Those who regularly read my reviews may know that I am a fan of the Italian singer Sophya Baccini. Her solo work and albums with Sophya Baccini's Aradia, with only female musicians, appealed to me very much. But I can also certainly appreciate her collaboration on the albums of the Italian band Presence. And I was pleasantly surprised by the new album that she has delivered with the latter act. Titled Them. This Neapolitan band is active since the early nineties. They have a very respectable discography. Starting from the first mini album The Shadowing (1990), and then continuing with full fledged albums Makumba (1992), The Sleeper Awakes (1994), Black Opera (1996), Gold (2000), Evil rose (2008, see review) and Masters And following (2016). And now we can welcome Them. On this seventy minutes long album the line up consists of three musicians. They are the core members and are in the band since the beginning. They are the earlier mentioned Sophya Baccini (vocals), Enrico Iglio (drums, percussion, keyboards) and Sergio Casamassima (guitar, bass). Together they came up with a strong sounding album on which they explore the world of progressive rock, hard rock and classical music. Throughout the entire album you can hear that they are influenced by hard rock bands such as Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. At the same time inspired by progressive rock acts such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. Even Dream Theater came to mind several times! But also classical composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg and Frédéric Chopin influenced them. This strong combination of several influences taken from different musical genres makes sure there is enough variety on this rather exciting album. An album full of contaminations, nuances of a thousand colours, with the presence of tracks with a song length between 2 and 23 minutes. Each song is of a rather high level music wise. The 23 minutes long title track belongs to the absolute highlights. The combination of Classical music with progressive rock works best on this musical piece. Sometimes you get the idea you are listening to a movie soundtrack on this composition. The album has eight songs that investigate the mysteries of time and the many aspects of the human personality capable of creating beauty as well as destroying the world through its most senseless drifts. First of all war but at the same time however it also encourages bravery and becoming the architect of one's own destiny and a better future. On their label's website it nicely describes what the songs are about individually. I don't want to keep this from you and also put it in this review: The Undead - introspective on time passing and how little remains with the sunset of existence. Aftermath - song based on how circumstances can influence choices and the evolution of life. Dance Macabre - first instrumental, intended as a solo for keyboards and orchestra. To Each Other - describes the tragic path that leads to war and how it can degenerate, arranged with the use of off-screen sequences, like cinematic effects. Them - the song that gives the album its title, suite for group and orchestra, which draws inspiration from the music of the early twentieth century with references to Stravinsky and Berg, has as its theme envy and jealousy of other people's lives, which often happens even between people who don't even know each other, wanting the harm of others without a real reason. Drawbridge 1501 - year of birth of Anne Boleyn, medieval atmosphere here conducted by vocalizations which can be considered as vocal solos. Stige - second instrumental piece with descriptive atmospheres that highlights the guitars, as the third solo of the album. If You Dare - reflections on the courage it takes to realize and take on life's events. Presence is a heavy prog band with strong dark and gothic influences. Which you can even notice on the cover which was nicely created by Alex Reale. It clearly shows their dark side. Presenting Prague at night with its bridge over the Moldava that connects the Mala Strana district to the city centre, while numerous crows dominate the scene. Crows which you also can hear sometimes on the album. Them is by all means a very precious album, a work that can be epic, impetuous and intimate at the same time. Presence is a relaxed and cohesive group. They show the courage to push forward ideas and horizons through a propulsive and rare effective musicality. They created an ideal bridge between the recent past and a significant sound avant-garde, which, in addition to being one of the most brilliant confirmations of Italian prog, also demonstrates an international scope. The album appears spectacular. A perfect blend of rock and classicism in which the scent of mystery and deep dark is inserted, understood as a dark sound. Textures that penetrate through the incredible and excellent voice of Baccini, while the technical expertise mixed with the imagination of Casamassima and Iglio allow to create a valuable and high-quality work. Given all this, it becomes easier to mentally deal with the compositional madness that has always distinguished the band and that immediately emerges from listening to the new album. Presence is Italian excellence for those who love music outside the box and who are willing to listen free from distractions and prejudices. Them is for me the perfect mix between progressive rock, hard rock and classical music. They bring all those musical worlds together on one single album. A bridge between many musical genres so to speak. Music wise you could say it sounds as if Kate Bush would have joined Dream Theater, but from time to time I had the idea that I was listening to a seventies album of Emerson, Lake & Palmer with guest vocals by the same Kate Bush. So you know now what to expect! An excellent album for lovers of progressive rock who love to get outside the box! **** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
