L'ULTIMA ILLUSIONE

From the band's website, the above statement accurately represents the debut of EUTHYMIA, "L'ultima illusione." The album is a progressive rock opera, which is centered around two lovers, who eventually crumble under suspicion and doubt. Musically, the work is fairly diverse, in a symphonic vein with--as typically seen in many Italian productions-- very strong melodies and emphasis on drama. You won't find any of the crazy school of RPI in this one, as it is quite traditional. The instrumentation emphasizes keyboards very heavily, with a solid rhythm section behind. No guitars grace this work, however.

This is a rough translation from the band's website:

"The music pays homage to the classic sound of international progressive rock, but especially Italian progressive rock. The band is inspired by the works of THE TRIP, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, and ARTI & MESTIERI. A tribute that, although faithful to progressive ideals (especially liberty and courage), it does not imitate but reinvents, with contemporary sensibility, the lesson of one of the most creative periods of pop music.

"The debut album of Euthymia is a rock opera that mixes the best traditions of progressive rock with theatrical and literary dimensions. Echoes of PINK FLOYD, THE TRIP, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER, ARTI & MESTIERI, KANSAS, and KING CRIMSON return in an arcane and mysterious story, with suggestions of Shakespeare. The formation of the band--the classic ensemble of voice, keyboards, bass and drums--evokes the progressive sounds of the 1970s, both Italian and foreign, without losing vision of the present, including new technology."

For my part, the influences I hear especially include BANCO for the keyboard emphasis, tempo changes, drama, and strong melodies; and ARIES and CONQUEROR for the strong female vocals and rich, modern sound.

Overall, this is a strong debut for Euthymia. The overall experience is enhanced by accessing the website, which contains the entire libretto. I look forward to more works from this classy band. Three+ stars.

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