NEW TROLLS ATOMIC SYSTEM

After "Searching For A Land", a double album from 1972, an internal struggle broke out in the New Trolls which led Vittorio De Scalzi and Nico di Palo to split up. "Ut", released in the same 1972, sees Vittorio De Scalzi present in only one track ("I cavalieri del lago dell'Ontario") however without having any importance for the final result. "Ut" could therefore be classified as the debut album of "Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio"/ Ibis. Vittorio De Scalzi, sole custodian of the name new Trolls at SIAE, decides to form N.T. Atomic System recalling Giorgio D'Adamo (bass) former New Trollsand adding new musicians (Tullio De Piscopo, Renato Rosset, Giorgio Balocco, Ramasandiran Somusundaram and Anna & Giulietta). While Ibis create a sort of Proto Prog Metal, N. T. Atomic System give themselves to a symphonic Progressive Rock in the most classic Italian tradition complete with Jazz and Blues parts with Heavy sound merged in the symphonic system that Banco Mutuo Soccorso, PFM or Le Orme do so much.

I've basically already described the album. In retrospect, describing the various compositions individually doesn't make much sense because, in the end, there is always the usual mix between VDGG, Jethro Tull, Genesis and Gentle Giant and, for better or worse, here they are reinterpreted very much in Anglo-Saxon style and little in an Italian version (like PFM did, for example). I like to note that in certain moments there are insertions of reinterpretations of Atomic Rooster more Hard Rock in some keyboard scores. Conversely, " Quando l'erba vestiva la terra " is a classic song that can be inserted into the more symphonic Italian melodic POP genre and is, in practice, a Power Ballad which, however, has a baroque insertion (in which a translation by Gentle Giant is heard which then turns into Jazz Rock) which ruins the atmosphere that the band wanted to create. Naturally, "A Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Mussorgsky (released as a single) is included in the reissues, knowing that he wants to make people understand that N.T. Atomic System are Italian (since it was the fashion for Italian groups to do these Rock versions of classical music classics).

Honestly "N.T. Atomic System" is a beautiful album. Not a masterpiece, OK. However, not knowing him is truly something to be condemned. Especially because it has aged really well and is still an album that could be released today, the same in every way... Even in the production.

New Trolls is an interesting band, for sure. They developed from ye olde beat and pop/ rock of the sixties into an ever more progressive and eclectic band. I love the 'Concerto grosso', 'Searching for a new land' and 'UT'. Especially 'UT'. I find that album to be very varied, hard rocking and challenging album that grows on you. At first I didn't get it at all but it revealed itself after some time. Great album by a great band. 'Night on bare mountain' seems to be the following album and is quite interesting aswell. Musically New Trolls stands in both classical elements and hard rock, creating a wonderful brew of progressive rock that spans across the universe. Quite evident is their love of jazz and folk, which adds to the great flavor of the album. I would say, however, that the music is less challenging on this one, compared to 'UT', but ot the other hand it feels more cohesive and held together. The good thing is that the songs are presented in a sort of uniform state, the problem is that the songs actually are similar to each other, resulting in an album of great material but nothing really stand out.

There is an abundance of marvellous instrumentation on this album. The title track is an electronic sounding, pulsating thing with an overly classical reference which works great. The massive amounts of keyboards, not to mention organ, is a treat and being a fan of keyboards I cannot be anything other than amused. There is a delicate feel to it all that is at times abruptly interrupted by outbursts of heavy rock. That is very enjoyable and one is kept on ones toes, actually.

As far as individual tracks are concerned, every song is great and better. When I listen to the album I really nod my head in recognition. 'This is so great', I find myself saying, and I mean it. The music is really great in all it's jazzy progressive rock. It is wonderful. But I cannot really pick any one track out, apart from the title track. I cannot hum them. That is a shame, because the songs are really good. Maybe it's the similarities they share that is to blame? I don't really know. Or perhaps this album marks a decline in the fortunes of the New Trolls? Whatever the reason, I find that 'Night on bare mountain' is really enjoyable and well performed, simply not outstanding. I wish for it to be released on CD, some day, because then I will buy it. If you haven't listened to New Trolls, start with 'Concerto grosso' or 'UT'. Save this one for later.

Space fusion

While not the most refined of live recordings, Tempi Dispa still remains my absolute favourite release from The New Trolls. Well-renowned for their Grosso Concerto, which most people into the RPI scene seem to find their best, I personally think they made a far better album with Tempi Dispari.

