LA SCIENZA DELLE STAGIONI

Andrea Orlando is a world class progressive rock drummer from Genoa, having solidified his career with RPI band La Coscienza di Zeno, though he broke in with the pioneering Finisterre group in which he played on a few albums, including the iconic "In Ogni Luogo" (certainly my favourite album from them) as well as returning in 2019 to play on the XXV release. He has also guested on celebrated albums by Hostsonaten, Luca Scherani, Alessandro Corviglia, La Curva di Lesmo, Stefano Agnini, O.A.K, and Malombra. He also released his debut solo album "Dalla Vita Autentica" in 2017 to universal applause. Needless to say, that Andrea is considered among the top prog drummers around, an equal to the fabulous Davide Guidoni (Daal, Nodo Gordiano, Aries, Pensiero Nomade, Tapobran, Nuova Era, Hostsonaten, Rohmer, Doracor, etc?). Yes, he is that good! As befits a well-connected and respected musician, his former and current colleagues join in on the fun, in unleashing this stellar second offering, but keeping this a nice army of players with amazing guitarists, Laura Marsano, Stefano Marelli, Pierenzo Alessandria and Matteo Nahum, keyboard wizards Scherani, Agostino Macor and Boris Valle , bassists Pietro Martinelli and Fabio Zuffanti (on track 5) and female vocalist Meghe Moschino. Orlando mans the drum kit as well as providing keyboards. A lengthy list of string and horn players join in the fun.

So, before I begin, I listened to this while in Italy last week and I am warning everyone that this is a colossal collection of melodies that only serve to enhance my trek through central Italia! Blasting off with a nearly 11- minute epic "Ancora Luce", the casual attention is kidnapped by obligatory concentration or else the Carabinieri might get testy! Silky smooth like the majestic fabrics from Como, the relaxed rhythmic theme is eventually anchored in a bass thrusted groove that evokes dream-like soundscapes, veils of keyboard elegance as singer Moschino sings a sad lament. Certainly not rushed by any standard, the synths and pianos take control of the arrangement until the final third where the romantic atmosphere picks up, in a rather melancholic, very old school RPI mode, a lead synth motif from Macor leading to the banquet of sounds, the bass carving furiously and the guitars slicing gently through. More light please!

E-piano and articulate bass shapes the basis of another long piece "Tracce", once again setting down a terrific foundation on which the aromatic electric guitar can travel the invisible tracks towards the azure shrouded stars. It flirts at times with ambient progressive jazz, as there is no fury, rage, or anger anywhere to be found. Meghe seizes the microphone once gain but with an idealistic edge that is quite intoxicating. The transition back to an impenetrable grove is a sheer delight, Pietro plays in perfect unison with Andrea, a seasoned rhythmic section to say the least.

"Il Sogno D'Anastasia" Part 1, surely suggests a depiction of the allegedly surviving Romanov who may have survived the Ekaterinburg massacre of the Tsar and his family, though she may have only dreamt it. Meghe gets more involved vocally as the orchestrations begin veering towards more tragic symphonic tendencies which will explode on the part 2 coming up later.

The instrumental "City 40" is quite the stressless jewel, a fully alluring workout, where each musician is clearly defined, glorious mellotrons weeping in the wind, as the pace picks up considerably, giving the e-guitars their moment in the spotlight. The rhythmic work again is simply delightful. Just really pretty music. A definite highlight track is the mellotron-infested "Stagione Lontana", a curving bass from Fabio Zuffanti, Boris Valle on the piano and a theme that would have found place in the Court of the Crimson King. A sweetly pleading vocal and a simple yet theatrical guitar flicker is all one needs to be seduced by the overt beauty of the composition. Velvet and silk filigree in sonic form. Nearly 8 minutes of contemplative ecstasy.

As vowed earlier, "Il Sogno d'Anastasia" Part 2 makes its poignant appearance through the misty horizons, a solitary piano preparing the stage for the final shocking reality. When Alessandria enters with his shivering lead guitar, the gloomy aura keeps spiralling into an eventual frenzy, flush with unrestricted pain and palpable agony. The mighty mellotron complements the dazzling apotheosis, a nearly funereal beat, and a stop on a dime finale.

Then, in true prog form, the clincher comes in the final track , "Strada del Ritorno" is the most perfect finale one can hope for , a 15-minute epic arrangement that veers from classical settings to more poignant rock ones, Scherani's piano fluttering over the ivories, dense orchestrations in the background, the monumental mellotron once again illuminating the long and winding road back to one's home (I actually played this on my earphones on the plane whilst leaving Fiumicino and heading to Dorval in Montreal). The soaring vocals are sustained by a decisive pulse, and when Laura Marsano's brittle guitar rasps in interplay with the delightful horns, the sweeping atmosphere is raised to celestial heights, adorned with playful transitions, yet still under the effective guidance of the drums. A truly magnificent ending to a piece that is both relaxing and intricate, the true essence of classic symphonic prog, as the ebb and the flow just keep the inspiration going, inexorably in full control. A final vocal to set this brilliant display into the annals of the finest 2023 vintages, an exceptional year from our genre. The farewell horns are sorrowful and gut wrenching. I am spent?.

5 Seasonal sciences

Former drummer for Finisterre and La Coscienza Di Zeno (who also worked on several Fabio Zuffanti projects such as Höstsonaten, Il Maschera Di Cera, and La Curva Di Lesmo), Andrea Orlando has been branching out into solo territory lately--releasing now this, his second album of his own compositions (and under his own name).

