| Band
Members: |
Nicola Randone / vocal, 12 string
guitar, digital piano, arturia moog, NI B4 & orchestral samples
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Riccardo Cascone / drums & percussions
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Marco Crispi / lead guitar |
Livio Rabito / bass, vocal & background
vocal |
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Special Gusets: |
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Beppe Crovella / moog, mellotron,
wurlitzer |
Carmelo Corrado Caruso / baritone
vocal |
| |
Lautaro Acosta / violin |
Bianca La Rosa / female voice |
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Elena Infantino / background female
voice |
Franco Cilia / narrow voice |
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| Track
Listing: |
1.)- Preludio (Hybla)
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14.)-Giovanni Chiaramonte
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2.)- Guardia alle mura |
15.)- Giovinastro e Lucsia |
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3.)- Guerra agli invasori
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16.)-Simone Chiaramonte
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4.)-La resa |
17.)-La solitudine
di Venezia |
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5.)- Le invasioni
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18.)-La fine dei Chiaramonte
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6.)-La regina di Cipro |
19.)-Rimpianti |
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7.)- Infuria la battaglia |
20.)-Bernardo Cabrera |
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8.)-Enrico VI e la corona di ferro
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21.)- Cospirazione contro i Giudei
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9.)-Veglia funebre
per il Conte Guglielmo |
22.)-La caccia |
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10.)-La principessa triste |
23.)-Gian Battista Odierna |
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11.)-Manfredi Chiaramonte |
24.)-Il terremoto |
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12.)-Ballata in onore del conte
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25.)-Epilogo (crevit Ragusia Hyblae
ruinis) |
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13.)-Un genitore afflitto |
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| The
Review |
Oh yeah. This is exactly what a symphonic prog head
wants. I honestly don't know why this band does not have more
exposure in the prog world. This band does it all. I usually
do not gush - so forgive me as I am about to. Randone is the
brainchild of Nicola Randone - who handles most writing and
vocals, guitar, piano. But don't think this is a one man project
- it is a full band effort. This is their 4th full length
- and also their best so far. I have their previous 2 albums
before this - and both are definitely great and worth tracking
down - but this one is the masterwork. You will find everything
you want from symphonic prog here - mellotron, moog, all the
vintage keyboards you can think of. Acoustic, 12 string, electric
(great sound) - all the guitar sounds you want. Vocals are
outstanding and in Italian. Female vocals pop up from time
to time also. This entire album is actually one huge track
with no breaks the entire time. All of it is incredible!
The sound is classic Italian but more melodic and sometimes
harder-edged. Bombastic melodies that sometimes re-surface,
wonderful (real) vintage keyboards that serve in both the
back and foreground, and what writing!! Once the song starts
- it never lets up. Don't expect any dissonance or ambient
filler here either. Admittedly - the writing style is focused
on a particular type of symphonic prog - so you will not find
overly complex structures to make your head spin, but the
band has not set out with that as a goal. Rather, the band
dwells on bombast and melody. By the way - the recording is
also phenomenal - it is mixed perfectly and sounds fantastic.
Just think - this is only part one - hopefully we will
all be blessed with a similar effort for part 2! This is my
favorite album from Italy since Locanda Delle Fate in 1977!
(that was and still is my favorite album ever) I cannot say
enough about how good this album is. Drop what you are doing
and order this now.
Rating: An easy 5 stars
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