TRACKLISTING:
1. Cronovisione (7:36)
2. Gatto Lupesco (7:23)
3. Nei Cerchi del Legno (13:09):
– a. Pinocchio (0:00)
– b. V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (2:17)
– c. L’Eterna Spirale del Destino (5:22)
– d. Radici di una Coscienza (8:57)
4. Il Fattore Precipitante (7:00)
5. Il Basilisco (6:19)
6. Un Insolito Baratto Alchemico (7:11)
7. Acustica Felina (9:37)
LINEUP:
Gabriele Guidi Colombi – bass
Andrea Orlando – drums, percussion
Alessio Calandriello – vocals
Davide Serpico – electric and acoustic guitars
Andrea Lotti – piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar
Stefano Agnini – piano, keyboards
With:
Luca Scherani – accordion (5), flute arrangement (6)
Joanne Roan – flute (6)
Rossano Villa – string arrangement (3, 7)
Lidia Molinari – voice (1, 7)
Another outstanding addition to the thriving music scene of the Italian port city of Genoa, La Coscienza di Zeno was founded in 2007 by a group of experienced musicians – bassist Gabriele “Estunno” Guidi Colombi (also a founding member of Il Tempio delle Clessidre), drummer Andrea Orlando and vocalist Alessio Calandriello. Keyboardist and lyricist Stefano Agnini joined the band at the beginning of 2008, while guitarist Davide Serpico (who replaced original guitarist Matteo Malvezzi) and keyboardist Andrea Lotti joined between 2008 and 2009. Agnini left at the end of the recording sessions for La Coscienza di Zeno’s self-titled debut album, which had started in May 2010.
The band takes its distinctive name (meaning “Zeno’s Conscience” in English, and often shortened to CDZ for ease of reference) from one of the masterpieces of Italian literature, the ground-breaking psychological novel published in 1923 by writer and businessman Italo Svevo, and written in the form of an autobiography meant to help the titular Zeno’s attempts to quit smoking through psychoanalysis. Not surprisingly, La Coscienza di Zeno’s debut possesses a definite intellectual appeal – though without the level of pretentiousness that might be expected _ revolving around Stefano Agnini’s highly literate lyrics (loosely inspired by the novel) masterfully interpreted by lead singer Alessio Calandriello’s technically impeccable voice, passionate without being overwrought.
La Coscienza di Zeno is one of those rare albums that, while in keeping with the classic prog tradition of long tracks, rich instrumentation (with special prominence given to the keyboards) and intricate arrangements, achieves the considerable feat of never overstaying its welcome. As other reviewers have pointed out, the album is not as easy to approach as other comparable efforts, and the first impression might be somewhat deceiving. To be perfectly honest, after my first listen I thought, here is another of the many Italian Genesis-worshipping bands – which, after successive listens, turned out to be a very unfair assessment. Indeed, while the Genesis influence is occasionally hard to miss, the album’s roots lie firmly and deeply in the great Italian prog tradition, with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso a particularly apt reference, mainly on account the presence of two keyboardists and the remarkable balance between vocal and instrumental parts.
Clocking in at slightly under one hour, La Coscienza di Zeno features seven tracks between 6 and 13 minutes. Though the main foundation of the album is symphonic, lush and multilayered, with plenty of seamless instrumental interplay, outstanding solo passages and rivetingly expressive singing, there is also enough variety to keep the interest of the more eclectic-minded listeners, with a wide range of influences cropping up almost unexpectedly, from waltz to folk by way of jazz and even hard rock. The almost wholly instrumental (except for the spoken-word vocals in the middle) opener “Cronovisione” is melodic and intricate at the same time, with echoes of Yes in the airy synth sweeps laced with faintly spiky guitar, and of Banco in the majestic yet dynamic feel imparted by the twin keyboards. “Gatto Lupesco”, hinges on Alessio Calandriello’s amazing vocal range and expressive power, complemented by a musical accompaniment that is melancholy and intense in turns, driven by keyboards and dramatic drumming. The obligatory epic, “Nei Cerchi del Legno” (partly inspired by the iconic tale of Pinocchio, one of the few instances of Italian literature that have had some international resonance) has a rather unusual format, being mostly instrumental, with vocals making an appearance only towards the end. The music, on the other hand, is a triumph of imposing symphonic passages rendered even more lush by the double keyboard setup and string arrangement, almost jazzy inserts offset by gently meditative episodes, and stunning synth-guitar interplay that brings to mind Genesis’ immortal “Firth of Fifth”.
