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Reviews

Abiogenesi — Io sono il vampiro
(Black Widow BWR088, 2005, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2007-03-01

Io sono il vampiro Cover art Personally, I feel that the world did not need another progressive rock concept album about vampires, but this one has enough redeeming features to slip through on technicalities. First, it's sung in Italian, so the whole vampire thing is just a matter of the artwork and song titles to me. Second, it's largely instrumental anyway. And third, it sounds pretty good. It's probably stretching a comparison too far to say it reminds me of classic Pink Floyd (for the tempos and guitar) crossed with Jumbo (for the gruff vocals and vague Italian ambiance). There's nothing overly complex or technical here. When the tunes stretch out, it's more a matter of building things up slowly with subtle variations and soaring guitar than contrasting sections or detailed composition. There are a few tracks that function as lovely acoustic interludes, with nylon string guitar and washes of synthesizer, all bathed in reverb (though not so much that it sounds muddy). There's a general retro feel to the music – it could really be from any time in the last thirty years or so – but it doesn't sound dated. It just eschews any trendy modern touches, and while the keyboard instruments may be contemporary, they're configured to sound consistent with the tones of classic instruments. All in all, it's quite a worthy entry into the modern Italian canon, with its own take on the genre.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 34, 2005 releases

Related artist(s): Abiogenesi

 

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