IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre is a name I imagine not too many prog fans are familiar with yet. Hopefully that will soon change as this, their eponymous debut album is one of the most important and best prog albums of 2010. The band formed in 2006 and Italian prog fans, if they don't already know, will be excited to hear that the album features vocalist Stefano "Lupo" Galifi of Museo Rosenbach fame, a band who are legendary amongst the RPI loving community.

The band have come up with a stunning piece of work. Symphonic prog steeped in the classic seventies RPI tradition. Not only and not surprisingly can we hear elements of Museo Rosenbach but the band are clearly familiar with and no doubt influenced by the likes of Banco and they capture the power and melancholic feel of Biglietto Per L'Inferno to name just a couple of examples. Powerful bombast and beautifully subtle restrained moments come together to form a dynamic album of extremely well composed and inventive pieces brilliantly executed by the talented musicians involved. Keyboard lovers will be in heaven due to the vintage sound. Elisa Montaldo's brilliant playing is a key feature of the album and takes centre stage though he leaves enough space for Guilio Canepa to provide some powerful guitar work. The rhythm section of bassist Fabio Gremo and drummer Paolo Tixi are no slouches either forming a solid and intricate when required foundation for their bandmates to build on.

Fans of Galifi from his Museo Rosenbach days will no doubt be wondering if he can still cut it. I'm pleased to report that his emotive voice is still in fine form. He may generally have a lower register than before but the quality is still clearly evident.

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre have clearly come up with an album that will have fans of RPI in raptures. Despite being in the seventies tradition a modern production brings it right up to date and such is the excellence of the compositions, given the right exposure could easily transcend boundaries and reach and be enjoyed by prog fans who don't normally venture into the RPI genre. Nothing less than 5 stars will do for this masterpiece of progressive rock.