Out of the remaining four tracks, “Il Fattore Precipitante” pursues the classic Italian prog route, with the lavish, airy Genesis-like suggestions sharpened by some heavy riffing and high-powered rhythm work courtesy of Gabriele Guidi Colombi and Andrea Orlando – though Calandriello steals the show here, his vocal tour de force complemented by a superb instrumental tapestry of keyboards, drums and guitar. “Il Basilisco”, on the other hand, signals a sharp change in mood and musical style – a folk-tinged number veined with melancholy and enhanced by the arresting, unmistakably Old-World accordion of guest artist Luca Scherani of Höstsonaten, also showcasing Davide Serpico’s lovely acoustic guitar work. The splendid, exquisitely tense instrumental “Un Insolito Baratto Alchemico” juxtaposes quieter, flute-led sections and stormy keyboard passages spiced by metal-hued riffing, enriched by solemn organ and lilting piano; while closer “Acustica Felina” (the second longest track on the album) reprises the lush symphonic mood of the beginning, rounded up by the deep choral tone of the inevitable Mellotron. Calandriello’s voice tackles the challenging lyrical matter with superb expertise, veering from gentleness to a deep, almost menacing tone; the song is then wrapped up by a magnificent, Hackettian guitar solo.
With refreshing honesty, La Coscienza di Zeno make no bones about paying homage to the progressive rock tradition of the Seventies, both Italian and British – even if the sound quality and production values of their debut album are thoroughly modern, and lend extra depth and dimension to the elegantly complex music. An obvious labour of love, every aspect of the album has been carefully considered in order to offer a complete experience to the discerning listener – with stylish, mostly black-and-white photography and detailed liner notes, including the lyrics (which make worthwhile reading for anyone familiar with the Italian language). Indeed, La Coscienza di Zeno is a must for all lovers of vintage Italian prog, adding the band to the growing list of excellent “traditional but modern” acts that already includes their fellow Genoese Il Tempio delle Clessidre and La Maschera di Cera, as well as the revamped Delirium. Highly recommended to symphonic prog fans and anyone who is not put off by foreign-language vocals, this is another classy package coming from the ever-dependable Italian prog scene.
Strange how I have not even heard of the last 8 bands you reviewed … Lots of prog out there I guess…
There is! Obviously, when you are in the middle of things as I am (Facebook, reviewing for a couple of other sites, going to festivals and so on), you are bound to get in touch with a lot more music than the average listener. Sometimes it even gets too much!
Gosh there is so much heartfelt, great music coming from Italy…it just never lets up. For anyone reading who is unsure about RPI, this is one of the year’s best. Don’t hesitate to dip your toe. Wonderful reading Raff.
Jim, What is RPI (Republic of Italy, LOL?). Have you all heard the new Yes CD?
I can’t affort to buy much these days so I guess I’ll just have to read Raff’s reviews. My new Yes is a bootleg which separates the themes in the first song which sucks …
Is Italy prog for good wine and dining, and late night loving or what? I don’t care for bands with dozens of members for some reason, unless they are like Chicago with the cool horn section. But bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd? with nearly 10 musicians is overkill to me …
(Of course Yes did it, too, on the Union tour – foot in my mouth).
RPI= Rock Progressivo Italiano (Italian Progressive Rock). Italian prog is very much for listening carefully, and it comes in all shapes and sizes… If you want to know more, visit ProgArchives, which has an extensive section on Italian prog (Jim is the head of the team responsible for the section’s upkeep). Most RPI bands have normal lineups, with four or five members, or even just three, so you don’t need to be afraid of extended lineups…
Gary, as Raff notes, RPI is simply the moniker for Italian progressive rock. As for what it is good for, it’s good for everything in my book. Just like any other great music, but with it’s own style and flair. As another writer once pointed out, the Italians in the 70s were inspired by others, but then took that inspiration and went their own direction. Many had the chance to make an album and they intended to make the most of it, so there was this huge good-spirited competition to make the greatest opus one could with that chance. The results were amazing….a wealth of great albums but often times just one….as the commercial results left the labels unwilling to try again. So RPI fell on difficult times in the late 70s like in other places, but, it has rebounded and today the seen is as vibrant as ever, with new bands who combine a love for RPI past with their own vision for the future. As for Yes, I’ve heard a bit of the new album. It’s cool, though my interests lie elsewhere. I’m a huge fan of the Topographic-Relayer era though.
And I can’t believe I just spelled “scene” as “seen”. I do know how to spell scene. This happens to me more and more as I get older. I spell quite well, but my brain does not catch these mistakes as I type. Sigh….maybe some gingko biloba is in order:)
I, too, had never heard of these guys, but after reading this review I will definitely have to check them out.
Thanks for posting this, Raffaella … excellent, as usual!
Hi Raffaela!
Active Heed here. We have just released an album called ʺVisions from Realitiesʺ and we would be honored to have it reviewed at “Fire of Unknown Origin”.
The album has been released only a couple of months ago and it has already received positive reviews:
http://zacharynathanson.blogspot.com/2013/08/active-heed-visions-from-realities.html
http://www.progrock-dt.de/rezensionen/active-heed-visions-from-realities
http://athosenrile.blogspot.it/2013/07/active-heed-visions-from-realities.html
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/active-heed-visions.htm
http://www.ladyobscure.com/albums/active-head-visions-from-realities/
http://www.passionprogressive.fr/html/image-activeheed.htm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-Psichedelico-Progressivo-e-Scena-di-Canterbury/353539677999013
Please let me know which information you need and if we can send you the album in digital format via WeTransfer.
Thanks!
Maria
Active Heed
http://www.activeheed.com
https://www.facebook.com/ActiveHeed