Shimmying effortlessly from grand romantic symph prog, the New Trolls Atomic System dives into the deep end and starts playing spacey jazz rock. Slow, pensive, larval - jiving back and forth to a secret trance, the rhythm section here works so incredible well. Like a gentle heartbeat it propels this venture forth with cool calm and collected drive, that makes me think of the ol jazz masters of yesteryear.

Summoning up the fiery bits, the butterflies - the real juice of the album - you have dreamy passionate piano sprees, gentle evocative sections of guitar and reeds, that then again both come off distinctively more snarling and aggressive, when the moods change from the blue chill out of the old jazz club to swinging bebop fuelled fusion. Hell, there are even times on this record, where I feel completely certain that I'm listening to an early Canterbury release.

Imagine an early version of Colosseum run through a filter of Caravan and their German name brothers XHOL Caravan, and you're nearly there. Pour in 4 litres of Soft Machine and Gong, wait until the morning, caress the batter, put in stove on 700* and wait for the album to emerge from its shell.

Apart from all that, you too sense a meaty, well oiled engine running things - a dirty pulsing entity breathing heavily from within the music. It's a musical quality you normally only hear when old beat down blues men come together and speak about the world and beyond through the secret handshake of the guitar. On here there's a similar meeting happening. It feels like something which has been long under way, hiding from beneath old pillow casings and dirty mattresses of the road. It's a connection with these guys that you just don't get from their other releases. It genuinely feels like music that couldn't be held back - it wanted out!

If you enjoy fusion shadings to your space trips - the kinds that make your fingers naturally snap to the beat, the kinds that ebb softly out in utter gracefully played melodies that seem to lie on the edge of your subconsciousness, then go take a chance with this thing. It's an astonishingly good album for looking out windows nurturing hope for a red night with candles and wild entertaining people that dance furiously and talk like the wind. 3.5 stars.

In 1974 another album credited to New Trolls Atomic System was released on De Scalzi's Magma label.The front cover of course never had the ''Atomic System'' moniker, but the line-up was the same with the previous work of New Trolls Atomic System.The album consists of two sidelong tracks, both recorded live at the Teatro Alcione in Genova.

The opening piece is a huge but propably negative surprise for all New Trolls fans.While in the first album some jazzy elements were already presented, the so-called ''7/4 (Settequarti)'' is actually a long Jazz-Rock improvisation with few structured parts, completely unoriginal yet totally new for these Italians, with endless sax solos by Giorgio Baiocco and constant jazzy hooks by Vittorio De Scalzi.There are little connections between the numerous solos and the tracks ends up to be a long and loose performance by the group, nicely executed but with limited to zero interesting passages.The second track, entitled ''13/8 (Trediciottavi)'', has more in common with the old New Trolls sound, although the smooth jazzy guitar solo at the beginning gives the impression of another totally improvised experience.Certainly the music has again a very loose feeling as a whole, but the approach here is multiple and more interesting with an overall richer sound.De Scalzi & co. blend jamming Hard Rock with Jazz-Rock with also references to Space Jazz and Classical Music.Lots of sax interventions, heavy organ solos, fiery electric piano and crunchy electric guitars result to a nice piece of instrumental music with quite a few great ideas, especially when the pounding rhythm section accompanies Baiocco's spacier sax parts.

The biggest suprise of all though came with the reformation of the old New Trolls after this album with Nico Di Palo demising Ibis and rejoining De Scalzi for a fresh new start.After the story of New Trolls Atomic System ended, keyboardist Renato Rosset joined Nova and drummer Tullio De Piscopo had a succesful career as a session musician, even putting up a few personal albums.

''Tempi dispari'' will find place in any serious Jazz-Rock/Prog collection, especially for the very interesting second track, but do not expect something close to the classic New Trolls sound.Recommended.

