BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO

Banco was one of the first Classic Italian Prog bands I discovered, along with PFM, because in the late 70s their LP's were available in the Dutch record stores. Although I am very pleased with the studio-albums I consider Banco at their best on stage, especially this live CD (recorded in 1975) showcases the band in its full splendor. Their sound is based upon the magnificent, omnipresent dual-keyboardplay (organ, synthesizers, acoustic and electric piano, strings) by the Nocenzi brothers and the powerful voice from the late and great Francesco Di Giacomo, loaded with pathos.

R.I.P. : Beautiful interlude delivering moving piano, very compelling vocals and delicate acoustic guitar.

L'Alberto Del Pane : Splendid varied keyboards.

La Danza Dei Gandi Rettilli : A swinging blend of symphonic, blues and jazz, trademark Banco, eclectic, dynamic and varied.

Passagio : A very short interlude with the distinctive harpsichord.

Non Mi Rompete : Pleasant acoustic guitarplay.

Dopo ? Niente E Piu Lo Stesso : Wonderful sumptuous keyboards and great vocals, this is Banco and no other Italian band!

Traccia II : Fine acoustic pianoplay along trumpet and synthesizer.

Metamorfosi (an extended version, around 26 minutes) : Cascades of changing amtospheres, including a long and virtuosic piano solo, and lots of exciting keyboards.

If you want to discover the amazing Classic Italian Prog I highly recommend this one!

Still riding the wave of the early Italian prog scene, the Rome based BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO could do no wrong having successfully risen to the top of the crowded brave new world that was suddenly propelling 60s psychedelic rock into classical and jazz infused sophistication. BANCO had released two of Italy's greatest masterpieces with its self-titled debut and the following "Darwin" but the string of Italian prog perfection hadn't quite come to an end and in 1973 BANCO released its third and final masterpiece IO SONO NATO LIBERO ( I Was Born Free ) in December 1973 and thus leaving its legacy as one of Italy's top prog rock acts of the classic era. Together with the band's first two albums, this original trilogy is considered a cornerstone of 70s Italian prog with some of the most creative and influential albums of all time which perfectly crafted a wild blend of classical, jazz, rock and Italian folk with unthinkable technical proficiency in the context of rock music for the time.

Graced with the same exact lineup as the band's previous masterpieces, BANCO was a well-oiled machine at this point and elevated the already sophisticated symphonic prog prowess to even further heights making IO SONO NATO LIBERO the band's most overtly progressive album of its entire existence. By 1973 the race to take progressive rock to ever increasing levels of complexity resulted in a threshold of tolerance that many fans rejected. Yes' "Tales of Topographic Oceans" and Jethro Tull's "A Passion Play" are the perfect examples of dividing fans between those who wanted things to continue to ratchet up the prog technicalities and those who felt it was becoming a destabilizing force that ruined the musical flow.

Whatever the case some bands had found that perfect balance between taking things to a higher level without alienating fans who had grown accustomed to beautiful melodic hooks that processed in a logical compositional manner. IO SONO NATO LIBERO succeeded in this tightrope act of offering just enough of what came before but by also continued to progress the band's sound into a very demanding listening experience. The opening near 16-minute opener "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico" showcases the band's more sophisticated approach by offering an incessant flow of varying musical motifs that while based on the opening melodic sequences also finds the band experimenting with contrasting cadences such as acoustic classical guitar moments with heavy tribal drumming and off-kilter time signature-rich explosive bursts of pomp and awe.

While the band's technical wizardry had grown by leaps and bounds beyond the first two albums, IO SONO NATO LIBERO keeps it all in check by alternating the knottier workouts with the more streamlined singles such as the following "Non Mi Rompete" and "La Cittá Sottile" which offer a bit of breathing room in between the more complex tracks which find BANCO unleashing its fully developed prog making forces. This strategy avoided the alienation factor that some prog bands took by keeping the most brutal aspects of prog turned up to full power throughout the entire album's run. Even these easier to stomach singles though exuded the prog sophistication that was present on both the debut and "Darwin" only with the crazy time signatures run amok tamped down. The rest of the album pretty much let all the constraints off the leash and allowed BANCO to demonstrate its ability to play in the big boyz club.

