LAVORO D'AMORE

The brain-child of keyboardist, Ivan Rozmainsky, ROZ VITALIS has produced consistently interesting and eminently listenable music. With Lavoro d'amore the band has turned a little in the direction of bluesy rock music. While I don't dislike this new direction, or the new sounds has decided to bring into focus, I liked the more classical/medieval leanings of Patience of Hope a little better than this rocking affair. It also seems that the song development on Roz Vitalis albums could be more--more layers, more effects, more changes, subtleties and surprises. As with their previous albums, the recording and engineering leaves room for improvement.

Good songs: "Unanticipated" (8/10); the flute-and-organ play of the RPI-infused "Il vento ritorno" (8/10), the harpsichord and rolling bass of "They Are the Workers of Iniquity Fallen" (8/10); the MASERATI-like "Invisible Animals" (8/10) and "What Are You Thinking About" (8/10), and; the medieval Latin-tinged Spaghetti Western instrumental, "Ending" (8/10).

3.5 stars marked down for rough engineering/production.