OGNI PENSIERO VOLA

The first album from this Italian trio recreates '70s music with modern sound. There's no experimentation or innovation in "Ogni Pensiero Vola", but listener can enjoy beautiful music during almost 43 minutes. Essentialy instrumental, TAPROBAN seems to be influenced by the greatest seventies British bands and -of course- by the best Italian symphonic rock, specially LE ORME.

Music changes from quiet and atmospherical to bombastic, including beautiful medieval and pastoral soundscapes and typical symphonic riffs. Excellent keyboards and guitars and very good percussion basis. The only weak moment is "La Casa Pendente" -four noisy minutes out of place-, but the rest is 100 % enjoyable, standing out the long and wonderful piece "L'Orco" and "Pegaso Il Cavallo Alato".

If you forget the above mentioned weak track, it could be a perfect album, full of colours and delicated melodies in the best Italian tradition. Highly recommended.

MUSEA (quite unusual for them BTW to release an Italian band) describes TAPROBAN as 70's progressive rock dominated by keyboards in the vein of ELP, GENESIS and PFM, featuring as well arpeggian guitar and a RUSH- style rhythm section. And that description fits quite well I've to say. The music of this Italian threesome is deeply rooted in the sound of the golden years of prog and much in the tradition of famous trios like LE ORME for example.

The concept behind this debut album is about a parc with sculptures of mythological characters designed by Pierfrancesco Vicino Orsini in sixteenth century which became known later on only under the name "Parco dei monstri". Their main approach on here is to transcend the frightening impressions of classic mythology into the music and therefore it's not surprising that the overall sound is rather dark and somber. Nevertheless there are some thoughtful and positive moments as well like on Tracks 4 and 8 with nice acoustic guitar. Especially due to Gianluca De Rossi's vocals in their native language they provide a feeling which is much closer to the 70's Italian Prog scene than to its British counterpart. That's actually why I prefer their debut to the much too spacey (according to my taste) follow-up. The band is presenting a very strong musicianship throughout, only I've to criticize the slight lack of ideas revealing at times in too many repeatings as in the long track "L'orco". As my co-reviewer mentioned as well, the only disturbing track is "La casa pendente" consisting merely of strange synths sounds and ridiculous "Micky Mouse"- alike sounding voices which supposed to represent some demons most probably. This track can easily be skipped without missing anything. Not only this point but rather the lack of originality and innovation is keeping me off to rate this record higher than with 3 stars, maybe adding an extra half one for the excellent musicianship. Nevertheless a very good album and certainly worth to be checked out by any retro prog fan who doesn't mind lots of keyboards, but I'd hesitate to call it an essential one.

Frightening cover for this debut album of "Taproban". A modern Italian band.

Strangely enough, while several bands are featured in the Italian symphonic genre while they should better sit in the neo or even jazz-rock one, I have the impression that it is the reverse situation with "Taproban".

Most of the music available on this album is deeply influenced by the sumptuous Italian symphonic music than some of us like so much (and I am one of them). During the complex "L' Enigma" and its Cinema Show oriented rhythmic and keyboards for instance or in the short La Tartaruga....

Songs are on the short edge (except one) and leaves little space for development. Nevertheless, "Pegaso." is one of my fave. It holds a splendid melody (it is one of the rare track with vocals) and rocks alright. Synth work is also particularly well achieved. But I could have had another slice of it though.

One of the most chaotic "song" from this album is without any doubt "La Casa Pendiente". If it were not by some "vocals" it would fully remind me of "The Waiting Room" on "The Lamb". Same structure and same opacity. You can easily skip that one.

If there is a track which notably emulates "ELP" on this work , "Il Signore Del Bosco" will be the one. Not deeply passionate but close enough to remind us the shadow of Keith Emerson. And the good work goes on with the pastoral and subtle "La Ninfa Dormiente". Sure that this song will bring her rest and tranquillity (the sleeping nymph is the title.). A warm and fully symphonic little piece.

A good introduction to the pièce de résistance. The epic of this album : "L' Orco". A complex and intriguing song which combines nice interplay between keys and drumming (almost during the whole song). The first part is more joyful (probably thanks to these sweet piano notes) while L' Orco sounds dark and repetitive in the second half. During the closing section it flirts between Crimson and Genesis which is a pretty good combination...

This number should have been an ideal closing number, but instead we'll have to bear the medieval and useless Il Templo Araldico. Maybe the second blunder of this album; after La Casa Pendiente of course.

This album is not a jewel but a pleasant Italian album. Do not be afraid by its inclusion in the eclectic genre. It holds a lot of symphonic parts and should please most of the fans form this beautiful genre.

Three stars.

Well...how should I say 'bout them...neo-Italian prog? I can't decide it's not appropriate...

At first, the picture of the sleeve is weird. To tell the truth, I've never known about the place Ogni Pensiero Vola. Surprising and amazing that pictures of the place impress and inspire me severely.

Of course, I was more amazed with the sounds by them. Whoa, I see...it's weird, either. Lots of inspiration and horribleness...but there's an excellent Italian flavour. As every progger says, good ancient taste of Italian progressive rock world...they keep the tasty taste. Added to it, current rock wave they have so we can say it might be in the category of NEO-ITALIAN PROG.

I wanna they could keep the weirdness...Included my expectation, 3.5 stars I wanna give to them.

