Modern Italian Prog Recommendations

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Ske, Accordo Dei Contrari & Yugen would top my list.

and also on an avant prog / chamber prog tip, I would give a big shout to Brezhnev Fun Club and Oteme.

The Ske album is actually one I run hot and cold on - sometimes love, other times it's a bit too much of a good thing - same way I feel about Anglagard.

Edited by Mascodagama - July 03 2017 at 06:08

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Mascodagama wrote: Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Ske, Accordo Dei Contrari & Yugen would top my list. and also on an avant prog / chamber prog tip, I would give a big shout to Brezhnev Fun Club and Oteme. The Ske album is actually one I run hot and cold on - sometimes love, other times it's a bit too much of a good thing - same way I feel about Anglagard. I'm hot and cold on Brezhnev Fun Club, I much prefer their 2nd album, Il Misantropo Felice, over the debut, L'Ondo Vertebrata, that everyone else seemed to rave about.

I am with you on that!

Next modern Italian album recommendation:

Band: IL CERCHIO D'ORO



Album: Il Viaggio di Colombo
Year: 2008

Technically, Il Cerchio d'Oro are a vintage band! They formed back in 1974, but only released a handful of singles (many of which were in a disco style!) at the time, although a compilation on the Mellow Records label showed up that compiled both those and some badly recorded demos from the same era. But the first official ICdO album arrived in 2008, `Il Viaggio di Colombo', and it was well received by Italian prog fans, very much a textbook example of modern symphonic-styled Italian prog (with tons of lovely piano), but there was a nice bite to the electric guitars in parts too. The album cover looked a treat on vinyl, and it's possibly still their best release to date.

The band delivered a lovely and tasteful follow-up `Dedalo e Icaro' in 2013 that won them over more fans, and they're apparently releasing a new album very shortly.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNH8kQRsw_Y


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUQiU8aokco

Prog Archives Band Page: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4125
Prog Archives album page: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=20557

Meltdowner wrote: ^ I searched for the Disco singles instead of listening to the album again

You know, I was absolutely certain that I reviewed that early compilation many years ago, but I can't find anything here! I've definitely got the CD in my collection, maybe I should do a belated catch-up! I DEFINITELY remember I interviewed the band for the Archives many years back, would you have come across it in the past, Sam? I think it turned out pretty well because the band gave such superb responses: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=94313

OK, now that I look back on that interview, seems like I might have been thinking of the various mentions of that compilation and those early singles throughout it as opposed to posting an actual review!

^ Never heard it before, really cool stuff! I'll leave here the Bandcamp link if anyone else is interested in listening/purchasing:

Awesome, I'll give it a listen later! :)

BAND: ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI



ALBUM: AdC
YEAR: 2014

Hailing from Bologna, Accordo dei Contrari have delivered four albums to date of frenetic fusion displays, each more ambitious and technically accomplished than the last. The debut self-titled work was reliable, the second `Kublai’, which would probably be the best place to start for most newcomers to the group, implemented more Canterbury jazz styles (as well as featuring contributions from Caravan/Hatfield and the North’s Richard Sinclair), but their third `AdC’ was their busiest and noisiest work up to that point, adding sophisticated classical flights, Post-Rock cinematic flavours, Rock in Opposition/Avant textures and ambient passages to truly offer no better definition of a `fusion' of styles!

Recorded over three days with only the slightest of overdubs, `AdC’ delivered never-ending musical eruptions effortlessly flowing from one seamless instrumental movement to the next and back, yet always remaining melodic and endlessly groovy. There were still little references to other Italian fusion acts like D.F.A, Arti e Mestieri, Perigeo and the Canterbury sounds from the previous album, as well as a general frantic Area-like attack overall, but the Accordo members were definitely forging their own path and had never sounded so tight and focused.

As mentioned by a few others on here, their latest `Violato Intatto’ has just come out too, so that should be well worth exploring.

Highly recommended for both heavier fusion and R.I.O/Avant fans!

Enjoy this opener from the album!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX3ciYImEYI

Prog Archives band link: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2870
Prog Archives album link: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=45550

Mascodagama wrote: I dig this to bits:

^ Love that album cover!

Next recommendation:

Band: LE PORTE NON APERTE



Album: Golem
Year: 2013

Le Porte non Aperte are a band that very much fly under the radar, despite the fact that they have performed at concerts with a range of Italian prog-music notables such as Il Bacio della Medusa, Osanna, Goad, Spettri and Il Tempio della Clessidre.

If you’re one of those listeners that finds many of the modern Italian discs a bit too clean and polished, there’s a good chance Le Porte non Aperte will be just the band you’re looking for! While there’s still plenty of ravishing piano, their debut album `Golem’ is quite unfancy in comparison to many new Italian discs, with the vocalist Sandro Parrinello delivering a grumbling and gravelly bellow of a darker croon, and there’s no end of huffing flute darting around dirty snarling guitars to sometimes remind of the first Biglietto per L‘Inferno album.

No second album so far, but let’s hope for a follow-up soon. Some will likely find the vocals a bit of a challenge, and the disc is probably overlong at 61 minutes, but we need more dirtier and tougher Italian bands like this!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pdez38Gi_A


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGmpmwG4l1U

Prog Archives artist page: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7889
Prog Archives album page: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=40714

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - July 09 2017 at 00:36