If (Italy)

Taken to the ABC123 team.

Bio and one review in Spanish from progwebsite Manticornio...

 

http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/I/IF/if.html

 

http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/I/IF/the-stairway.html

 

I'll check that out Andrea....  as you probably saw in the team thread...  IF got a ...finger up based on the myspace tracks.  Wasn't impressed progwise.  I'll check the two albums.

hmm...  interesting...  going to listen to those two albums Andrea. 

For lack of an answer from the teams... here's a review of their album Morpho Nestira

The times we live in...
Well, this is still an 'unsigned' band, but with the release of Morpho Nestira, the genre teams might want to take another look. Personally, I think this album contains some great moments, but in some places the experience is ruined by the intermezzos between the tracks - i.e. the people talking. Obviously, this has a meaning in the context of the album, but at the same time it feels like an overly repeated trick.
Musically, there's not much wrong with the album. Tracks like "You Need" (cleaned up Nirvana riff with an organ underneath...) and Background Noise could be classified as mature rock of the kind we had in the late 70's and early 80's, with bands like Journey and Toto - although with less of a signature sound to it.
In other places, tracks like Thirsty and Naked could've easily fit on Pink Floyd's The Wall - just listen and you'll recognise why.
On other tracks, the vocals remind me distinctly of Lou Reed in his later days (Learning To Communicate).
A nice experience with the album is that some tracks keep pulling you back for a relisten. Unknown Eyes has that effect because of the weird darkness it radiates, while Poison has a slightly irritating sound to the female part of the vocals that makes you want to skip to the next track, and yet it doesn't.
Finally, to cut the progressive edge - I think Morpho Nestira Part 1 and 2, together with Empty are the most progressive pieces on this album. The clear distinction between different parts, and the use of the keyboards make this in places almost classic symphonic with a modern edge. Almost - but not entirely, and even after three weeks of listening I can't put my finger on it.

Overall, this album is a weird mixture of styles, on 12 tracks played by definitely skilled musicians (although I don't always like the vocals). Overall a great listen - and worth considering for eclectic.

4 stars on unsigned bands scale, 3.5 on PA scale.

....yes it was the cross-dressers; but I couldn't tell you what their verdict was.