TAPROBAN's story starts in 1996 in Rome as a bass/keyboards/drums trio,influenced by the 70's progressive rock legends and recorded two demo tapes,before disbanding at the end of the decade due to direction's disagreement.A new line-up was found around 2001 led again by keyboardist Gianluca De Rossi,which finally recorded ''Ogni pensiero vola'' in 2002.Not far away from their early style,the album contains basically keyboard-dominated progressive rock with a romantic mood and just slight presence of guitars (note that most of them are acoustic).''Ogni pensiero vola'' is characterized by the lush keyboard sounds of De Rossi,reminding of LE ORME's style,while the most atmospheric vocal parts resemble to bands like IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE or CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE.The band isn't static at all,as I recognize some light ethnic influences through the listening,while there are some nice effects making the listening somewhat more personal.TAPROBAND are a very talented act,which I would suggest of following and spending some of your time listening to them.

Taproban began life in Rome in 1996 on the initiative of keyboardist Gianluca De Rossi and drummer Fabio Mociatti. The name of the band was inspired by the ancient name of Ceylon or Sri-Lanka where Italian philosopher Tommaso Campanella (1568 ? 1639) settled his imaginary "City of the Sun". After many troubles and line up changes, in 2002 Taproban released their debut album, "Ogni pensiero vola" (Every thought flies) on the French label Musea Records with a line up featuring founder member Gianluca De Rossi (keyboards, moog, synthesizers, acoustic guitar, vocals) along with Davide Guidoni (drums, percussion) and Guglielmo Mariotti (bass, acoustic and classical guitar, mandolin, vocals). The mainly sources of inspiration of the band are Emerson Lake & Palmer and Le Orme but the music is not too derivative and perfectly fits the concept. Music and lyrics, in fact, were inspired by a very peculiar place, the Garden of Bomarzo, near Viterbo, also known as the park of Monsters of Bomarzo. It's a monumental complex created by the prince Pierfrancesco Orsini in the XVI century and composed of small buildings and a wooden park populated by strange sculptures. It was built not to please but to astonish and its symbolism is arcane, according to the liner notes, the band tried to transpose in music the ideal dimension behind this artistic creation, that consists of "non-conformist and parodistic overturning of the Renaissance stylistic principles of balance and harmony, proposing instead a horrid and grotesque version of classical mythology and chivalric epic". Well, it's high time now to visit the park following a musical path between mythology and fantasy...

The opener "Prologo" (Prologue) starts with dark sounds and hypnotic percussive patterns, then tension melts in an dreamy acoustic passage... The prince Pierfrancesco Orsini from a window of his castle seems still to be observing the statues of his garden... "You, who are coming in, leave out every thought / Until you'll reach your goal...".

"L'enigma della Sfinge" (The Sphinx enigma) is full of vibrant energy and exotic excitement. In the middle section you can listen to echoes of bolero and oriental touches... At the entry of the garden there are two mysterious sphinxes, one of them has an enigma carved in its stone... "You, who are coming in, put you mind part to part / And tell me whether so many wonders are made for deceit or for art...".

"Orlando che squarta un pastore" (Orlando quartering a shepherd) is a very short instrumental that was inspired by a sculpture portraying Orlando, the protagonist of the poem "Orlando furioso" by Lodovico Ariosto, quartering a shepherd who had bothered him. It's a kind of warning against the excesses of passions leading to blind rage...

The dreamy and ethereal "La Tartaruga e la Fortuna" (The Turtle and the Fortune) was inspired by a sculptural group representing the contrast between Virtue and Fortune. The Turtle symbolizes the prudence necessary to follow the instable proceedings of Fortune, a female winged figure walking on a ball and playing two horns. "Blind and instable ruler of the world / I must pay attention to second her balance...".

On "Pegaso il cavallo alato" (Pegasus the winged horse) rhythm takes off for a ride on the wings of fantasy. This track was inspired by the statue of one of the best known fantastical creatures in Greek mythology, a winged divine white horse... "Look at his wings, the wings of freedom / Look in his wings, the wings of freedom...".

"La casa pendente" (The little inclined house) is a kind of surreal psychedelic track featuring strange filtered recitative vocals and evocative experimental sounds. It was inspired by a strange building that lies in the Garden of Bomarzo, a small leaning house apparently bent by adversities but never falling down...

"Il signore del bosco" (The lord of the wood) starts with dark organ chords. It's a short instrumental inspired by the statue of an old man sitting on a throne, the God of Hell as depicted by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso in his poem "Delivered Jerusalem", first published in 1581, which tells a largely fictionalized version of the First Crusade.

"La ninfa dormiente" (The sleeping nymph) is another beautiful instrumental, an idyllic interlude that begins with a delicate acoustic guitar arpeggio setting a dreamy atmosphere. It was inspired by the statue of a woman lying backwards...

"L'Orco (Lasciate ogni pensiero voi ch'entrate)" (The ogre ? Lay out every mind who enters here) is a long and complex track featuring a dark atmosphere. It was inspired by an enormous and ferocious mask representing the door of Hell and portrayed on the album cover. "Infernal monster mask, into your gaping maw there's a room carved into the rock / I go cautiously in / The light is low, it filters from the holes of the eyes / It carves the table, and on the walls...". Well, listen to the music and imagine the rest!

The last track "Il tempio araldico" (The heraldic temple) is an amazing instrumental with a strong Renaissance touch. It was inspired by a memorial to Giulia Farnese, Pierfrancesco Orsini's wife, located at the top of the garden. It's also called heraldic temple and represents the victory on death and oblivion and the achievement of a spiritual purification releasing from anxiety..