"Dopo...Niente è Più Lo Stesso" jumps back into experimental prog mode with a near 10-minute playing time and wastes no time taking the world of prog to all its logical extreme conclusions with intricately destined melodies providing the underpinning of crazy experimental keyboard runs, unorthodox hairpin turns and breaks into unexpected motifs. The technical wizardry is delicately delivered in doses of clever creativity without sacrificing the beautiful melodic flow and also showcases some of lead vocalist Francesco Di Giacomo's most passionate performances. The album ends with the short but dynamic "Traccia II" piano-driven instrumental that offers the perfect melodic comedown from all the prog excesses you have just experienced. It's sort of a thematic musical version of saying "thanks for coming and we bid you farewell!"

One of the peaks of the entire world of prog of not only Italy but all places and all times, IO SONO NATO LIBERO reached a level even BANCO couldn't sustain and while the band would have a few good years left as a prog band before succumbing to the watered down world of pop rock, BANCO would never reproduced the musical magic that was delivered on its first three albums reaching its logical conclusion on IO SONO NATO LIBERO. This album delivers such tight and proficient instrumental interplay it's almost like the band became a single entity when playing it. There is little in the entire prog universe to compare this to. While the theme was supposedly inspired by the military coup that had taken place across the world in Chile, the meaning of the album title seems more appropriate in referring to the musical developments that can result in crafty creative innovation when the freedom to explore them is permitted. One of the highlights of all prog, of all Italy and of all music ever recorded. Not to mention a personal all-time favorite. M-m-m-m-masterpiece!!!

Instrumental consistency and forcefulness are the basis on which "Io Sono Nato Libero" is built, the committed third album by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso released in 1973. A musical proposal in which elements taken from classical and baroque music, jazz and folk converge once again, amalgamated under the shelter of the inclusive progressive rock. Concerned with the freedom of political thought and the events that polarised the world about the path their societies should follow, the Romans ratify their enormous talent and in turn use "Io Sono Nato Libero" as a means of expressing their social reflections.

Right at the start of the album, Gianni Nocenzi's gentle piano and a subtle layer of synthesizer provide the ideal framework for Francesco Di Giacomo's heartfelt singing on the aching suite "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico", a huge and dramatic instrumental progression that gradually incorporates Pier Luigi Calderoni's jazzy percussion, countless additional keyboards from the Nocenzi brothers, and Marcello Todaro's arpeggiated acoustic guitar in between. A superb track that increases and decreases in tempo according to the requirements of the plot, and is continued in the beautiful ballad "Non Mi Rompete", a reflection on the contradiction of the dreams of peace with the nightmares of war, with Todaro's guitars and Vittorio Nocenzi's moog towards the end to round it off. One of the best of the album.

"La Citt' Sottile" is an exercise in jazz mode with a recognisable Emersonian influence, and the breezy and very progressive "Dopo.... Niente ' Pi' Lo Stesso", is a new display of the band's virtuosity, between the Nocieri's moogs and hammonds and Todaro's guitar, in the dark description of the terrible aftermath of war, where there are never any winners. The brief and epic "Traccia II" brings the album to an impeccable conclusion with the almost absolute protagonism of the keyboards, supported by Calderoni's percussion.

After the release of "Io Sono Nato Libero" and following in the footsteps of their compatriots PFM, Banco became part of Manticore, the record label of their referenced E,L&P, in the Italians' quest to expand their musical horizons beyond the local borders.

