ZOICEKARDIÁ

A really unique Italian group from Lecce, Aria Palea's story starts in the fall of 1992, when Apollonio Tommasi attended the Ghetonia's act cultural circle in the village of Calimera, where guitarist Emanuele Licci ran the bar.Licci was a friend of drummer Egidio Marullo, the three came in touch and decided to form their own group.The latest additions were singer Gigi De Giorgi and flutist Gianluca Milanese.A demo tape was sent to Pick Up Records, but mysteriously it was Loris Furlan from Lizard label who contacted the band for a contract.The debut of Aria Palea was recorded in Brindisi and was the second overall release of Lizard.The title ''Zoicekardi'a'' means ''life and heart'' in Greek, presenting the most unique aspect of the group: Small part of the lyrics were sung in Griko, a local dialect in South Italy, a mix of Greek and Italian spoken by the forgotten people of the Griko villages.

Having come in touch with the original music of the Griko Ghetonia act, Tommasi and his company had thrown strong Ethnic and Folk components in their rock approach, while the style of the band had also plenty of poetic and theatrical elements.The music is driven by the extended use of flutes and the delicate acoustic guitars, which are blended with harder, guitar-led grooves.The style ranges from Folk Rock with jazzy overtones to aggressive Hard Rock with furious and impressive guitar solos, while the singer Gigi De Giorgi has an unmet, theatrical vocal expression, sometimes with an over-the-top delivery.There are strong hints by bands such as DALTON, DELIRIUM and OSANNA to be found throughout the release, while the rhythm section has a superb rockin' attitude, being powerful and energetic all the way.Among the folkier moments and well-constructed textures Aria Palea use some sort of loose structures with psychedelic vibes to make their music more diverse and attractive.The result is very good, especially on the last jammin' track ''Zoicekardi'a (Il volo)'' and its semi-improvised atmosphere, split in harder and softer passages.

Not your typical Prog Folk release.''Zoicekardi'a'' by Aria Palea is an album that carries the story of a whole civilization, apart from the music, which remains energetic, tight and consistent all the way.Absolutely essential for Prog Folk followers and warmly recommended for all the rest.