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Reviews

Aldi dallo Spazio — Quasar
(Jolly Roger Records JRR107, 2019, CD / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2020-02-09

Quasar Cover art

Rarely do I come across an album that is outstanding from the opening note until the last note fades into silence. I was surprised and excited, to say the least, when I listened to Aldi dallo Spazio’s (Awesome Lysergic Dream Innovation from Space) debut album Quasar. This young band, founded in 2015, hits all the right notes, incorporating and redefining their shared musical interests of bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and PFM. Hailing from Ravenna, Dario Federici (lead vocals and keyboards), Simone Sgarzi (guitars), Davide Mosca from Witchwood (guitars), Marco Braschi (bass), and Lorenzo Guardigli (drums) aimed to keep a spontaneous sound while breaking free of the barriers created by modern music genres. Dario has an impressive set of pipes, sounding like Roger Daltrey, especially on the opening song “Long Time Lover.” The band is constantly shifting gears and moods on each of the five tracks, always maintaining your interest and making you wonder what is coming next. The second track, “The Distance,” starts with organ chords and a four note sequencer that turns quiet to be replaced by an electric guitar and Dario’s vocals, segueing to melodic metal prog, followed by reversed tapes and drums that morph into a prog psych jam that reminded me of Atom Heart Mother. Then there is “Santana (A Freedom Song)” with a jazzy piano and latin beat sounding a bit like Santana’s intro to “Black Magic Woman” only to be followed by a guitar solo homage to Carlos. And the track ends with some inspired saxophone. The closing track, “Epiphany,” is a monster at 17:13. It begins with a British lecture much like Bill Nelson, and then moves back to Pink Floyd territory followed by more tempo and mood shifts, sound effects, silence, and acoustic guitar. Quasar is definitely in my top 10 albums of 2019. Check it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Filed under: New releases, 2019 releases

Related artist(s): Aldi dallo Spazio

More info
http://jolly-roger-records.bandcamp.com/album/quasar

 

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