HERO

Hero is a forgotten italian group from mid '70's who plays heavy prog. Their selftitled only album from 1974 bring nothing new under the heavy prog flag, but holds good pieces, that needs maybe a better attention by prog listners. This album is so rare that took me ore than 4 month to find it, on Cd, the original release on vinyl from 1974 is lost somewhere in dust of time and worth fortunes for collectors. Anyway is pretty rare even on Cd, and not many listners heared about this italian band. Their music is heavy prog with keybords arrangements and nice shifts between guitar and predominant instrument keys, but don't expect to another ELP influenced album. The most unintristing thing here is the voice of Robert Deller, who is not a bad vocalist, but don't shines at all, he only sings the notes. Now the music remainds me in places with early german bands Walpurgis and Dull Knife, and on piece Knock, the manner of interpretation of Robert Deller on voice is like on any Vand Der Graaf Generator album from early'70's, he realy is one on one with Peter Hammill here. The music as I said is heavy prog but very vague in contrast with what other bands done it in that times, seams thay didn't manage to creat something realy great, that's why this album is a good one but nothing special. This band remains unknown even for italian scene not to mention the rest of the planet. Influences are from german heavy prog scene and in places from Van Der Graaf Generator and even that dark atmosphere from King Crimson music mostly in arrangements. Finaly the best pieces are Childrens game, the longest track from here Clapping and Smiling and Dew drops, the rest are only ok. I will give to this album 2.5 rounded to 3, not realy bad but nothing to talk about either. One of those bands that for one reason or other goes into oblivion.