BENVENUTI NEL GHETTO (FEAT. MONI OVADIA)

This is an album that I don't know how to rate. Stormy Six reunited in 2013 with Moni Ovadia for this live which is a sort of return to their RPI roots but it's also full fo balcanic folk influences.

First of all you should know who Moni Ovadia is. Born I think in Hungary, he's a jew who moved to Italy, got graduated and became a writer, a theathre actor and performer, and sometimes a singer. This live exhibition is a complete concept about the holocaust with very strong lyrics. I mention a passage of "Umschlagplatz": "here they sort cabbages and jews".

The folk elements are managed by the violin of Carlo De Martini and the mandolin of Tommaso Loddi, but there is also some rock and this is a progressive album with no doubts. The experimental elements are almost totally missing, if we don't consider the fusion with the balcanic/jewish folk so this is more an RPI album that a RIO one.

A mention goes to the production. Surely this wasn't recorded in a stadium, but the sound quality is very good for an album of this kind. The mentioned "Umshlagsplatz" and the closer "Invocazione" are the highest moments. The first for the dramatic lyrics very well associated with the music, the last closes the live, after the usual presentation of the performers, with one of its few moments of rock.

Rating a thing like this is very uneasy: some things would deserve four stars, but the middle eastern/jewish element is too preponderant. Of course the presence of Moni Ovadia is an added value and he's likely the principal inspirer of the project. Also we can't expect that a so important presence doesn't push the music towards his home land.

Stormy Six are very skilled musicians and the quality of their compositions is still high, but I don't know how much it can appeal to a proghead. I'll stick to an average 3 stars, but it could be 2 or 4 depending on the listener. I personally ejoyed it, but I don't know when or if I'll spin it the next time.