RUCNI RAD

After having silently disappeared behind huge piles of law books, I'm finally back with some of the most exciting bands I discovered this year... thanks to Seyo and to this website and thanks also to my longly coveted holydays in Itsria.

Leb i Sol are often overlooked by many prog fellows and that's probably due to the difficulty to find albums of theirs without recurring to internet sellers. Well, I recommend you to try. Not just because you love jazz-rock sound but as prog lovers in general.

After their tremendous second album, simply titled Leb i Sol 2 (which cover I'm proud to call show now as my avatar!), the most important macedonian band gives us a more symphonic effort, slightly less eclectic and varied than the previous work. Notwithstanding, Rucni Rad is a hell of an album too, more mature and very well produced and, at the same time, very different from that. More keyboards and less guitar's aggressiveness, more delicacy as in the pleasant title track itself.

Could you imagine Mahavisnu Orchestra duet with Camel? Well, it's a fabulous experience for ears. Excellent. The only problem is whether this album is better than Leb i Sol 2 or not. After so many listenings, now I'm sure I prefer the predecessor 'cause of its more original variety of styles. Despite that, Rucni Rad comes close and sometimes delivers some of the most outsanding numbers as the explosive Rebus.

Some delicate remembrance of Banco (Canto di Primavera's period) here and there are also worthy of special mention.

Beautiful melodies and great sax solos as in the memorable closer Verni Pas. Sad atmosphere and mellow choruses. Great.

4,5 highly recommended!