Excellent

4/4.5 stars

A few months after their solid debut album, "Banco del Mutuo Socorsso" confirms their great form by releasing "Darwin!", a conceptual work in the style of the hurricane-like progressive winds of the early 70's, based on the theory of evolution of the English scientist and naturalist Charles Darwin. The classical and baroque influences of Romans combined with their particular lyrical and operatic style of singing, are tinged with elements incorporated from great icons of the genre such as their referenced E,L&P, to create one of the capital works of the flourishing Italian progressive rock.

The first part of "Darwin! " is a puzzle of intricate instrumental structures, with momentary and elusive reflective passages, both in the huge and descriptive "La Evolucione", and in the gloomy and haunting "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta", with both tracks featuring the virtuosic Nocenzi brothers in a leading role, with the sea of effects that they masterfully extract from their countless hammonds, moogs and grand pianos, and seconded by the impeccable dramatic effects that Francesco Di Giacomo's portentous voice brings to each of his interventions.

The second part, while maintaining the complex compositional dynamics of the first part, nevertheless unfolds with short and heterogeneous pieces, such as the jazzy and anodyne "Danza Dei Grandi Rettili", the lively and incisive "Cento Mani E Cento Occhi", or the beautiful and peaceful "750,000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? L'Amore?", a remarkable communion of piano and voice cut in between by a synthesised interlude, undoubtedly one of the best on the album.

The strange and disturbing "Ed Ora Io Domando Tempo Al Tempo Ed Egli Mi Risponde ... Non Ne Ho!" concludes the album amidst fairground music and pig grunts, giving the final touch to a seminal work that cemented Banco as one of the cornerstones of the Italian progressive movement.

Very good.

4 stars

In a flourishing and golden 1972 for the genre, another of the fundamental actors of Italian progressive rock appeared on the scene, Banco del Mutuo Socorsso. While sharing the influences of the indispensable E,L&P and similar mastodons of the time, Banco ventured to combine dense structures with baroque and classical elements, unlike their more melodic and gentle compatriots, Premiata Forneria Marconi.

And Banco's eponymous debut album reflects that, where generous and at times mysterious instrumental developments contrasted with intermittent but decisive and overwhelming vocal interventions, mould a work of remarkable pieces. Such as the moribund "R.I.P. (Requiescant In Pace)", of epic character and framed towards its epilogue by the enormous and dramatic vocal register of Francesco Di Giacomo, one of the best of the album, or the Kafkaesque "Metamorfosi", of clear Emersonian influences, a demonstration of the virtuosity of Vittorio Nocenzi and his brother Gianni on keyboards, going back and forth between passages charged with intensity in a counterpoint with Marcello Todaro's guitars and the restraint of Pier Luigi Calderoni's lighthearted percussion, or also the extensive and mysterious suite "Il Giardino Del Mago", unravelled between sombre atmospheric passages and deep sonorous lucubrations again guided by Vittorio Nocenzi on keyboards, the lyrical brushstrokes of the incommensurable Di Giacomo, and the correct bass of Renato D'Angelo.

At the initial and final extremes of the album, both the brief "In Volo" with its spacey aroma and pastoral flutes, and the unhinged "Traccia" with its schizoid choruses and rushed development, add a tinge of immediacy and versatility, complementing the stupendous musical proposal.

With their first work, Banco begins to write their history and make a prominent place for themselves in the Olympus of the Italian vein of the genre, sharing the podium with PFM and Le Orme.

Excellent.

4/4.5 stars

While indisputably one of the prog scene's greatest bands ever to emerge from 1970s Italy, BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO better known as BANCO dominated the world of symphonic prog but like most proggers of the day totally derailed once musical tastes shifted and left the band struggling to adapt to the new world of punk, heavy metal and new wave. BANCO was not very good at watering its classic sophisti-prog down into the sugary realms of pop music and despite crafting some of the all time classics with albums like "Darwin," equally churned out some of the most nauseating attempts of a band of such caliber trying to fit in with the newer contemporary sounds. The 80s was not kind. After a final attempt to gain some momentum in the alternative 90s and even an ill-fated attempt to re-record "Darwin," BANCO fell silent presumably never to be heard from again.

