NORN

Although the band's name evokes the classic Tangerine Dream album, the Italian prog rock group PHAEDRA is more thematically focused on tales from the ancients and in this case the actual Cretan princess from Greek mythology. This band may also be the least productive one in the entire prog universe having formed as far back as 1993 in Trento and playing the live circuit for nearly 20 years before releasing its debut "Ptah" in 2010. While the second album "Beyond The Storm" took a mere three years in comparison, it has been eleven years since that album's release and now in 2024, PHAEDRA has reemerged with another album of well constructed Italian prog in the form of NORN.

This album of five tracks that runs for almost 61 minutes is a rock opera composed and arranged by the band's leading members Claudio Bonvecchio (bass, 12 string guitar) and Stefano Gasperetti (keyboards, acoustic guitars, cello). The concept started out as a gothic novel of sort titled "The Prisoner" and evolved into a bonafide prog extravaganza. NORN refers to three deities of Norse mythology whose destiny was to oversee the affairs of humanity and the lyrics are supposed to connect all of these nerdy mythology themes. If don't speak Italian then you're SOL because PHAEDRA delivers in the classic RPI format of singing in the mother tongue and crafting a heady, even knotty mix of prog styles that includes the traditional symphonic prog of yore as well as heavy guitar moments and eclectic passages that meander.

This album features four musicians and two lead vocalists. Bonvecchio and Gasperetti are the only members remaining after 2013's "Beyond The Storm" and new to the team are electric guitarist Gabriele Girardi, drummer / percussionist Cristiano Conte and two lead vocalists which makes the album a bit more diverse than the average RPI release. Matteo Lorenzi delivers the classic romantic male vocals in the tradition of classic Italian prog while new to the band is the addition of the diva Catia Borgogno who delivers the feminine touch to the album as a classically trained opera singer. While the album has connections to the past glories of Italian prog, NORN really sounds like a modern contemporary prog album with not only a polished production but a much a diverse array of prog elements that takes it into a completely different level from the majority of retro prog bands that simply copy and paste ideas from the past.

The album starts off with a mysterious Dead Can Dance gothic vibe with a droning synthesizer as the backdrop and Catia Borgogno delivering a divine feminine introduction. Arpeggiated piano rolls follow and then the musical flow keeps incorporating new elements that keep the procession going until the album's ending time. Steeped in classically infused cello sounds and crafty melodic motifs, the track jumps into bonafide prog rock as well with guitar riffing and a heavy percussive drive but generally simmers down to allow the classically infused softer touches cast that magic spell. Graced with beautiful melodic flow as well as more technical time signature workouts and rock heft, PHAEDRA truly delivers a delectable slice of modern Italian prog that doesn't sound like it's trying to merely copy past glories from the classic era although Gabriele Girardi's vocal style definitely evokes the world of 70s Italian prog thus giving it all somewhat of a connection to the past.

The overall effect of the album is fairly dreamy with robust atmospheric backdrops but virtuosic moments do occur such as the frenetic keyboard runs on "L'Empio Simulacro" which displays a Keith Emerson style of wizardry but generally speaking these moments only accent the main scheme of things. The brilliance of this album is how the two vocalists trade off from time to time and the band engages in unexpected key changes, breakdowns of continuity and interesting sound effects inserted craftily throughout the overall melodic flow. Given PHAEDRA's involvement with the various artists effort "A Flower Full Of Stars: A Tribute To The Flower Kings," the band features all the accouterments afforded in the modern world of symphonic prog as well as a hint of neo-prog now and then.

The lengthiest track "Prigioniero di Prisca Doglianza" exceeds the 23 minute mark and runs the gamut of modern Italian prog but rather than beginning with some sort of lush epic opener pretty much jumps into mid-temp rock and then proceeds to offer an endless supply of variations. Surprisingly the track stays bouncy and upbeat for nearly 12 minutes before any chill out moments occur when finally an acoustic guitar break is called for. It's only at this point the track expands its horizons. A surprisingly different sort of epic prog and IMHO the weakest track on the album as it doesn't deliver in the same way the other tracks do especially for the bloated length however it's not really unpleasant, just needlessly long. Perhaps a comprehension of the storyline would go a long way. The album ends with "La Radiante Foresta," a knotty folk infused track that offers a pacifying closing performance with Borgogno's sensual vocal style ending the album as it began.

Overall i wouldn't call NORN an Italian classic but it certainly is an excellent slice of modern Italian prog worthy of everyone's attention who loves complex well thought out compositions fortified with a healthy supply of instrumentation. The music is melodic throughout and yet deviates just enough to give it all an edge. While the storyline may elude non-speakers of the lingo, the music more than is enough to enthrall the soul into a dreamy symphonic prog style that melds past glories with the more modern stylistic approaches. The two vocalists in tandem offer a nice range of vocals without either becoming overly dominant and the tracks vary enough to keep the album captivating throughout however i do think that the first half of the album is a bit stronger than the second which seems to lag in certain areas. For example i was expecting something more dynamic for the 23 minute sprawler.