Is this really New Trolls? The N.T. Atomic System album from 1973 was recorded while legal wrangling were going under way, basically who should own the New Trolls name. It seems that Vittorio De Scalzi won, as the second album with this new lineup, Tempi Dispari, bears the New Trolls name (OK, so the percussionist and female backup singers had left, but the rest remain). Don't expect a continuation of the New Trolls sound as you expect, like from the previous album, or anything else (UT, Searching for a Land, Concerto Grosso per 1). What you get here is full-on jazz rock/fusion. In fact, had this been their only album, this album would have easily fit in the "jazz rock/fusion" category of Prog Archives, but the group rightfully belongs in the RPI section, for rather obvious reasons (their other, prog-oriented albums). This was recorded live, and unlike the second disc (the last four cuts if you own the CD reissue) of Searching for a Land, there's no disputing that is an actual live recording. Searching For a Land featured a bunch of overexcited crowd cheers sounding more like a soccer game than a rock concert, and rumors that the cuts on the second disc were studio recordings and crowd cheers added on afterwards. At least with Tempi Dispari, the crowd cheering is much more normal and the album does tell you where it was recorded. So, given this is a jazz rock/fusion album, you get a more jamming feel, with saxophone and electric piano dominating. Low key synths occasionally pop up, and even some Hammond organ, but it's never the dominant instrument here. At one part you hear the theme to Concerto Grosso Per 1, and the audience rightfully became excited. I can hardly believe that just a year before the band released N.T. Atomic System, because it sounds nothing alike, just the occasional hint. I can imagine a few bewildered fans who bought Tempi Dispari and hearing fusion. On the other hand, those familiar with the fusion of the time I'm certain warmed up to it. More those expecting a more traditional Italian prog sound might stay away, but if you love fusion, this album is a must!

After the release of the good Ut, the problems started in THE NEW TROLLS, while Nico di Palo wanted to move the bands towards the Hard Rock camp, Vittorio De Scalzi refused to abandon Prog, so the band split and Vittorio along with Giorgio D'Adamo formed THE NEW TROLLS ATOMIC SYSTEM, in order to give priority to the Symphonic sound the band had achieved in the fantastic Concerto Grosso Per I New Trolls.

So almost immediately the release , a very good LP, in which his guys try several different Prog sub genres, including Symphonic, Heavy Prog, Folksy Pastoral and Jazz, and even when the album doesn't have a single weak moment, seems as this guys were never able to find a determined sound that could identify them.

The album is opened by La Nuova Predica di Padre O'Brien (The New Sermon of Father O'Brien), a song that shows the eclectic nature of the album, being that after a short Symphonic intro, they move towards some sort of folksy passage with a JETHRO TULL inspired Prog, Hard Rock and even Jazz. A very good musical piece in which the band combines perfectly so different genres.

Ho Visto Poi (I have Seen Them) begins with a heavy intro in which a strong Hammond in the vein of URIAH HEEP and turns into a precious Power Ballad with some radical changes and great performances with a hint of Psychedelic jamming and a very confuse Free Jazz section.

Tornare a Credere (To Believe Again) starts as a mainstream Rock song with excellent vocals and choirs, but about the mark of the 4:30 minutes, anything can be expected, from jazzy sections to some Symphonic moments with an extraordinary guitar work.

Una Notte Sul Monte Calvo (A Night at the Bald Mountain) is one of the best versions of Mussorgsky's classic, being that the band dares to be innovative and assumes risks, but at the same time they respect the rebellious spirit of the Mighty Handful represented by Mussorgsky. I'm sure that if the composer was alive, this would be one of his favorite versions.

Ibernazione (Hibernation) is a really strange song, after a Medieval introduction they jump to Rock territory with some ELP keyboard based passages, a nice contrast with the melancholic Quando L'Erba Vestiva la Terra (When the Grass Dressed the Earth), without doubt the most Symphonic track of the album with an amazing organ performance.

The album ends with Butterfly, a fantastic Blues oriented song with an obvious influence of the first JETHRO TULL albums, not Prog but who cares, this is simply brilliant.

Even when N. T. Atomic System is not in the level of the wonderful Concerto Grosso Per I New Trolls (Very few albums in Rock history are in this level), we are before an essential release that deserves no less than 4 solid stars.

New Trolls Atomic System was formed by Vittorio De Scalzi as an offshoot of New Trolls, and renamed for contractual reasons. This album maintains the earlier band's tradition of fusing rock and classical music and even includes a reworking of Modest Mussorgsky's ''A Night on Bare Mountain''. UNA NOTTE SUL MONTE CALVO was originally released as a single and is included on the Vinyl Magic disc as a bonus track. Clearly it was an attempt to emulate the success ELP had with Mussorgsky's ''Pictures At An Exhibition''.

The ELP influence is evident throughout the album, particularly on LA NUOVA PREDICA DI PADRE O'BRIEN. In fact, if you were ever curious to hear how ELP would sound with Ian Anderson joining them on flute then this song could just fit the bill. Strange fruit indeed, especially when you add some Ennio Morricone inspired female backing vocals... it might be best just to listen to the MP3/stream to see what I mean. Lyrically, it would seem to draw on themes on the New Trolls' 1968 concept album where they collaborated with poet Riccardo Mannerini.