This was made all the more so when legendary lead singer Francesco Di Giacomo perished in a car accident in 2014. Who in the world would have thought that this legendary band had any second life in them? BANCO shocked the prog world it was reformed by the only original member still standing, pianist and keyboardist Vittorio Nocenzi with a new cast of characters and released "Transiberiana" in 2019. The track record of forty year old prog bands reforming and recapturing the spirit of their original run isn't very good and although nobody initially thought anything of this comeback, BANCO exceeded expectations with a brilliant album that melded the soulful performances of decades ago with a new modern sheen that incorporated all the newer production techniques to the mix. I was pleasantly surprised for sure and now it's officially no one off fluke. BANCO are back with ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE (The Shapes of Love), officially the band's 18th studio album.

Hard to believe that ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE has arrived just in time for the band's 50th anniversary of the self-titled masterpiece and "Darwin" but a half of a century has elapsed making it so. Unbelievably BANCO sounds amazingly reinvigorated with the same music mojo that brought them to the world's stage so many decades ago. This is a concept album not based on the famous city in Florida but rather the 16th century poem "Orlando Furioso" written by Ludovico Ariosto which first appeared in 1516. ORLANDO was a Christian knight who fought in the war between the Charlemagne Christian paladins and the Saracen army that invaded Europe for the sake of overthrowing the Christian empire. The poem itself was divided into 46 cantos. The concept and complex nature of the poem lends to an amazing display of musical antics that accompany these themes.

ORLANDO, the album is like a double album from the classic prog era with 15 tracks and a running time of a whopping 79 minutes, quite a risky endeavor for a band some 50 years in existence but let's face it: this is BANCO in name only with only one original member. Despite the fact that Vittorio Nocenzi is the only original knight in this musical escapade though doesn't mean that this lineup of six hasn't successfully captured the essence of BANCO's classic sound. In fact ORLANDO is an even better album than "Transiberiana" which i rather liked quite a bit. Like any great Italian prog album, lyrics are exclusively in the Italian language and the diversity of sounds matches anything from the golden years. The new vocalist Tony D'Alessio performs the unthinkable task of replacing the late great Franceso Di Giacomo and while this may prove to be an insurmountable task, D'Alessio delivers stellar performances despite not being a young whippersnapper himself.

Paced like a traditional concept album from the classic prog years, ORLANDO opens with poetic prose and then breaks into a never ending series of melodic developments, strong composiitons and of course excellent musical deliveries. Although not original members, the five musicians sound like seasoned veterans in the prog field with the ability to craft pastoral intricate melodies or bombastic outbursts of prog excesses often within the same track. The track "Il Palidino" showcases some of the knottiest hefty workouts on the entire album. Lush ballads and adrenaline fueled heaviness more or less perfectly narrate the concept without the listener having any idea what the Italian lyrics are referencing. Most of all much effort was obviously put into the album's diversity of individual tracks which makes ORLANDO a most surprising comeback indeed.

Perhaps the biggest downfall of ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE is its excessive playing time. I mean 79 minutes is a lot to ask for in our contemporary short attention span era. There's no way i would've even considered listening to this album if not for the fact it was BANCO! While BANCO's classic albums are in no danger of being outdone, this one is so much better than i could've possibly hoped for. The album basically builds on what what was presented on "Transiberiana" as the new BANCO and carried out to classic BANCO progginess. None of the guys in this lineup are youthful so don't expect any virtuosic performances on par with past glories but for a band of aging prog rockers you really couldn't expect anything better than what is presented on ORLANDO. The album could be shorter but even so there are really no substandard tracks, just too many of them! An excellent comeback for BANCO who appears to be on a roll with its second coming. Bravissimo!