1. "Ancora Luce" (10:54) a two-part song of steady stright-time pacing: the first containing the introduction and then wonderfully vocal performance of female singer Meghi Moschino; the second showcasing some solo and, sometimes, interwoven instrumental performances. Very pleasant and comforting to hear--which is a BIG plus--but ultimately offering nothing new to the prog lexicon (unless you wish to have a category for "understated ease and control"). Still, there is no argument that Andrea and company present a great sound as well as a great mood setter. (18/20)

2. "Tracce" (10:34) The first motif, which is very CAMEL-like, contains some very strictly uniform music (with absolutely no deviations, no flourishes, no improvisation). The second, stripped down, single-instrument motif is still very stringently formed while setting up the foundation over which singer Meghi Moschino lays down another one of her masterfully-subdued vocal performances. This is then bridged to another extended instrumental passage which sounds like a variation on the opening theme but a little more tinged with some jazz/prog layering, syncopation, and analog-sounding instrumentation. Nice--especially the section with Meghi's vocal--but, ultimately, (like so much of Camel's music) bland and repetitive. (17.75/20) 3. "Il Sogno di Anastasia (Parte Prima)" (5:22) opening with a poppy tempo and almost "Take on Me" feel and sound to it. I love the pairing of the oboe with Meghe's voice during the middle vocal-centered motif. (8.7/10)

4. "City 40" (6:36) quite a little more jazzy pep to the opening motif of this song--kind of like an overture to a stage musical. The opening motif only stays around for about two and a half minutes this time before a Hammond organ solo bridges us into a more retro prog swing theme. Still nothing impressive coming from the solo musicians, just simple, rudimentary note play to carry or introduce melodies. The guitar play here is very similar to some of Andy Latimer's more rudimentary play (and melodies). This second motif happens to play out to the finish with a very nice sound palette but it presents nothing very new or exciting--just repetition (and solid drum play). (8.7/10)

5. "Stagione Lontana" (7:51) opening with lush (and dated sounding) Mellotron, bass soon joins in and, at 1:10, the rest of the band, presenting a slow classic blues-rock motif with piano and 'tron sitting up front while bass and drums hold down a steady foundation. At 2:30 there is a break before the Mellotron starts up again with some gently swirling organ and flute to support Meghe's impassioned vocal (reminding me a lot of the many great female vocal performances published by Riccardo Prencipe in his CORDE OBLIQUE discography). The guitar that steps up to solo in the sixth minute is so staunch in its stiff replication of Meghe's melody lines--employing such exaction as to beg the questions, "Why? Why not just let Meghe sing again?" I swear any high school musician who can read sheet music could perform this song with the same conformity to lines and notations. (13.125/15)

6. "Il Sogno di Anastasia (Parte Seconda)" (6:50) solo piano opens playing some arpeggiated chords before synth joins in as a harmonizing backup. Then in the second minute the piano goes solo classical, joined by electric bass--who then becomes the soloist until the rest of the band joins in at the two-minute mark. Nice syncopated drum lines to help marshall this along. Latimer-like singing guitar starts to solo using some tremolo bar and double-tracked a bit to give us a near CAMEL listening experience. What makes this song a bit different for me is how the instrumentalists seem to be less bound to the very simple and straightforward music as on the composer's sheet music. Oops! I spoke too soon: the fifth minute arrives with a downshift in tempo (and all rhythmists reigned in quite tightly into a proggy-blues rock form). The electric guitar, harpsichord, and synths still manage to present their own personalities but only just barely as the plodding bass and drum tracks threaten to swallow them up like Charybdis and Scylla. (13.375/15)

7. "La Strada del Ritorno" (15:01) Opens with the bombast of a nice romantic classical piece: dynamic piano, oboe, lush orchestra-like strings, cello and French horn, all converging on a very beautiful melody to create quite a lush motif. At 3:00 there seems to be a reset with some symphonic crashes, but then the lone piano reestablishes the melody and pace--over which Meghe Moschino is once again invited to render her interpretation of the lyrics delivering Andrea's melody with her own beautiful stylistic idiosyncracies. (Again, I find myself so reminded of some of Riccardo Prencipe's seeemngly-endless posse of extraordinary female vocalists--especially of one Caterina Pontrandolfo). At 6:30 the music stops and then restarts in an confoundingly surprising direction: militaristic drums with Rockabilly music before breaking into a set Rockabilly motif over which the Latimer/Oldfield-guitar takes a turn before giving way to multiple tracks (and settings) of lush synth strings. The treble choices would sound so much better without the horrid Rockabilly foundation. Thankfully, the listener is given a reprieve at 10:15 when sensitive (emotional!) piano reestablishes itself as the principle fountain of support over which Meghe gets another (yes: second) turn! In the 12th minute, the rest of the band joins in to support the funeral march as Latimer, oboe, and strings reclaim their places as principle melody delivery mechanisms. This plays out to the end as the funeral procession passes out of view, over the horizon, into the sunset. The first half showed so much promise, but the second half rendered it unto rock dross--forms that are, in my opinion, among some of the most base and homely forms ever contrived by rock (and folk/Country-Western) musicians. (26/30)

Total Time 63:08

The rhythm track foundations for these song motifs all have a very mathematical, "on the page" feeling as if the musicians are instructed to only play that which is on the sheet music. Also, the formula for Andrea's song constructs seems to be to paste two totally different motifs together in each song in a A-B-A(2) kind of way: long instrumental passage to open, calm, simple section several minutes into the song for Meghi to deliver vocals over, and then a more animated variation of the opening theme for the extended instrumental end passages.

B/four stars; a nice addition to most prog lover's music collection; definitely an album that I highly recommend you check out for yourselves.