Ellesmere: Stranger Skies

Stranger Skies is the fourth album from Ellesmere, a project led by Italian multi-instrumentalist Roberto Vitelli.

I’m not usually one to comment on album art in a review, let alone at this early stage, however, the artwork from the legendary British artist Rodney Matthews art is striking. It just screams Prog, and gives the album a real legitimacy before a single note is played.

The album is being released on vinyl, and the side A/side B split is notable and deliberate. The album is structured around two opposing worlds, one ‘cold’ - linked to the first four songs of the album - and one ‘warm’ - connected to the two long closing compositions. I believe you can see both worlds on the album cover too, which is an added synergy between the music and artwork that just helps to elevate the release (for me anyway!).

The press release notes that the main inspirations for this album are Genesis’ A Trick of the Tail and Rush’s Moving Pictures. That’s a bold statement given both albums are absolutely iconic. However, I listened to this album before reading the press release, and based on a cold listen I would have said the album was heavily influenced by Mid-era Rush, and Collins-era Genesis. The influences can be heard clearly.

I enjoy pretty much everything about this album. The opener "Northwards" strongly sets the scene, and the two 10+ minute epics "Stranger Skies" & "Another World" anchor the release exceptionally well. No doubt this is a quality modern progressive rock album, a cohesive merging of both neo-prog and the more retro symphonic prog sounds.

Rush and Genesis definitely came to mind when listening, and the other audible comparison I would draw would be Ayreon; mainly due to the more modern synth tones, and overt use of wind instruments. Whilst there is only one vocalist on this album, the list of contributors is almost as long as an Ayeron release too; with a core band of Roberto Vitelli (bass, keyboards and main songwriter), Mattias Olsson (drums), John Wilkinson (vocals) and Giacomo Anselmi (guitar), playing alongside guests that include Clive Nolan (keyboards), Graeme Taylor (acoustic guitar), Tomas Bodin (keyboards), John Hackett (flute), David Jackson (saxophones and wind instruments), Bob Hodges (keyboards), Stefano Vicarelli (keyboards) and Riccardo Romano (backing vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar).

The arrangements are quite impressive, so it’s hard not to single out Vitelli for individual praise, however, John Wilkinson’s vocals are really great too. It’s probably where I hear the Genesis influence, and I’d go so far as to say the delivery of the vocals is the element that makes this album a truly convincing album.

I’m somewhat ashamed to say I hadn’t heard of Ellesmere before being assigned this album to review, however, I’ll be sure to go back and check out the back catalog. This is clearly the most impressive prog album I’ve heard this year. It’s a big call, but Stranger Skies is essential listening for fans of the genre.

Trac Listing
SIDE A
1.Northwards 6:50
2.Tundra 6:43
3.Crystallized 5:12
4.Arctica 4:12
SIDE B
1.Stranger Skies 12:17
2.Another World 11:29

Added: February 12th 2024
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
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Language: english

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