CHAPTERSEND

When I first started playing the fourth album from Italian band Mogador I was struck by just how similar they were to Kansas, but it is possible that I was influenced by guest Ida Di Vita who provides violin on that song, but sadly not on any of the others. But, although there is a strong use of Hammond organ on this album, it is more influenced by British and American bands than it has by many of the prog acts from Italy. I have seen some criticisms of Marco Terzaghi's vocals, but those reviewers must have been listening to a different album from me as he is in fine voice, more of a classic Wetton or Lake style singer than those who want to hit the high notes. For that they have brought in Jon Davidson (Yes, Glass Hammer) who guests on 'Josephine's Regrets' which is one of the highlights of the album. Here we have controlled picked acoustic guitar combining with delicate piano, but I did wonder if the use of Jon was just to get more people to write about the album as he is singing in a lower register than many would expect from him, and I am sure that Mogador could have done it quite well without him.

The more recognisable influences on Mogador are bands such as Gentle Giant, the aforementioned Kansas (even without a violin) and John Wetton, and manages to keep on the more progressive side of melodic rock so much so that it is wonderfully enjoyable the first time it is played, and that feeling doesn't diminish with repeated plays.

"Chaptersend" is the fourth studio album by Mogador, an interesting prog band from Como, Lombardy. It was released in 2017 with a renewed line up featuring Richard George Allen (drums, vocals, percussion), Luca Briccola (guitars, keyboards, bass, flute, backing vocals), Salvatore Battello (bass, guitars, backing vocals), Samuele Dotti (keyboards, backing vocals) and Marco Terzaghi (vocals) plus some guests such as Jon Davison (vocals), Ida Di Vita (violin) and Elisa Salvaterra (flute). According to the liner notes in the booklet, this work represents "a sort of end and beginning at the same time". The band evolved from a simple studio project to a real band playing live on stage and took the chance to refresh their early repertoire reshaping in an effective way same old pieces...

The lively opener 'Summer Sun' is a celebration of the sun and of its sparkling force in a summer day. The music every now and again could recall PFM while the lyrics are taken from a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson of the same title included in the 1885 collection 'A Children's Garden of Verses'.

Next comes the powerful 'The Escapologist', a beautiful piece inspired by the life and death of Harry Houdini (1874-1926), a world-wide famous Hungarian-born American escape artist, illusionist and stunt performer. For a trick of the fate, the death-defying man of mystery who performed at least three variations on a buried alive stunt during his career eventually ends up in a box from where there's no way to come out... His coffin!

'Deep Blue Steps' is beautiful track that tells of a suggestive descent into the subconscious and of desires you can't control. It's linked to the following 'Still Alone', a new interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'Alone', where the poet describes the tragedy of not being part of the crowd. This new version is very different from the one from their previous album "Absinthe Tales Of Romantic Visions", more complex and refined...

'Josephine's Regrets' features the backing vocals of the guest Jon Davison and is a lovely emotional portrait in music and words of Napoleon's wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, a patron of arts whose Chateau de Malmaison was best known for its rose garden, which she supervised closely...

'Breaking Day' is a colourful musical tableau where the music and words depict a hill landscape before the storm. It leads to the dramatic 'Gentleman John', a piece dedicated to the memory of Anthony John Morgan (1959-2000), an English writer and expert on etiquette best remembered for his column in London based daily newspaper The Times...

The new version of 'Tell Me Smiling Child', a folksy ballad with lyrics taken from a poem by Emily Bronte, introduces the long, complex 'Fundamental Elements Suite', divided into five parts: The Tide's Undertow, The Salamander, Floating In The Void, Mammon's Greed: Eternity's Gift and Mammon's Greed: Infinity's Price. The band here deconstructed and rebuilt some pieces from their 2009 debut eponymous album giving them a more coherent, convincing form. The music and lyrics deal with environmental issues, passions, fears, greediness, freedom, respect for Mother Nature... A great finale!

On the whole, an accomplished and mature work from a band that deserve credit!