Over the past year I have really delved deep into Italian prog, something which had previously been a big blind spot for me. Very quickly Banco rose to the top and have cemented themselves as a top five 70s prog band for me. 'Orlando: Le Forme dell'Amore' is the latest album from the current incarnation of the band. The prior album 'Transiberiana' from 2019 I thought was solid but nothing something that left much of a mark on me. So going in Orlando I was not expecting much and when I also saw it had a length of nearly 80 minutes, my hopes for the album dropped drastically.

But to my surprise Orlando is a big step up from its predecessor. This album is actually really good. I do think it is too long and could have done with some editing down. But having said that I do enjoy every song, so what I would actually cut out I am not entirely sure. The album has great instrumentation, with clear nods to their past but still firmly modern sounding. This is certainly no retro album. What grabbed me the most however is how catchy the album is, there are so many great melodies throughout. This element is a particular improvement over Transiberiana.

A big shout out needs to go to vocalist Tony D'Alessio who has one of the toughest tasks in prog, having to fill the massive shoes left by the late Francesco Di Giancomo who was one of the great prog vocalists. D'Alessio thankfully does not try to imitate the unique Di Giancomo (an impossible task), but he does deliver a great performance in his own right. He sings with great emotion that is worthy of Di Giancomo. Overall, this album has been a pleasant surprise. It is rare for veteran bands to deliver an album this good so late into their career.

I first met "Darwin" on this version. And a lot later listened to the original album. Maybe because of that, the 1991 is my favourite version. My impressions are that the arrangements are more elaborated, and the passages between the sections of the compositions have a stronger fluidity and coeherence. It starts slow, with a nice sound that's similar to harpsichord. The mood is of suspense, enigma. I'm truly fond about the timbres and tones used by the synthesizers on this part. When Giacomo begins his participation, it's with some longer notes. Amazing when they reach the turning point of his interpretation when singing "energia e calore". WOW! The other musicians also increase intensity and energy, and the guitar adds georgeous melodies. It doesn't take long until another significant change of ideas occurs; on the fifth minute, slowing down. On the suite's next snippet, a good combination of cymbals and excellent interventions on synths culminate with a lot of intensity from Giacomo. And Maltese manages to mix up lyrism and firmness to this part. Incredible! Almost suddenly they become calm and enigmatic, but quickly go back to the energetic path. Henceforth you can identify some slightly jazzy tunes on piano, and a classic approach as well. Nocenzi's versatility is outstanding. And there goes this memorable suíte.

I adore the intensity of the markings made by the synths on the first part of the second track. Besides, the effects produced by them are remarkable. Combinations between instruments are perfect and criative. There's this long excerpt with an accelerated piano, among which the guitar sings. After that, bass assumes the front rythym. Little by little the other instruments return, increasingly robust and complex. This is one of the most phenomenal musics from RPI.

"La danza..." is a sophisticated jazz. Varying intensity e some solos. Nice to here. Nocenzi and Calderoni are inspired.

Next track starts pompous, but rapidly switches to a solid cuisine of the instruments. Great slightly psychedelic sounds come from the synths. They start accelerating and including some dissonances on the rythmyc sections. Then a significant and unexpected change of direction sends the composition to a brilliant piano. Before the song grows up again. Giacomo is executing some fantastic, penetrating, interpretations. Other singers gather on, with cohesive and massive vocal harmonies. Here the listener must pay close attention, if he/she wants to capture all the details.

A gorgeous piano opens up "750000 anni". Charming. Giacomo, with splendid lyrism and passion, find his spaces very well. This kind of scary interlude appears on the middle of the track. Generally speaking, the formula applied is piano-and-singing; even though there are some contributions made by bassist and keyboard player.

Penultimate track starts intense, with the sound of a banjo performing some brief notes. The composition suddenly becomes smooth. They carry on the executions in this alternation between fast and slow, intense and calm. It's mind-blowing the complexity and variety of this song. Another piece of delicious cake on RPI's History.

The short and last track has a circus-vibe. That harpsichord sound is back, on a different context. So nice!

