Conqueror are an excellent band of the contemporary Italian prog scene, but they’re not famous (not yet!) and the theatre where they play is very far from crowded... Sometimes the promoter (and musician) Davide Casali, who organized the event, seems to be a kind of “prog prophet” talking in the desert... It’s a pity, because Conqueror are a band that are really worth listening to and on stage they prove to be extremely good performers and very sensitive musicians...

The show begins with “Ouverture” from their second album “Storie fuori dal tempo”, the sound is powerful and the band showcase great musicianship from the very first notes...

Then, after “Porte straniere” from their debut album “Istinto”, Simona Rigano introduces their new work, the concept “74 giorni”, dedicated to the memory of Ambrogio Fogar and Mauro Mancini...

Ambrogio Fogar was a sailor, rally driver and all-round adventurer... In 1978, when he was sailing from Mar del Plata to Cape Hoorn along with his friend Mauro Mancini, his ship “Surprise” was wrecked because of a killer whale attack. Ambrogio Fogar and Mauro Mancini survived more than ten weeks in a life raft in the South Atlantic until they were rescued by a Greek cargo ship. Journalist Mauro Mancini died of pneumonia two days after the rescue....

“Maschere di uomini” is the melodic opener of “74 giorni”... Then “Quartar” from the debut album, “Orca”, “No photo”, “Non maturi per l’aldilà”, “Cormorani”, “L’ora del parlare”, “Mosaico di colori”, “Nebbia ad occhi chiusi”... The music flows quite steadily until “Eleutherios” that concludes the most original part of the show... The tracks from “74 giorni” are intertwined with other tracks from their previous albums that fit very well in the plot of the concept and between some tracks there’s room for the reading of some pages from Amborgio Fogar’s book “La Zattera” that help to explain the concept... “74 giorni” is a kind of metaphor of life and its message is “never give up!”

Then comes a tribute to two of Conquerors’ favourite bands, Genesis’ “Firth Of Fifth” and a PFM’s medley including “E’ festa / Impressioni di settembre”...

The last track is the long and wonderful instrumental “Entropia” from their debut album “Istinto”...

After two intense hours full of music and emotions the show comes to an end...

In my opinion Conqueror deserve credit!