TUTTO A MEMORIA

Formed in Florence, 2008, Italian band Seldon take their name from Hari Seldon, a character that appeared in American author Isaac Asimov's `Foundation' series. The band released their debut album `Tutto A Memoria' (All in Memory) in 2013, and it presents a frequently tough rock sound thanks to modern harder guitar, with traditional RPI qualities to be found in the charismatic ravishing vocals and plenty of colourful vintage keyboard flavours. It's a confident first impression, where melodic song-writing is given equal importance to instrumental flair.

Opener `Alla Mia Età ' is a catchy tune wrapped in a gutsy rock backing with keyboard player and singer Marco Baroncini's lively vocal rolling over a sprinkling of electric piano, grim mellotron washes and Francesco Bottai's driving electric guitars. Heavy guitar blasts with subtle dirty grooves and sneaky Hammond bursts ripple through `Schiavi', `Senza Una Ragione' is a more mellow and romantic break where the glistening electric piano hints of the Canterbury Sound bands, bluesy slinking guitars with a sprightly vocal skip through `Nottambuli' and mud-thick organ and grinding heavy guitar pounds down on `Secoli'.

`Vedo Lo Spazio' is a melancholic and reflective piano ballad that makes for a nice break from the bluster and noise of the previous piece, the title track `Tutto A Memoria' is playfully creeping with Marco's sinister lip-smacking vocal malevolence, and `Dare/Avere' is a fun and upbeat Hammond organ sprinkled foot-tapping lightly funky groover. Darker mystery returns with growing tension on `E Guerra Sia', where eerie electric piano, Carlo Bonamico's slithering bass, Cristiano Bottai's busy incessant drumming and a purring crooned vocal behind gothic symphonic synths and strangled heavy guitar make it the most ambitious piece of the album that really shows what the band can do. Sophisticated closer `Come Aver Pietà' opens with uplifting piano before the whole band rises to the occasion and delivers a stirring instrumental ending.

Although not overloaded with traditional RPI qualities, Seldon are comparable to other modern Italian bands that take small aspects of that style and apply it to a tougher modern sound like Civico 23 and Le Porte non Aperte. But there's no shortage of talent on display from this skilled group of musicians, and hopefully this is just the beginning of recorded output from them. There's so much potential emerging on this album that the group will hopefully only keep building on, and `Tutto A Memoria' is recommended for listeners who respond to and appreciate well-crafted song-based progressive rock.

Three and a half stars, rounded up to four as encouragement for great things to come from a promising Italian band!