This veteran squad releases its sixth album ,a titanic adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” written in 1870 and made into a cinematic Walt Disney extravaganza in 1954 , featuring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Peter Lorre and Paul Lukas . Names such as Captain Nemo and Nautilus have been glorified ever since , and I am surprised it took this long for a prog band to latch onto such a great story. To their credit, keyboardist extraordinaire Walter Pini , Alex Camaiti on guitars and vocals, Rudy Greco manning the basso profundo and drummer Maurizio Marra all combine to give a musical life to the celebrated story , two epic tracks that will plunge the passengers into the abyss of subterranean prog bliss and boldly take them on a voyage where few have dared to go.
The title track clocks in over 36 minutes and has all the hallmarks of a 2025 colossus , showcasing an expansive progressive rock in the finest old school traditions, with expert musicianship, impressive vocals, and enough sudden dives, swoops, course variations and accelerations to dazzle even the most jaded listener. Just like a massive feast, this opus will require repeated auditions as, there is a whole lot of detail that needs slow digestion to fully appreciate. The stately organ pierces through the early morning mist, a marshalling beat shuffles the mood into eventual overdrive ,elevated by a massive mellotron blast, quickly taking ship as the perils of the sea await the navigators. Both extremely cinematic and typically vintage RPI , the tempo is bountifully exuberant, bubbling Moog synths adding to the overall fury, the carving electric guitar chopping fearlessly at the cresting waves. Out of the blue, a blaring pipe organ beckons on the horizon like a siren luring its prey into her seductive arms. Alex handles the bravado vocals with typical Italian theatricality, expressive as well as passionate, setting into the main melodic groove that will define the arrangement. He drops the microphone to settle into a glitzy guitar solo before the transition back into mellotronic paradise, ominous grey clouds threatening the blue waves with oppressive power. An ornately elegant baroque piano, acoustic guitar and synth flute etude appears out of nowhere, a pool of dead calm and serenity, with a glorious melody to boot. Clear and hushed vocals echo in the metallic compartment, as the valiant sailors prepare for the deep-sea plunge that will take them into the void. At first composed and serene, the heartbeat picks up with an almost resigned synthesizer flurry, harnessed by a parallel guitar that swirls with dense symphonics. The contrasts, the 20,000 details and the slick variations keep the attention span on full alert, the softer passages are fluid and impeccable, whilst the stormier ones evoke the sense of risky exploration. This clever blending of orchestrations and straightforward RPI is a blessing for any pair of melodic ears, not the most modern material but neither is the 150-year-old story written by that amazing French writer. Kudos to the rhythm section who keep this musical craft steered in the proper direction, as well as Alex’s pleasant vocal work that keeps the tale going. Obviously, Walter Pini’s mastery over his arsenal of keyboards will definitely hit the mark with an immaculate display. In the final 10-minute section, the usurping choir mellotron blazes like the setting sun, the Hammond organ spotlight lurching churlishly, a stylish construct that stamps the quality of this whopping epic. The pompous church organ finishes off any possible resistance, as the fatalistic orchestral finale introduces ominous tones and a glimpse of turbulent weather ahead. Tremendous journey.
The periscope is raised on the 16-minute leviathan “Nautilus”, named after the famed submarine, captained by the anti-hero Nemo. On a bearing 2-1-0, sonar beacons on alert, compartments and forward room bilges secured, the boat is running silent. In blunt contrast to the previous masterpiece, this aquatic composition seeks out a different feel, markedly more accessible, with an insistent bluesy guitar groove leading the charge. The shift into rockier overdrive has torpedo bass, depth charge drum explosions, and a hard- edged nuclear riff that carves with impunity, as if channeling Museo Rosenbach or early Le Orme (Collage-era), the swooping Hackett-like swoon of the electric guitar underlying the restraint among all this rhythmic exuberance, a gorgeous melody to dive for (pun intended). Once again, the rudder shifts when the keyboard symphonics enter the command station, prepping a virtuoso section with tortuous guitar phrasings that twirl like triple-bladed propellers on full throttle. The final section insanity is straight out of Deep Purple’s classic “Child in Time” and what a fantastic manner in berthing this boat into its pen.
The vivid cover art displays a comic book style, four courageous deep-sea divers scouring the depths of new musical frontiers. The Italian scene just keeps on giving ….
4.5 Oceanic treks
