Juglans Regia: Neranotte

It’s been a very stop-start time for Italian progressive outfit Juglans Regia, with the band’s previous album, 2008’s Visioni Parallele, finally followed up by 4 track EP Memorie del Presente some 11 years later. A further four years down the tracks and this five-piece are back with the admittedly short full length release, Neranotte. In the intervening years not only has guitarist Antonello Collini left the band, being replaced by Samuele Scandariato, but so too has keyboard player Lapo Martini, with Riccardo Iacono taking up his position. Even with the core trio of David Carretti (drums), Massimiliano Dionigi (bass) and singer Alessandro Parigi all still in place, that’s a lot of upheaval for any group to go through.

In truth, it shows on Neranotte, but that’s not to say that the impact the new duo have had on Juglans Regia is a bad thing, far from it in fact, the brief foray this outfit took into more prog metal territory with Memorie del Presente stepped away from on what is a much more hard rock affair with some progressive flair. Interestingly, in many ways it finds the band heading back into the space they used to inhabit during their first three albums, hence this slight reinvention feels like a natural fit. With “Chimera� an energetic pulse of riffs and bulging bass lines that are then embellished by some excellent keyboard sprinkles, there’s no doubt that this is catchy and lively fare. Parigi, while maybe never the purest of singers lives up to the vim and vigour laid out in the songs and proves an enigmatic storyteller along the way - not that I can understand the Italian language stories he’s telling, but no matter, because he’s the perfect fit for his surrounds.

Now, while the track list on this CD suggests there are 10 songs in total, in all honesty that’s not really the case. “Troppo E Niente� a short spoken word/telephone conversation that introduces the atmospheric and hugely engaging “Oltre Lo Schermo� where both newbies really come into their own, whereas the opening “Giü�, short gurgling “Güser� and closing cut “Se…� are all more ambient scene setting pieces than actual songs. That said, they aren’t just here for show, moving the album along and adding a welcome cohesion to the journey. An aspect that allows the elegant shimmer of “Confine� and stick in the mind title track to really open up and breathe.

I’ve been onboard with Juglans Regia since their 2005 album Controluce, enjoying along the way the ups, down, ins and outs their music has offered as it has sporadically appeared. In the end, it’s hard not to think that what the band are lacking is just a little bit of continuity, with the semi-regular line-up reshuffles and even less regular release schedule, coming across as a succession of false starts. And that’s a real shame, because the music this band produce has always been intriguing and involving. Neranotte continues that journey in fine style.

Track Listing
1. Giü
2. Fragili Equilibri
3. Chimera
4. Troppo Niente
5. Oltre Lo Schermo
6. Confine
7. Güser
8. Dentro Il Mare
9. Neranotte
10. Se…

Added: August 11th 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Juglans regia @ bandcamp
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Language: english

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