I sincerely hope that Nik Comoglio and the other band members will continue to follow their inspiration without compromise, and without succumbing to pressure to sound like 'the old Syndone', trying to relive the past, something which can never happen and which is the deathblow to any artist and/or band.

The fact that I enjoyed the music on this album does not mean that this is a perfect album. The song 'Dentro l'inconscio' for example sounds a bit insepid to my ears, but fortunately this song is an exception to the rest of the album.

I decided to give the album 5 stars. Not because it is perfect, but since there is no option for 4.5 stars, and Syndone makes such a positive difference with their music, I decided to give it 5 stars. I can recommend this album who enjoys original, inspired, fresh and worthwhile music, and I can't wait to hear what Syndone will come up with next.

The Italian prog formation Syndone made two albums in the Nineties, Spleen from 1992 and one year later Inca, fuelled by multi-instrumentalist Nico Comoglio. He studied on a very high level science and architecture, got private lessons in piano and composition and decided to go his own way in modern music. After Syndone he played blues, did soundtracks and commercials for television and wrote compositions for classical musicians. And then, in 2010, Nico Comoglio released a third Syndone album entitled Melapesante, as the only original band member. During my first listening session I quickly conclude that Syndone has mastured, the music sounds way more captivating and dynamic than the previous Nineties efforts. And I like the passionate Italian vocals by Riccardo Ruggeri.

The first composition Melancholia D'Ophelia delivers a swinging rhythm and an impressive Emersonian Hammond sound, along spectacular slightly distorted synthesizer soli. In the more dreamy parts the Hammond organ evoked Procol Harum, wonderful.

Then the titletrack featuring beautiful work on keyboards and a swirling violin solo, JL Ponty comes to my mind.

In the other tracks Syndone showcases a pleasant and varied instrumentation, from flute, classical guitar and vibraphone to a brass section and a hobo. And the one moment it is 24-carat symphonic rock with vintage keyboards (Hammond and Moog), the other moment a piano is blended with avant-garde.

My highlight is the epic Magritte (17 minutes) that alternates between mellow and bombastic, Classic Prog, ELP reigns.

Another strong composition is the final track 4 Hans Piano Boogieprog featuring virtuosic Emersonian piano runs.

After this strong comeback Syndone released four other praised albums, between 2012 and 2018.

Interesting new Italian prog bands:

Andrea Orlando - Dalla Vita Autentica

O.A.K. - Giordano Bruno

Una Stagione AlL Inferno - Il Mostro Di Firenze