Here is another one of those prog bands that came and went after 2 albums, disappearing for eleven years until one unexpected day this year, they resurface like a submarine in search of fresh air for its crew. 2013's "Beyond the Storm" was quite a revelation, enjoying it immensely, though not having had the chance to review it. With the regal "Norn" and its clear progression to a higher symphonic aspiration, compelled me to give this the proper Rogue treatment. The core of Claudio Bonvecchio on bass and vocals, along with keyboardist supremo Stefano Gasparetti have brought in a new fresh crew, namely drum master Cristiano Conte, guitarist Gabriele Girardi, and more importantly a male /female duo of terrific vocalists in Matteo Lorenzi and Catia Borgogno. This is a colossal offering that will surely delight the discriminating Italian prog fan, looking for a comfortable setting and perhaps a slightly different take at the same time. Featuring five longish musical essays to mull over is always a hopeful signs of inevitable pleasure, with each track developing its own character and substance.

Catia initiates the dual vocal with Mateo operating right under her scintillating vocal, a sublime piano weaving an intricate and spellbinding melody, churlish organ and strings penetrating the nearly medieval arrangement, until a rough guitar and rhythm section assaults the senses only to teeter back and forth between speed and serenity. There is a symphonic hint of Gentle Giant, in that the sonic evolution constantly incorporates hypnotic twists, Matteo doing a fine variation on Derek Shulman's dance with violins and cello. This 10-minute epic also infuses some narration before returning to Catia's echoing lament, channeling darker confines before screeching vertiginously into a wild assemblage of conflicting sounds and opposing emotions, waiting for the solitary piano to tuck you in for the night.

A completely altered soundscape is exhibited on the ultra-cool and jazzy shuffle of "Canto Per Lucy", an immutable bass groove that stops and starts as if dealing with congested traffic, sprinkled with glittering piano passages that flow like the Tyrolian Mountain rivers. The softer auditory realms are markedly attractive and evocative of countless imaginary visions, hints of old school Genesis in the keyboard/guitar interplay and an all-around laid-back delivery, highly confident and relaxed, a truly inspiring number.

The ornate piano rules once again on the classical tinged intro of "L'Empio Simulacro", before choir mellotron throws all caution to the wind, and maximum acceleration is locked into gear for another extended roller-coaster prog rock ride. The alternating male/female vocals give each singer the spotlight to show off their skills, constantly disrupted by unexpected variants that may include oddly muted sound effects that induce a sense of dark tension and explicit drama. The strings do a danse macabre with the eccentric syncopation, enhancing hints of a vaporous image of a "Glass House" and still colliding with pristine piano chords, this is quite the aural labyrinth. The ensuing and extended organ solo is priceless and bloody amazing!

Then comes the marathon 23-minute mastodont that stamps this album with various waxed seals of excellence, a cornucopia of meshed intersections slicing across the focal core of the story, overloaded with a surfeit of dramaturgical pyrotechnics, verging on a progressive opera of the highest order. Flush with offbeat time signatures, turn-on-a-dime ricochets, screwing guitar drills, and enough robust rhythmic exuberance to thrill the most percussive of fans. Half-way through, the atmosphere enters pastoral realms not far from the bucolic sections of Anthony Phillips' classic works, such as the celebrated masterpiece "Slowdance", then moving into another phase of female voice-led exploration, accentuated by some stunning lead guitar exertions from Girard as well as Gasparetti's redolent mellotron efforts. Yet, all this apparent mayhem seems totally targeted with intelligent purpose and it works subito presto! Multiple auditions only increase the level of genius displayed here, truly mind- boggling! A fine companion to PFM's classic "Promenade the Puzzle"

"La Radiante Foresta" completes the program with one final onslaught on the senses, though a softer climate was deemed necessary in order to calm down the pulsating heartbeat and return to some semblance of sanity and equilibrium. Once again, the cello and strings play a large role, augmented by cascades of acoustic guitars clanging in harmony, Matteo fluid voice navigating the gentle winds emanating from his lungs as the ever-growing arrangement swells into a paroxysm of celestial voices and sounds that can only cure all the ills of a weary and abused brain.

This is a stellar slice of RPI, a must discovery for those seeking to broaden their horizons and fall under the spell of musicians who cherish their traditions and seek to develop them ever further. On par with Celeste's latest offering as well as Barock Project's "Time Voyager", the crafty Italians never fail to show up, year after year, with quality progressive rock releases. Forza Italia!

5 Norse deities