From the elegant colonnaded city of Bologna comes this highly talented young band, led by multi-instrumentalist Filippo Selvini and helped by Leonardo Spampinato (electric guitar), Davida Sebartoli (keyboards), Francesco Scordo (bass guitar), and Leonardo Puglisi (drums). As far as the title is concerned, no it’s not the acronym for an intergalactic doomsday device (though in todays world, anything is possible) but just another diminutive phrasing for the many ills of the human condition. I guess the best clue for the music inside is the hint to be found the band’s name The MIND WARP, because that is pretty close to what you will experience. Much in the same manner as fellow Bolognese virtuoso Alex Carpani, there is absolutely no doubt that we are in 70s prog rock territory, however not necessarily the friendly and neighbourly confines of RPI. I have been sitting on this for a while like a concerned mother hen, waiting for multiple incursions into the whole album, in order to fully appreciate it and that studied process worked wonderfully. We have four long tracks with a mammoth near 27-minute monster to finish off.
Within the initial first minute, it becomes quite evident that this audition will take one elsewhere, a delirium-fueled gritty guitar sound with an accompanying rough organ shiver, while the rhythm section flails away in rapt attention. Wonderfully unpolished sound exuding some sandpaper grit, yet the charm does take effect, like some taped IV infusing painkilling rescue. Then enters the startling voice, bent over in agonizing bluster.The atmosphere is set and will not let go until the very end, once the mind has been fully warped.
That shrouded sonic envelope is kept in rigorous place on the occasionally dreamy but often stark “Reverie”, where the five musicians really get to let it all hang out, the fretboard particularly attentive, the bass nimble and athletic, while the drum attack is pulsating. An unsuspected acoustic guitar evolves into an electric groove , the Hammond organ fuses with the e-piano to alter the mood into a heavier jazz plane, all uniting into a thrilling ride that transitions back and for the between sun and moon.
Phil Selvini can sing with controlled conviction, a truly talented display on the wispy “Riding in the Fog”, which consecrates the ongoing mood to perfection. The cascading mellotron-infused backdrop keeps the track elegiac and infectious, Scordo’s bass slicing through the vapor and polished off with a buzzing Spampinato guitar outbreak that glitters in the night sky. The plump organ undertow is equally appealing. A consummate moment to savour. After the rain comes the quiet reflection, a delicate piano yearning for comfort, a brittle voice providing the rescue on “The Last 48 Hours”. Its crushingly attractive, a heartfelt lament drenched in profound sorrow. It grows in intensity halfway through as the rhythm section interferes gallantly to offer support. The true highlight is Phil’s singing a vocal tour de force that convinces even the most obtuse listener into submission. These two core tracks are absolutely first rate.
In view of the obvious fact that this title is incorporated in the band moniker, it is a fair assumption that “The Mind Warp” is the core of the album, what with a running time of over 26 minutes! Had this been a vinyl release, side 2 would have been this epic monster, a massive extravaganza that perfectly encapsulates the qualities this group brings to the table! For fear of repeating myself, the mellifluous vocals are truly noteworthy, arguably some of the most expressive heard in many moons but the instrumental palette is remarkably compact and edgy, the brooding mellotron played by Selvini adds a choir-like depth to the proceedings. Like a river of constant change, every sonic nook and cranny divulges new sensations, riding an emotional flow of intensity and even desperation. The coarse electric guitar work is suitably frantic, the piano ornate and classy, the skilled surges veering into stormy horizons, and then kneeling in ambient reflection. All these accurate contrasts have a purpose and a definition that goes way beyond just jamming, it a planned construct that keeps the breath bated.
Ultimately, it’s the amazing vocal presentation that really captured my attention, followed by the somewhat unpolished sound, a trait I happen to admire, as over produced material can come across as plasticized genius. This debut comes with a high recommendation for those looking for a twist to their usual diet of progressive cuisine.
4 psyche alterations