All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

My review is produced using this release: Vinyl Magic (New Prog '90) VMNP 03

My Rating: 8/10 PA Rating: 5/5

This is the album of the reborn of RPI and, strange, is produced from a band called Il Castello Di Atlante. Even more weird if we consider that Il Castello di Atlante is a good but unluckly 70's RPI band!!! Strange the life... "Sono Io Il Signore Delle Terre A Nord" is a very good album in the Folk RPI vein. In fact the songs like "Il Pozzo" or "Semplice Ma Non Troppo" are good example of Folk Prog ("Il Pozzo" is Medieval/ Renaissance music) also because Il Castello Di Atlante have a good violin player (Massimo Di Lauro that in this album uses Joseph Beltramius (Cremona- 1872) violin. Only for this reason this Il Castello Di Atlante come approached to Quella Vecchia Locanda and it is true in the Rock parts. But Il Castello Di Atlante is more and too Folk respect to Quella Vecchia Locanda. In this CD what we listen to it is a Classic RPI with violin to the place of the flute and the synths to the place of mellotron. "Non C'è Tempo", very Rock track, is a good example of the new but traditional RPI because in this song the Synth is the rhythmic carpet and the guitar is the soloist instrument. Besides the magic it is the original RPI magic but the atmospheres are those of the new RPI.

For me if loved Il Castello Di Atlante you will love the Faveravola (and vice versa). But remember: this is the disc of the reborn of the RPI. We want to rediscover it and to treat it how it deserves?

Posted Friday, April 13, 2007, 11:16 EST | Permanent link

My review is produced using this release: Immagnifica/ BTF QQ 1003 CD

My Rating: 9,5/10 PA Rating: 5/5

Ok, this is a new Italian Classic Of Prog World!!! Remember this words!!! I don't know because the people should love this "LuxAde". But I know because I love "LuxAde". First because the production is executed from Franz Di Cioccio. That creates a 70's atmosphere. econd because Fabio Zuffanti creates a new way for the Italian (Symphonic) Prog. A good mix between New Trolls, PFM, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Le Orme, Museo Rosenbach, Rovescio Della Medaglia, Biglietto Per L'Inferno, Osage Tribe, Area... And this mix produces a good new music!!! Third because this is a MASTERPIECE and not masterpiece!!!Four because some moments the bass of Zuffanti seems the bass of Joey DeMaio!!! Five because all the previous points means: Passion!!! All Zuffanti's music elements are here but this "LuxAde" is too simple and this simplicity in this case is a lack because it does not do rhyme with easiness of listening. I do not understand because to compose an album so Symphonic if then this element it means only the recover of the tradition. And if the bass is distorted (a la Joey DeMaio) because to introduce a sung to the PFM or New Trolls? Or a flute very catchy but very a la Tull? Or this carpet of keyboards that they do a lot Greenslade? Because this is the Fabio Zuffanti's Prog in 2006!!! That to the times it is also too heavy... And in other too melodic. But, excuse me, they isn't the same things that 34 years before said at the groups that I cited in this review?

And for me "LuxAde" is another classic of Prog!!! And another classic from Italy!!!

Posted Thursday, April 12, 2007, 13:22 EST | Permanent link

My review is produced using this release: Mellow Records MMP 496 (2007)

My Rating: 8/10 PA Rating: 5/5

Another very good band from Italy. Like more of the new Italian Prog bands the Notabene influcences are found in PFM, Banco, Le Orme and New Trolls from the Italian bands and Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Van Der Graaf Generator from the foreigners bands. This mix produced, in this case, one Symphonic Prog to the boundary of the Neo Prog. For me the palette is formed from little colors. Green, yellow, black, grey and white; the drawing is secure but not really neo realist because more informal. This music is like a Van Gogh's painted. The power of the keyboards of Daniele Manerba is one of the point of force of this band because his synths decreasing the symphonic impact in reality increases the wall of power of the songs. That have a Peter Gabriel's Genesis/ 80's PFM structure with an use of the arrengements a la Le Orme and a New Trolls power with a good voice a la Hammill/ Gabriel/ Phil Collins structure. With this ingredients is secure that an album like "Sei Lacrime D'Ambra" is one of the album that I prefer.

I am secure, this album passed like more of the album. But the Notabene have written a good page of good Prog. And this is the true story.

