E FU IL SESTO GIORNO

As well as numerous one-and-done standalone albums released by many Italian bands in the vintage Seventies period, there's also a fascinating collection of early albums in more of a Sixties flavoured experimental rock/ambitious pop style from many standout RPI bands before they went on to make their grand progressive defining works - for instance, Le Orme began life as a psychedelic pop group, and Pierrot Lunaire delivered a more gentle folk flavoured debut that were very different from their then upcoming special works. Roman band Metamorfosi would release what many consider to be one of the landmark Italian vintage prog titles with `Inferno' in 1973, but a year before that they delivered `E Fu Il Sesto Giorno', a very promising collection of constantly evolving rock pieces and melodic clever pop with plenty of flute, organ and passionate vocals already in place.

Jimmy Spitaleri's bold, bass-filled croon powers opener `Il Sesto Giorno', a pop-length but softly ambitious mix of Luciano Tamburro's snarling guitar, classical piano pomp, gentle synth trills, drifting flute and Enrico Olivieri's organ that moves between sombre and reassuring. It actually reminds of Panna Fredda's superb album `Uno', and Mario Natali's boisterous snappy drumming is a standout here, as it is throughout the entire disc. Sweetly chiming acoustic guitar and warm humming organ sedately bookends `...E Lui Amava I Fiori', but it quickly races up in tempo backed by heavy rattling drumming and Roberto Turbitosi's dirty bass turning the piece into a more raucous pop/rocker. The nine minute `Crepuscolo' is one of the most intricate and exciting moments of the album, moving the group closer to the proper RPI extravagance of their next album `Inferno' with lengthier instrumental passages and grand symphonic themes. Rising powerful drums builds, spacey keyboard runs and a dominating vocal from Spitaleri feature, with haunting group vocals and cool guitar/bass duelling in the extended instrumental middle a great addition as well.

Side two's `Hiroshima' appears to be a rather pretty pop tune at first, but a driving beat, spacey keyboard shimmers and untamed acid-rock guitar outbursts make it firmly a foot-tapping rocker, then `Nuova Luce' is an upbeat spiritual pop piece with a joyful group chorus, enjoyable yet somewhat throwaway. `Sogno E Realta' is another more dynamic progressive moment, moving between a hazy atmosphere of Pink Floyd-like sighing voices with droning immersive organ and wilder rock guitar outbursts with murmuring bass and frantic drumming. Sadly after all the innovation and daring of that previous piece, the band close on a twinkling little pop piece `Inno Di Gloria', but it's well played and a pleasing tune all the same with all the musicians getting decent little standout moments.

While understandably it doesn't share close to the status and reputation that `Inferno' enjoys, this is still a well performed and enjoyable rock/pop album, where at least half the compositions are really quite intelligent and gently daring, and two or three pieces approach genuine greatness. If you've got a healthy set of the true landmark vintage Italian discs and are looking to expand your collection with some of the more unimportant yet perfectly worthwhile titles, `E Fu Il Sesto Giorno' certainly falls under that category. It captures that moment when many Italian bands were just beginning to explore the limits of their music, presenting very respectable experimental rock/pop albums brimming with promise and the exciting potential to come.

Three stars.