DOPO L'INFINITO

NUOVA ERA's second release isn't quite as good as their debut or their next one "Io e il Tempo" in my opinion, but this is still an excellent album. There seems to be a lot more synths on this one when compared to the debut. And for me that's the negative. If you don't have any of NUOVA ERA's records I strongly recommend you check out any of their albums, as they are all well done. This record consists of two side long suites that are broken down to 8 songs.

The first song "Nel Nulla" is a mellow song that is very CAMEL-like in the sound, with piano and synths leading the way, and it closes out with some nice guitar. The next two songs are instrumentals, starting with "Odissea" that features synth washes and a beautiful sounding melody of guitar, drums and keys. "Tra le Stelle" is a short tune with piano melodies the main focus. "Dentro L'ignoto" is one of my favourites on this record opening with flute and organ. I love the vocals 2 minutes in, and the guitar is great 4 minutes in. The guitar, keyboard interplay is amazing. Organ closes out the song as it blends into the next song "Rassegnazione" and actually dominates this song.

The second side long suite starts off with "Ai Margini dell'olimpo" opening with synths and gentle vocals that get intense, I love his vocals when he gets passionate and aggressive. Actually he is an incredible singer who is great no matter how he decides to sing. "Miraggio Cosmico" is filled with tempo changes, this song is all over the place and is a fantastic. The final song "Scomparendo Nell'addio" opens with a great guitar melody that is quite heavy for 2 minutes, then the soundscape becomes pastoral with gentle vocals. Things get intense again especially the vocals, then soft again as the mood shifts continue. The instrumental of guitar and drums 6 minutes in is stunning.

This is a great record with complex, intricate musicianship bringing to mind CAMEL at times but with excellent Italian vocals. A low 4 stars because of all the synths.