DÉ LÁ TEMPESTA ... L'OSCURO PIACERE

I started "Red Shift" and was enjoying the fade in and ambient noises when (darn it!) the singing started and made me giggle. There's a PINK FLOYD influence here and there, especially in the chord progressions, and it's done with more personality and restraint than several bands I've heard. That voice, however...shades of the overly dramatic deep-throated delivery more common in 80's synth bands and goth-inspired musical theater. And then the portamento-drenched synth wackiness...oh well, I'll keep listening and hope the rest redeems them. Indeed, the classical guitar section is delicious, with a pretty flute solo on top and delicate synth pads beneath, but then the drums kick in and we're back in dramaville. Perhaps if I didn't understand the lyrics I would be more impressed...short segway (remember the opening ambience on "Close to the Edge"?) into the next piece, unfortunately titled "Jetho van Hall". Again, the instrumental parts promise pleasant listening but the vocals let it down somewhat. Bright and energetic passages, followed by heavier sections, followed by heavy and energetic sections, all of which lack real heart. Hmm, he actually refers to himself as "soulless" in this one- maybe it's all self-parody? Nope, they're probably serious. Nice guitar solo though, Michele (or Fabio). The funeral of the Moon should be a perfect topic for them, but "Il Funeralle" is less mournful and more off-Broadway experimental theater-ish. They dig into metal tones and industrial sounds a bit here, even some semi- funky guitar comping- showcasing the range of the band if nothing else. "Eclipse/ Echo's Wave" starts with some warm, flowing analog synth, with the vocals sounding more restrained (reminding me of Peter Gabriel near the end) but there's still too much pomposity in the body of the piece. I would be interested in hearing the band with a female lead singer; nothing would more dramatically compliment their backing textures. The heavier sections would probably still sound too limp, but as it is the band is almost past saving. One star for the guitars, and another for the nice intros and solo sections.