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Arpia — Festa Grande
(Black Widow BWR278, 2025, 2CD+DVD)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-04-26

Festa Grande Cover art

To tell you the truth, I struggled with this review upon listening to the first disc.  There were one or two interesting spots, but overall the music left me flat and I felt like I was just slogging through it. So I was put off by beginning the second disc. Then much to my surprise, I was transported by the music. Arpia, Italian for Harpy, was formed in Rome in 1984. Festa Grande is a live recording of the band’s 40th anniversary concert at the Teatro Affabulazione on April 13, 2024. The concert lineup was Aldo Orazi (drums), Fabio Brait (electric and acoustic guitars), and Leonardo Bonetti (vocals, bass, and acoustic guitar), the original band members. The 24 tracks present music spanning 1986 to 2024, some previously unreleased songs, and others from their back catalog:  De lusioni (1986), Resurrezione e Metamorfosi (1987), Carne Assalto (1989), Liberazione (1995), Terramare (2007), and Racconto d’Inverno (2009). The first disc primarily contains music from their formative years in the late 80s and the second disc, music from this century. The performance sounds like an intimate evening with a small collection of fans. Overall, the music is dark Italian progressive, occasionally melodic, and at other times with aggressive metal elements. One drawback for me is that Bonetti’s vocals sound hollow and down in the mix, lending a lo-fi aspect to the concert. The high point for me is on the second disc, the segued songs “Chi Sono?,” “La Ragazza Carla,” “Colletivo 77,” and “Il Lago.” All I can say after listening to these tracks is “Whew!” Arpia definitely redeems themselves for these seventeen minutes. An uneven performance, in my opinion, but long time Arpia fans will find joy. Plus there is an accompanying DVD that contains the entire performance.

Filed under: Archives, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Arpia

 

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