I can't even consider the possibility of giving this opus less than five stars.

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso are a legend in the Italian progressive rock scene. Founded in 1970 by brothers Gianni and Vittorio Nocenzi, the band quickly gained popularity at home as well as internationally, thanks to their original take on progressive rock, mixing the influences of British bands like ELP and Gentle Giant with distinctively Mediterranean sensibilities harking back to the Italian "bel canto" tradition in opera. Iconic albums like Darwin! (1972) and Io Sono Nato Libero (1973) earned Banco a place among the "big three" of the Italian prog rock scene, together with Le Orme and PFM. Throughout the years, the band continued to release a steady stream of albums, but their career risked coming to an end after the tragic and untimely death in 2014 of their iconic lead singer, Francesco Di Giacomo. However, Vittorio Nocenzi found the strength to continue and recruited a new bunch of exceptional talents for his band (singer Tony D'Alessio behind the mic, Nicola Di Già on guitar, Marco Capozi on bass and Fabio Moresco on drums). After releasing their come-back record Transiberiana in 2019, Banco return this September with their 18th LP to date, Orlando: Le Forme dell'Amore (Orlando: The Shapes of Love), an ambitious concept album centered around Ludovico Ariosto's XVI century epic poem Orlando Furioso (Raging Roland).

The album had a long gestation period, and some of the songs go even back to the years before Di Giacomo's death and have been reworked extensively since then. The time and effort Nocenzi and his bandmates put into the project definitely pays off, though. Orlando is probably one of the best progressive rock albums I had the pleasure to listen to in recent years. It combines the textural and compositional depth of classic prog rock with an incredible sense of melody, striking a remarkable balance between complexity and accessibility. It is no mean feat. The history of prog rock and metal is rife with albums that seem written exclusively for the pleasure of those playing them, where displays of technical prowess and compositional complexity come across as sterile means without an end. With Orlando, Banco show that virtuoso playing and intricate, multi-part arrangements can also be used to convey emotions and to tell engaging and relatable stories.

The way the album is arranged oozes class and sophistication. Each instrument is a voice in a colourful and ever-changing orchestra. Melodic lines get swapped between Nocenzi's keyboards and the guitars played by Di Già and Filippo Marchegianni. Capozi's bass is used both as a melodic and rhythmic instrument, depending on the needs of each song, while drummer Fabio Moresco is equally apt to switch from track to track between steady rock-tempo keeping and nimble playing. A vast array of compositional techniques is used, in a way that is always functional to the album's narrative. In "Non Serve Tremare", Angelica - one of the protagonists in Ariosto's poem ? runs away from the violence of war. The alternation between 3/4 and 7/8 and minor / major scales is a great expedient to create tension and release, capturing Angelica's ambivalent feelings of fear and hope. The use of chromatic elements in "La Maldicenza" perfectly convey the perversion of gossip and slander. Elsewhere, delicate acoustic arrangements allow the band to express the more romantic aspects of Ariosto's poem, whose themes of love and yearning are as important as the tales of heroism and war ("Serve Orlando Adesso", "L'Amore Accade"). But the beating heart of this album are the fantastic melodies that run through its 15 songs, making them so memorable and unique. There is something about the way the melodic lines are constructed that I find absolutely mesmerizing. It is not just that they are catchy and instantly accessible. They are also dramatic, interesting, and extremely rich in the spectrum of emotions and mindspaces they explore ? from melancholy, to epicness, to raging fury. A former Italian X-Factor contestant, Tony D'Alessio is an incredible talent, and his full, expressive voice is the ideal conduit for the album's melodic ideas. His heavy metal heritage (he played in a handful of minor Italian prog metal acts in the 1990s) allows him to be very convincing in chanting the rages of war ("La Pianura Rossa"), but his voice can also caress the ear in the mellowest passages. The singer's histrionic performance is certainly one of the highlights of the record.

