After reviewing Aufklärung’s return to form after 30 years of waiting , how about another Italian band who after 34 years decide to release a sophomore album? Why not , I am on a roll, juts coming back from a splendid time in Northern Italy! “Voices Beyond My Curtain” came out originally in 1991 and wouldn’t you know it , I had the pleasure of reviewing it in March 2009 and distinctly remember how I was tempted to call a tailor as I felt torn to shreds about its weaknesses as well as its incredible upside, having a hard time to decide whether it was a dud or masterpiece. Some of the general comments back in the day : being influenced by Renaissance, Genesis and Floyd is certainly a good starting point, and Silvio Masanotti’s impeccable guitar work could not be overlooked , brimming with tasteful folly. Laura Basla in my mind had a most interesting vocal technique but some critics were not at ease with her accented English. The keyboards played by Giovanni Porpora were quite tasteful, yet crying out for some variety (mellotron, harpsichord, e-piano). The main issue was overall production and a tinny drum sound that did little to enhance the pulse.
Well, the good news is that time has been most kind as Masanotti, Porpora and Basla are all back in the fold with renewed vigor, a clean production as well as a new and bold drummer in Alessio Cobau that has Masanotti taking over the bass duties as well. Ten well-crafted tracks for a little under 56 minutes and gorgeous cover art seal the deal.
Naturally ,“Overture” sets a rather stormy tone to the initial proceedings, lighting a fire that will burn bright throughout the 10 tracks offered. “The Rage and the Innocence” has a title that aptly describes the two sonic extremes that surely have little to do with your average commercializing neo-prog song view that some nay sayers may have been expecting. Yes, it starts out all pretty and sweet before veering into a wild ride as the band launches into a furious barrage of complex interweaving that verge on symphonic bombast. The eyebrows have been raised and the mood set for a singularly unexpected evaluation of time gone by successfully.
Theatrics are certainly part of the Italian cultural tradition and “For Gold and Stones” is a masterpiece of orchestral audacity, Basla in a particular diva mode, hushing, moaning and emoting with genuine passion, a masterfully delivered musical drama, nailed by a vocal finale that scours the heavens. A stunning track.
The languorous pulse on “Suntears” survives on moody melancholia, a surgical electric guitar slicing like Hannibal Lechter on a bad day, a revolving bass loop (both expertly handled by the brilliant Masanotti). Basla and Porpora are no slouches either, both raising the technical bar way beyond simple expectations, expressing notes with valiant flair.
Drummer Cobau shows his mettle on “Gordon Sinclair”, a muscular whirlwind of daring musical expression, another not so polite reminder that the elapsed time certainly honed the band’s craft and attention to the details that were dutifully criticized with their debut three decades ago. Maturity defined, elegance on hand , and a level of confidence that oozes from each note.
Case in point, the bluesy counterpoint “Tides” slings the atmosphere into the other frontier, where sorrow and reflection go back and forth like the tide, unwaveringly (excuse the pun) fluid and resourceful, Porpora on the piano and Basla uniting in sublime splendor. This track just flows with a purity and an exquisiteness that may be among the finest examples of female vocal-led musical storytelling, a hint of Bush and Haslam, if one would need reference, a gliding siren shimmering over the whitecaps, beckoning salvation towards the shore. Masanotti’s picking is a glittering buoy of hope while the dense mellotron undertow flutters the heart.
Grisly metallic riffs greet the ears on “The Cue”, a powerhouse turbo-charge of slash and burn, Basla climbing the scales like an alpine guide, in an arrangement that is unafraid of peaks and valleys, wind and avalanche. There is a dissonant quirkiness in the colliding notes that exude wily intelligence and the ardent desire to stun. Heavy without obesity, a strong and lean machine that places the eight ball into the open pocket.
Whenever a mellotron and an acoustic guitar team up, only good things can happen, placing the onus on the delightfully dramatic Laura Basla, and her smokier torch singer style delivery on the blazing “Lady M”, which rapidly swerves into molten heaviness as both Silvio Masanotti and Alessio Cobau create a forge of Vulcan foundation. Laura kills it here, another impossible step up the already ethereal tower, with a torrid performance. Another winner!
I guess we will not have to wait another 30 years for a follow up, if the title “We Will Be Back Once More” is believable! Yes , per favore, do come back for another tour de force. While decidedly more conventional sounding track at the outset, the arrangement offers a variety of novel ideas, from wobbly synthesizer acrobatics, hair-raising transitions, stop and start syncopations, yet reverting to a heady mix of melodic comfort zone to seal the deal with aplomb and zeal. The choir finale is tectonic. ‘Close your eyes, and look inside, we will be back once more’.
To finish off this long awaited return (I, frankly, had lost hope a decade ago) “Vertigo” is epic 10 minute+ finale that clearly evokes the energy spent on rebuilding their name after such a long state of coma, a glorious renaissance that is entirely justified by the sheer quality of the musicianship, the vocal talent and the vision expended by this talented crew. As befits the title, a howling tornado takes slowly shape and twirls in all directions, the electric guitar work proving what a bold statement we already knew back in the day, a true master musician, The keyboard work up front and center without ever sounding cliché, a top notch drummer that knows how to propel properly and, of course, a voice that can enchant, beguile, seduce and charm into abject appreciation. Check out how she sadly shudders to a gentle halt at the end, a piano saying arrivederci. This finale shows off the ability to stretch out with impunity, convincingly unwavering, resolutely back into the prog fold.
This unexpected surprise will undoubtedly find favor to those willing to take the plunge. For the record, it is NOT a neo-prog offering, just incredible artists who made a great decision to come back and meritoriously should return for more. I eagerly await that day before my Midnight Sun sets.
5 Concealed treasures