Alessandro Corvaglia "Out of the Gate"

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: AMS - AMS330CD
Format: CD, digital
Release date: September 3, 2021
Tracklist

1. Promised Land

2. The Night of the Eyes

3. Preaching on Line

4 ….and the Lady Came in

5. White Ghosts

6. Vision

7. A Deed within a Dream

8. Where Have I Been?

9. 12 Towers (Gordon Giltrap)

10. Out of the Gate

Line-up
Alessandro Corvaglia (Delirium, La Maschera di Cera, Höstsonaten)

  With

Martin Grice (Delirium)

Andrea Orlando (Finisterre, Höstsonaten, La Coscienza di Zeno)

Mark Cunningham (Pascal Comelade)

Matcella Arganese

Daniele Sollo (Höstsonaten)

Stefano Avigliana, Emanuele Telli, Dariush Hakim, Ettore Mazzarini, Massimo Moscatelli (Il Giardino Onirico)

Filippo Bagnoli

Maurizio Fiaschi

Mauro Sabbione

Matteo Nahum (Höstsonaten)

Raffaella Izzo

Cesareo
Gordon Giltrap

Description/Reviews:

“Out of the Gate” sounds like a ’70s record conceived by musicians who, while capable of composing the most complex of prog-rock suites, concentrate on melody, the power of simplicity and the strength of the arrangements instead; it is no coincidence that the album contains two tributes to guitarist Gordon Giltrap (the unreleased “A Deed within a Dream” and the arrangement of “12 Towers”, a song that Giltrap himself has given to Corvaglia on the occasion of this album): the essence of his compositions is clearly evident here, as well as the influence of the most immediate and ‘catchy’ cuts written by progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, Genesis and Caravan, combined with the expressive charisma of the ex-Marillion Fish; all of that exceptionally blends in the eleven minutes of the ending title track, closing a work full of shades that surprises with every new listening!

Media/Samples
Trailer

Bandcamp

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La Maschera Di Cera "S.E.I."

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Symphonic
Label: AMS - AMS312CD/AMSLP159
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: September 18, 2020
Tracklist: 
1. Il Tempo Millenario (21:35)
- i. L'anima in Rovina
- ii. Nuvole Gonfie
- iii. La Mia Condanna
- iv. Scparazione
- v. Del Tempo Sprecato
2. Il Cerchio del Comando (9:56)
3. Vacuo Senso (13:30)
- i. Prologo
- ii. Dialogo
- iii. Nella Rete dell'Inganno
- iv. Il Risueglio di S
- v. Ascensione

Total Time 45:01

Line-up: 
Alessandro Corvaglia - voice and acoustic guitar
Agostino Macor - keyboards
Fabio Zuffanti - bass
    With
Martin Grice (Delirium) - flute and sax
Paolo “Paolo” Tixi (Il Tempio Delle Clessidre) - drums

Description/Reviews: 

Warm symphonic atmospheres, Italian lyrics and a vocal style that often reminds the melodrama tradition: this is what has often characterized this musical genre, and corresponds to the band’s proposal coordinates.
“S.E.I.” renews the compositional skills of the current members of the group, based on very specific sounds: imaginative keyboards, ever-changing rhythmic patterns, a full-bodied wind instruments section, a powerful distorted bass that makes up for the absence of the electric guitar (one of the band’s typical main features) and Alessandro Corvaglia’s voice, one of the most versatile and exciting Italian singers of the past twenty years.
“S.E.I.”, acronym for “Separazione / Egolatria / Inganno” (Separation / Self-worship / Deception), is made of a 20-minute suite that occupies the first side of the record, followed by two other mini-suites on its second half. The three tracks are very complex music compositions, combining tense and dark moments with atmospheric sections marked by the Mellotron unmistakable sound. Jazz and Canterburian influences are much more evident now. From the mighty symphonic suite “Il tempo millenario” through the folk and sunny “Il cerchio del comando” to the symphonic / jazz / hard-rock of “Vacuo senso”, La Maschera di Cera is a laboratory that fuses together the influence of bands such as Museo Rosenbach, PFM, Balletto di Bronzo, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Biglietto per l’Inferno, Jethro Tull, Hatfield & The North, Yes and Van Der Graaf Generator, with a strong dose of personality. 

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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La Maschera Di Cera "Le porte del domani (The Gates Of Tomorrow)"

Country: Italy
Sub Genre: Symphonic
Label: BTF - AMS
Release date: January 15, 2013
Tracklist: 
a) Ritorno Dal Nulla
b) La Guerra Dei Mille Anni
c) Ritratto Di Lui
d) L’enorme Abisso
e) Ritratto Di Lei
f) Viaggio Metafisico
g) Alba Nel Tempio
h) Luce Sui Due Mondi
i) Alle Porte Del Domani

Line-up: 
- Alessandro Corvaglia / vocals and guitars
- Fabio Zuffanti / bass
- Agostino Macor / keyboards
- Andrea Monetti / flute and sax
- Laura Marsano / guitars
- Maurizio Di Tollo / drums

Description/Reviews: 

After a decade, four successful albums and concerts played all around the globe, La Maschera di Cera close the circle proposing an album that is the sum of all the Italian Prog homage matter. The band has in fact decided to write the continuation of the “Felona and Sorona” concept (Le Orme, 1973), a record that is unanimously considered a masterpiece, as well as a milestone in the world progressive rock scene.

What pushed the group to dive into an adventure that offers great satisfaction on one hand, but can also be rugged and full of unexpected surprises and criticism on the other, is simply the desire to get involved, to try to do what no one has never done before, to actualize a discourse that began forty years ago and still offers artistic ideas to think about. The original concept is in fact a universal story of diversity and inequality that stays – perhaps on purpose? - unresolved at the end of the LP, thus leaving space for an inspired continuation and conclusion, clearly filtered through MDC's point of view.

Musically, the band deepen their relationship with vintage sounds, but bring everything to a more actualized dimension, while lyrically the concept addresses the struggle between the two planets, one light and one dark; a fight that will only be resolved by two lovers from the two different worlds and by the otherworldly intervention of the deity that protects them.

Media/Samples 
La guerra dei mille anni
Entire album at progstreaming.com (Italian)
Entire album at progstreaming.com (English)

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