Exposé print issues (1993-2011)
Nuova Era — Il Passo del Soldato
(Pick Up Records PK 1910, 1996, CD)
This album could have been reviewed as a new release back in 1976 if it was judged by the musical instruments used to make it. Nuova Era, especially in the keyboard department, sticks to the tried and true instruments of progressive rock — Hammond organ, Mellotron, piano, and ultra fat monophonic synthesizer. And why not? Those instruments have outlived most of the artists who got famous playing them. Nuova Era proves that an interesting album can still be made using the antique instruments. The music is based around a three piece lineup that includes bass, drums, and keyboards. The bass and drum work on the album, the vocals too for that matter, don't really stand out as good or bad. The keyboards are the highlight of this release. Walter Pini really knows how to tickle the ivories (and the plastic). His Hammond work is especially good. It seems that the vocals are less frequent than they really are because of the numerous long instrumental breaks. The vocals are not all that memorable, even though he does occasionally span the entire range of human hearing in a second or so — jumping from low natural voice to high falsetto in the blink of an eye. You must have to be able to do that to obtain your singing license in Italy. Although the instrumentation dates the sound of the material to a degree, the live feel to the album is refreshing. It feels and sounds like they are playing in the same room with you. The music isn't over-produced and slick like the albums of so many other artists today. And did I mention the keyboard player?
by Mike Grimes, Published 1996-03-01
by Mike McLatchey, Published 1996-03-01
Filed under: New releases, Issue 9, 1996 releases
Related artist(s): Nuova Era
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