Posted Friday, March 30, 2007, 16:56 EST | Permanent link

My review is produced using this release: I dischi della LOCANDA DEL VENTO/ Lizard records ldv 001

My Rating: 9/10 PA Rating: 5/5

It is true... Faveravola is good. Faveravola is a new band with old musicians from "Marca Trevigiana". Faveravola is a new soft Folk/ Symphonic band with Medieval concepts. And the cover is the representation of the hills of Asolo, Conegliano or Vittorio Veneto, beautiful little city with castles in Marca Trevigiana. This work is special for me because I love the cover atmospheres and the concept played in this album (and also because my father is from Tarzo, beautiful village near Vittorio Veneto, Revine Lake, Cison Di Valmarino [Castelbrando] and Follina [Santa Maria Abbey] and this is also the zone of the Prosecco whine; Ah... I love this album also because it comes mentioned the Livenza River, river that divided the Friuli of the Marca Trevigiana). Ok, I bothered yourselves? You are free of to think what want but I don't believe that how much wrote it is been wasted toil. It is true one album It can be read in a lot of manners. This is the mine. And the music, like is it? In truth is good but if you think that since I said that it is Symphonic Folk the Faveravola is another Tullesque band... Friend... You are really outside road. Faveravola is another thing. Is a new minstrel band. And the music, for this reason, is only the support of the lyrics and of the emoyions that the Faveravola want to they transmit. In truth also Aldo Tagliapietra, narrative voice in "La Piana Dei Temoli Del Livenza", it comes kidnapped from the magic of the Faveravola. That it deserve to play always in a castle or in a medieval inn.

For me "La Contea Dei Cento Castagni" is surely one of the best album of this New Wave Of Italian Prog. And in truth also one of the best all time album of Prog.

Posted Thursday, April 12, 2007, 10:41 EST | Permanent link

My review is produced using this release: OpusAvantra Studium S.a.r.L (OPUS005)

My Rating: 9/10 PA Rating: 5/5

This is a very convincing album because Donella Del Monaco (grandchild of the best tenor Mario Del Monaco) can express itself to the better. In fact Donella write in the "Venetia Et Anima" that in "Biennale Musica 2003" (Venice) is codify the "Creative Solism", i.e. the idea of a performer who is "the author of himself, the performer's of other's writing, or the creator of a parallel score". And Donella continue: "I finally rediscovered the approach to music with which I have always had an affinity". I could close here the review. Instead continuous. In "Venetia Et Anima" is contained all this definition. In fact in "Venetia Et Anima" is contained all type of art of this definition. the poetry (in dialect) by Andrea Zanzotto becomes a new trip in the Venetian soul, "Ierusalem celesti" (by Giacomo Da Verona, XIIIrd Century) or the other ancient chants come updated loser the liturgic meant becoming metaphor of the celestial life but always lived like true and difficult to accept. But the celestial voice of Donella reaches high peaks in "Canto Del Cielo" and in "Nell'Eterno Del Presente" where Donella joke with the tonality of her beautiful instruments. Above all "Nell'Eterno Del Presente" is a Liturgical POP song (but not a simple song) where Donella use this voice in all the form. And in this case Donella emotion, showing that the voice is an instrument like violin, guitar, keyboard, drums... "Nell'Eterno Del Presente" and Donella's voice is simply the Art of Music (the capital letters are obviates and deduct).

See www.donelladelmonaco.com and order "Venetia Et Anima". Because the Music is Art.

Posted Sunday, April 01, 2007, 11:09 EST | Permanent link

My review is produced using this release: Pick Up Records PKP1910 (1995)

My Rating: 9,5/10 PA Rating: 5/5

This is the last album of Nuova Era. And one of the ten Prog album of the Rock Progressivo Italiano (this genre exist... To ask Aldo Tagliapietra of Le Orme). In this case the inspiration bands are Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and ELP (Ok... Therefore Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, because Nuova Era is an Italian band). In this sense isn't a clone band because more POP and Nuova Era's music haven't the grandiloquent of Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso's music. In general the keyboards have a great weight but they aren't the "prince" instrument because all the instruments and the voice contribute in the same way. In this sense I noted a good study of albums like "Garofano Rosso" because it is just this album that is approached the Nuova Era (and true very... Not vice versa!!!). Another distinction is that "Il Passo Del Soldato" is more Rock respect to the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso approaching itself mainly to the Banco's albums but with more Prog approach. For me "Il Passo Del Soldato" is an albut that it had been published in the 70's it could have been much considered from the masses. But this is my opinion, only my opinion.

This is an album of immediate understanding, but very fascinating. The Pick Up it has uncovered the Labyrinth, is true. But with "Il Passo Del Soldato" by Nuova Era it has centered an other objective. Thanks Pick Up Records in Bassano Del Grappa (Vicenza, Italy).

Posted Saturday, March 31, 2007, 06:13 EST | Permanent link