For me the standout track is the penultimate QUANDO L'ERBE VESTIVA LA TERRA, mainly thanks to its aching synthesizer lines and general air of melancholy during its first half. The heavy second part includes some piercing saxophone overblows so take care if, like me, you listen on headphones. Unfortunately the album goes from the sublime to the ridiculous on the closing track BUTTERFLY, an English-language pop song that totally kills the album's atmosphere. It's just plain bizarre if you ask me. I had actually forgotten about this song since I never listen to it (it's like a very poor Cat Stevens' song, a guy I like a lot by the way). I was going to give this album 4-stars, but I've knocked it down to 3 because this song simply doesn't fit on an otherwise fine prog album.

This is my favourite NEW TROLLS related album. Quite a change in styles from all that has gone before with this band as they wander over to the Jazz-Rock genre on this one.Two side long suites in this all-instrumental recording.

"7/4 (Settequarti)" has some impressive atmosphere early as sax, bass and drums come and go. It kicks in before 2 1/2 minutes. It settles again a minute later with intricate guitar which turns fairly aggressive 4 1/2 minutes in. Nice. Sax is prominant then piano 6 1/2 minutes in. Horns lead before 9 minutes then the tempo picks up with sax and bass leading. It settles with piano and guitar 12 minutes in then the sax and drums join in as it builds. Sax and keys dominate after 15 minutes. Excellent track.

"13/8 (Trediciottavi)" is a more intense track but not to start out as the keys and guitar echo. Bass 5 minutes in as the tempo picks up. Distorted guitar after 6 minutes and it's building. They let it rip after 7 1/2 minutes. Organ before 10 minutes in an intense section with sax and drums dominating. Guitar is back 11 minutes.

This cd will definitely go in my Jazz / Fusion section and for me it's an easy 4 stars.

I guess for legal reasons when the NEW TROLLS split they felt they needed to change their name somewhat. I enjoyed this album quite a bit especially the first two tracks. Thankfully the vocals are in Italian and they style here is Symphonic.

"La Nuaova Predicadi Padre O'Brien" opens with some great sounding keyboards that will come and go. Vocals and a fuller sound arrive quickly. Flute 1 1/2 minutes in followed by vocal melodies. I like the synths before 4 minutes as well. "Ho Visto Poi" opens with organ and synths. Drums follow then it settles with reserved vocals. It kicks in again as the contrasts continue. Sax before 4 1/2 minutes. Two excellent tracks to start.

"Tornare A Credere" features piano early as reserved vocals join in. It gets fuller with backing vocals helping out too. Contrasts continue. Not a big fan of this first part. A change after 4 1/2 minutes as the guitar then piano leads. Synths are next then back to that earlier sound to end it. Piano and vocals are prominant early on in "Ibernazione" as synths come and go. Flute after 3 minutes. Check out the bass after 4 1/2 minutes ! "Quendo L'Erba Vestiva La Terra" is almost orchestral-like to open before vocals and piano take over. Organ joins in. Guitar after 3 1/2 minutes solos away. The tempo continues to shift. Sax 5 1/2 minutes in. "Butterfly" opens with gentle guitar as reserved vocals and percussion join in. Backing vocals too as contrasts continue. This one does sound quite different from the rest. Not a fan.

A good album but it could have been so much better.

- Emiliano, Luca & Parmalat - Are You Finito Benito? -

Did a tripping armadillo with a massively swollen bladder relieve itself into the Italian public water supply circa 1971? How else can we explain the glut of RPI albums that clearly overlay a template borrowed from ELP's ground breaking Tarkus? And while we're at it, why are there so many Italian prog albums with eggs on the cover eh? Was this omelette fetish some sort of sinister Mediterranean hippy cult?

Although the New Trolls acknowledge the ELP homage mainly by textural and instrumental means, there are during La Nuova Predica Di Padre O'Brien several instances where they regurgitate whole and undigested, entire portions from both Bitches Crystal and Infinite Space. Check out the bludgeoning 3/4 groove from the former and the hybrid 7/4 syncopation from the latter if evidence is required. Mercifully however, the whole is way more than the sum of its parts on this capricious opening number and although never approaching the ferocious kicking meted out to a girly waltz rhythm administered by ELP, these Italians do actually deliver a far superior melody and broader compass for their more ambitious creation. Although the instrumentation is familiar (Hammond, Piano, Bass and Drums being the cake with some percussive breathy flute, guitar and analogue synth as some welcome icing) there is a real surprise in store when the guitar solo kicks in. It's almost as though Wes Montgomery was sitting in as a hired session hand with the clean bassy tone and authentic octave soloing technique lending a very innovative texture to some otherwise common garden prog. Forza Azzurri!

