IL CASTELLO DELLE UOVA

I must admit to being somewhat mystified. On a site full of listeners who claim to be fans of Area and other adventurous music, how can so few have found Il Castello Delle Uova? How can there be so few reviews for their work on our esteemed prog-rock site? Well, if a recent post on their social media account is any indication, they're not particularly worried about it. Granted, I'm using the auto-translate to read their Italian-language musings, but they appeared to address concerns that they aren't playing the modern rock game "correctly" to achieve success, that they aren't releasing new stuff often enough or worrying about social media or bowing to press. They instead explain that the muse moves when the muse moves, when inspiration dictates, and much of the rest of the music industry game is not their problem. For the record, their music is certainly well served by something in their collective philosophy because this is some fun stuff.

Way back when I reviewed Appunti Sonori per una Cosmogonia Caotica, I had read that the band appreciated "Area, Crimson, and Woody Allen" among many others. That seemed a perfect informational nugget to me at the time as I felt their music blended technical ecstasies with a sense of humor. I feel like these guys could possibly be Zappa fans as well. Founded in 1999, the band refer to themselves as "post-prog." They are an eclectic, party-fizzed concoction of jazzy explorations for the demanding, adventurous music fan. They have returned here with their follow-up studio album entitled L'enigma del Capitale, and it is another wonderfully strange collection of unbridled, no-rules, collaborative rock. There is one difference of note between the two studio albums, and that is that the first album had quite a lot of horn whereas this one does not.

Capitale swirls out of your speakers, some kind of vortex of keyboard/guitar experiments with boisterous Italian vocals both sung and spoken, wandering, mischievous piano, and a hoppin' rhythm section. There are also the driving, angular rock sections, avant-jazz jams, spacey breathers, and frantic (or sometimes ambient) loops. There are sections of huge, ringing distorted chords with blistering, wild leads over them, not unlike playing that Zappa, Vai, or Satriani might approve of. It's often a very busy, dense listen. The first album may have a looser feel with more spaces for respite, though I like the fact that this one doesn't have the horns. Either way, ICDU is a must if you are a lover of daring rock music. Both studio albums are excellent, so which one should you check out first? I would advise this. If you love high profile trumpet playing in your rock music, get the first album. If you're not big on brass taking space away from your lead guitar, get this one first. Either way, crank 'em up loud---this is saucy stuff.

Il Castello delle uova (The Castle of the Eggs) is a self-described post-prog band formed in Palermo in 1999. The strange band name is meant to convey the contrast of space, power, and structure with frailty according to their web page. It goes on to describe the album as a sort of continuous free-jazzy soundscape, which gives sonic space to the words of a cosmicomic poem (written by Li Causi), where the beginning of the world perpetually coincides with its end.

That's right, while they don't mention Pholas Dactylus as an influence at their site, there are some similarities to the classic Concerto Delle Menti. You have a free flowing work of progressive instrumental prowess over which are delivered poetic lyrics in the form of spoken narration rather than traditional singing. That is not to say the music itself sounds the same. Castello's prowess is of a more consistently jazz direction than Pholas which had equal amounts of hard rock and attributed Krautrock influence. Here the music is relentlessly driven by the Karcius-level chops of bassist Ciccio Stampa and drummer Abele Gallo but displaying a more sensitive touch than that group. On top of this you have great synths and piano textures laid out for the featured guitars, vocals, loops, and trumpet of guest Aldo Bertolino. He has some simply jaw-dropping horn work in various places. While I would call this a contemporary or modern progressive jazz rock (and I'm certainly no expert in jazz) there are some fine moments of space guitar by Pietro Li Causi, such as early in track III (the pieces are just numbered rather than named.)

Over smooth synth background he lets go an emotional yet subtle piece of elegant lead that I wish went on longer unaccompanied. Or in the middle of track V where he simply lets wail right along with the narration. I find the music endlessly fascinating, at turns invigorating and then peaceful--perhaps another version of the contrast they aspire to. So who do they mention they appreciate on their page? Among others, King Crimson.Area.and Woody Allen. There you have it all, technical ecstasy with a sense of humor. But they go further, allowing their music sufficient quiet time to breathe and rest instead of constantly pummeling you with chops, something too many bands make the mistake of. Music should not be just another competitive forum for adrenalin junkies. When asked by Ondarock what their desert island albums would consist of, the band came up with Nursery Cryme, Red, Coltrane's My Favorite Things, Area's Arbeit, and Sonic Youth's Dirty among others.

The rest of your time with this album just lay back and enjoy this feast of daring composition that continues to unfold to new sonic fields with each play. Tasteful interplay, sometimes feisty and sometimes a cool blue flickering-light mellow, I continue to be amazed by the music flying below the radar in Italy. I keep reading people talk about South America, Scandinavia, Poland as the new hotbeds of progressive music.and yet the spirit of the music that keeps coming from Italy is what keeps me going-it's as exciting as that being produced anywhere in the world. And I hope it remains this eclectic and free-spirited. Their album is privately distributed by the band either as a download or a made-to-order CD. Fabulous music.