STORIA DI UN ICEBERG

If I had to write a one-word review of this album it would be 'dull'. Sorry folks, but I'm really struggling to find anything to get excited about here. The title-track is one of the better pieces and yet its overall effect is quite soporific. You keep waiting for some kind of happening but apart from a brief sax solo five minutes in it just keeps plodding on, as if the band was sleepwalking when it made the recording.

The songs are split more or less fifty-fifty between Italian and English language vocals. Among the latter is a medley of Genesis tracks comprising parts of 'Afterglow', 'Firth of Fifth' and 'Musical Box'. Algebra is perhaps best known as a tribute band and this medley is actually okay, although the thin and weedy production makes it sound like a demo-track.

The 13-minute instrumental 'Russian Suite' at least ensures that the album finishes strongly with nice interplay between violin and piano, although I'm a bit vague on the connection with Russia. The small handful of other good tracks is rather cancelled out by some horribly cheesy pop music, and as previously noted in another member's review 'A Prayer' sounds as if it has been shamelessly filched from the Velvets' 'Sweet Jane'.

I don't like being too critical and although I haven't completely savaged this album I do feel it has 'for RPI collectors only' written all over.