LIVE IN BLOOM

One of the great surprises of recent years for fans of Italian prog was the reformation of Alphataurus who released one highly regarded album nearly 40 years ago and then split leaving an unfinished second album, later released in the unfinished form as Dietro L'Uragano. The reformed Alphataurus features 3 original members and Live In Bloom, taken from a show in 2010 is the first recorded output of the new 6 piece line-up.

Live in Bloom features their entire first album with a couple from the second - Ripensando E... and Valigre Di Terra. Alphataurus put on an impressive performance showing they have lost none of their chops as they rip through the seven compositions, mainly symphonic prog along with the bluesy hard rock of Dopo L'Uragano. For a while new vocalist Claudio Falcone had me fooled that he was original member Michele Bavaro, his performance faithfully replicating his predecessor at times. The excellent recording and slick performance with vintage keyboards intact make this album a must for fans of the band. I'm pleased to hear a new studio album will follow shortly.