Another thing that stood out for me is how current and relevant Banco's music sounds still today. It's fair to say that many classic prog rock bands that are still releasing albums today, have not aged terribly well (Yes, for instance). These bands' sound is firmly rooted in the 1970s and it's difficult to shake off the impression that the same musical ideas are being recycled over and over again. Banco do not allow their music to be fossilized in the 1970s, but experiment with new sounds and techniques, from the user of vocoder to samples and loops. As a result, Orlando sounds fresh and contemporary. The unnerving opening bars of "Non Serve Tremare" nearly catapult me into a Radiohead's album, while elsewhere the music incorporates the influence of contemporary Italian "musica leggera" (singer-songwriter / pop music) in its most sophisticated forms (Franco Battiato). Meanwhile, songs like "Serve Orlando Adesso" and "Non Mi Spaventa Piu' l'Amore" look beyond European musical traditions and are built around a milonga rhythm.

The music is brilliant, but I must say it's not fully supported by the sound production, which is a tad too light and weightless for my taste. The instrument separation is fairly extreme. While this helps in picking up the melodic and rhythmical figures played by each musician, it reduces somewhat the overall impact of the music. Moreover, the drum sound is pretty thin, which is a problem in the record's heaviest passages ("La Pianura Rossa"). I wish the production could have been fuller and "meatier" to give the album the bigger and deeper sound it needs. I also felt the LP is perhaps a bit too long for its own good (just over 76 minutes). It's actually not length per se that is the problem, but the way that the album's narrative seems to get a bit garbled towards the end. The record achieves its emotional peak with the beautiful ballad "L'Amore Accade" (sung by guest vocalist Viola Nocenzi, Vittorio's daughter) and one would expect things to wind down and conclude shortly afterwards. In fact, the song is followed by the quiet and meditative "Non Credere Alla Luna", whose cathartic bluesy coda feels just like the perfect place to end the record. Yet there are three more tracks and over 20 minutes of music left, including the mini-epic "Moon Suite" which alone lasts 11 minutes. While each of these songs is quite beautiful per se, they feel unnecessary in the context of the album, spoiling somewhat the emotional arc that the album's narrative had traced up to this point.

Orlando is nevertheless a stunning return for Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. The album possesses the timeless elegance and beauty of the best rock operas out there, masterfully combining melodic accessibility with the virtuoso playing and complex arrangements of prog. It is epic and romantic and it feels modern and relevant. As such, it can appeal to a host of different fans, from 1970s prog rock aficionados to younger metalheads who may have a soft spot for musicals and theatrical repertoires and artists (Trans-Siberian Orchestra; Arjen Anthony Lucassen ? especially his latest Ayreon's album Transitus). Highly recommended!

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

93/100

After much consideration, I realized that this is probably the best Banco album, even if just by a hair.

Moreover, this is pretty much as good as RPI gets. While there are parts that lose their energy, the payoff is always there. It really works as an album, and introduces and concludes itself with dignity, leaving the exciting parts in the middle.

RIP is a fantastic start that balances cheer and drama, and doesn't waste a note. It has a fantastic clean guitar solo that is rare even in prog. Immediately you can hear the power in the vocals and I probably would pick this for the best singer in the RPI scene, and one of the greatest in rock music in general.

Banco has a strange quality of having their guitar player occupy the position of doing the least work on each album, with guitar parts being a light touch on songs that are overflowing with keyboard, drums, and strong voice. It's almost like the guitar player is trying not to overshadow the bassist, but the keyboardist is playing circles around even Keith Emerson.

On the fourth and fifth tracks you'll hear some of the greatest music ever recorded, with sections that build up tension slowly and blow you away with a perfect resolution. While prog rock is full of songs that pass the ten minute or approach the twenty minute mark, these two are examples that have stood the test of time in every way. The conclusion of Il Giardano Del Mago is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

If I were introducing someone to RPI, hands down this is the album I would recommend. It hardly gets any better than this, all things considered.