Not being an Italian speaker I haven't the foggiest whether Father O'Brien's new sermon is any more cop than the old one but I love the passion and emotion dripping from Vittorio De Scalzi's exquisite vocals. Some very inventive and classically derived vocal counterpoint is provided by way of a chorale section via Anna & Giulietta, who sound either like multi tracked young un's or two signorinas with three heads each?

As your reviewer is once again too gormless to read the sleeve notes beforehand, I was wondering why the guitar is absent for long stretches on this record until it finally dawned on me that even the multi tasking Di Scalzi cannot be expected to spank that plank, parp that ARP, tickle that spinet and sing like an angel all at the same time.

I am a complete sucker for cartoon tacky 50's sci-fi ambience and the intro for Ho Vista Poi has me drooling like a rural Arkansas UFO spotter. There is no Theremin listed on the cover so I can only guess this to be an expert replication of same via an analogue synth beastie.If you cannot conjure up celluloid images of 70 foot tall raygun toting Zucchini invading Planet Earth here, you are either deaf, dead or even Zucchini I suspect. By way of contrast, the remainder of the song completely contradicts this opening mood by being a linear design of alternating heavy guitar riff and gentle pastoral verse that somehow confounds my habitual reservations about this type of writing. Giorgio Baiocco appears to have left his apartment in a hurry that morning, so imitates his favoured tenor sax with a baritone kazoo? on an incongruous and unnerving solo that would even pass muster with the likes of John Zorn

Tornere a credere - A very moving and stately ballad supported by the bitter-sweet piano of Renato Rossert before launching into a magnificent and impassioned chorus reinforced by spine tingling organ and choral swathes from the aforementioned six headed creature that is Anna & Giulietta. The instrumental interlude that follows does betray one of the New Trolls weaknesses i.e. they have a habit of affecting classical ornamentation that comes across as bluff pastiche and not the intended nod to influences from the conservatory. (Beggars Opera are similarly blighted by this failing).

There is also a rather heavy lidded wink to Abaddon's Bolero in places but we can forgive them drawing inspiration from the best can't we? as this would still be a damn great song relieved of the instrumental baggage.

Put the eardrops in the fridge people as it's now time for the classical adaptation...Night on Bald Mountain (by longhairs) I'm a little surprised this Mussorgsky concert staple hasn't been tackled/red carded/hospitalised/butchered by offensive formations from the prog league more often as apart from Fireballet's version I can't recall another one? You can all relax though as this does not bowdlerise the original in any way and is a very robust and truncated interpretation of a rousing piece that was always begging to be bombasticised.(fresh coinage?)

Ibernazione - Do Armadillos with machine guns need to hibernate? (Or Trolls for that matter?) Early 70's analogue synth obsessives are in for a treat here but as for the rest of us, we would harbour suspicions that the lads are beginning to stock up for a long winter at this point. The song itself reeks of being a tangential instrumental with a rather superfluous melody tacked over the top. Incredibilmente ! there's a bass solo from Giorgio D'Adamo as if to confirm our worst fears. Not entirely redundant as the playing, textures and variety on offer is perhaps in inverse proportion to the quality of the thematic writing.

Quando l'erbe vestiva la terra - What was delightfully capricious hitherto is uncloaked here as clumsily episodic. The individual thematic ideas are decent enough but they seem to have been sloppily glued together in the creation of a faux mini suite of tenuously related materials. The New Trolls do have a fondness for waltz rhythms and this number is redolent of a more hot blooded and volatile Procul Harum. Despite all that, there is in mitigation, a wonderful sax solo from Baiocco that hints that the laddie could have carved himself a considerable reputation in the jazz sphere methinks? De Scalzi contributes his lengthiest and most eloquent guitar solo on the album hereabouts but not even this can mask some yawning gaps in the floorboards.

Butterfly - Oh dear, this sounds like an ill advised cover version of Lapland's doomed Boong Bagga Bingy entry for the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest. The lyrics are in English but if they were mine, such an unequivocal death warrant should be encrypted post haste. The cack handed deployment of that normally infectious beat from Not Fade Away is more Bo Derek than Bo Diddley alas.

All things considered these are very enjoyable and diverse slices of Rock Progressivo Italiano and although NT Atomic System doesn't quite have the class of Maxophone, PFM or Banco, it should serve as a suitable introduction to this genre. For those who are puzzled by this separate category on Progressive Archives rest assured that such music from this part of the world has a unique flavour, feel and texture thoroughly deserving of its demarcated status.

Fancy a Zucchini omelette hun?

Yeah okay, pass me the hammer