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Cerchio D'Oro, Il: Il Viaggio Di Colombo

Il Cerchio D'Oro have been around since 1974 but have not been very prolific, as this is only their third album. They cut some songs in the 70s that were not very well received. It is a testament to the band that the line-up displayed on their brand new cd entitled Il Viaggio Di Colombo is virtually the same except for the addition of a couple of guitar players. I have not listened to any of their previous stuff and therefore cannot make any comparisons to their older material. However, I found their latest to be enjoyable Italian symphonic progressive music that while being pretty complex in nature is quite easy to listen to mostly because the melodies and songwriting are the main focus. That being said, there are plenty of complex instrumental parts that will satisfy the musician in you, all the while never losing site of the fact that the 'song' is what it is all about. There is a definite retro feel to this album, reminding one of Italian prog from the 70s. The band is also heavily influenced by other 70s artists, in particular Pink Floyd and Yes. There are plenty of electric guitar solos, acoustic strumming, fluid bass playing and keyboards, predominantly the organ, although piano and synths are also used. This is symphonic rock music in that retro style I really like. The singers have good mid-range voices and do not over-reach their singing ability by straining to hit the high notes. Much of the background singing is quite lovely and really adds to my enjoyment of this release. The songs themselves vary in mood and tempo and can slow down or speed up showing plenty of variety. The slower sections often contain lush symphonic arrangements while the heavier parts have some ripping guitar solos which are always well done. Fast instrumental interplay among the band members shows just how good these musicians are.

This is a concept album about discovery, more specifically, that historical journey to the new world. The cover art is pretty self explanatory: three ships setting sail on a voyage from the old world. The cover art and booklet contain nice detailed graphics and the Italian lyrics are also translated into English which is always nice.

It is hard for me to pick individual highlights as I enjoyed most of the songs equally, however there were a couple that come to mind. After a relatively short instrumental with lovely piano, keys and bass (reminding me of Pink Floyd - The Wall), "Sognando la Meta" starts off with cool sounding synths and excellent emotive guitar, ala David Gilmour, taking me back to Dark Side of the Moon era Floyd. When the tempo slows that Floyd feel really shines through. "Colombo" has a real retro feel, with a catchy riff, excellent organ sounds and an electric guitar solo that really rocks (Deep Purple anyone). "Cercando l'Approdo" is another instrumental featuring waves of synths, crisp keyboards, nice organ, gentle acoustic guitar and an electric lead that hits the high notes reminding me of Gilmour once more. I could describe more but I will leave the rest up to you. There are also a couple of bonus tracks which fit in nicely with the rest of the cd.

The bottom line is I really liked this cd and if you like 70s Italian progressive music or have an affinity for any of the bands I mentioned I think you will too. Well done lads and a well earned 4 stars.


Track Listing:
1. Ouverture (2:40)
2. Sognando la Meta (4:54)
3. Colombo (4:49)
4. I tre Marinai (7:17)
5. Ieri, Oggi, ancora Niente (5:54)
6. Il Silenzio Rumoroso del Mare (7:10)
7. Preghiera al Vento (2:18)
8. Tre Giorni (l'Ammutinamento) (3:36)
9. Tierra! Tierra! (4:13)
10. Cercando l'Approdo (3:57)
11. Conclusione (il Ritorno) (2:17)
Bonus Tracks:
12. Quattro Mura (3:58)
13. Futuro Prossimo (4:00)

Added: February 9th 2009
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's MySpace Page
Hits: 2206
Language: english

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