Maschera Di Cera, La - Lux Ade


Year of Release: 2006
Label: Immaginifica
Catalog Number: QQ1003CD
Format: CD
Total Time: 62:34:00

Like an octopus in a progressive sea, the tentacles of Fabio Zuffanti cover many grounds. Although at one point Finisterre looked to be his main band this has changed over the years with La Maschera Di Cera (the wax mask) being his number one commitment right now. Lux Ade is the third studio album for this incredible and talented Italian five piece which takes the best parts out of the glorious seventies and filters them with a contemporary approach. Produced by ex-PFM drummer Franz Di Coccio, the album comes packed in a splendid cardboard foldout cover even sporting an obi-strip. The latter is mainly there to carry the disgusting bar code which is a must if you want your album to be stocked at important distributors and shops. By adding an obi-strip (which does indeed cost extra) the band makes sure that the actual sleeve retains a perfect finish.

A fragile solitary piano makes way for Zuffanti's heavy distorted bass guitar which is soon joined by some psychedelic flute playing courtesy of Andrea Monetti. As soon as Alessandro Corvaglia starts singing you get in the mood of this typical authentic theatrical Italian progressive rock. Due to the professional production of Franz Di Coccio, the balance of the various instruments as well as the vocals simply is perfect, whether the outcome is intimate or extremely heavy. In "Doppia Imagine" mellotron and superb Moog synthesizer deliver the kind of music you as a fan have been waiting for. As a bonus, a rather surprising saxophone does add some Soft Machine touches as well, although obviously the majority of this composition remains heavy symphonic throughout. Just love the swirling organ in the pompous outro. Few people may know that Andrea Monetti is also active in a band called Alhambra, which mainly delivers dreamy psychedelic material. It's exactly this kind of feel that is enhanced with acoustic guitar in "Unsensoall Impossibile" which soon evolves into an addictive trip governed by organ and flute.

"Nuova Luce" once again places the mellotron in a very crucial place as the backbone for Alessandro's storytelling vocals. Knowing how important this orchestral feel is within the music of La Maschera di Cera it would be nice to see the band experiment with a full orchestra or classical ensemble whenever they get the chance. The organ delivers a very melodic line here, which will soon stick to your mind like all those glorious melodies from the heydays of prog, whilst it all ends with the majestic mellotron. You can't get better than this! With "Enciclica 1168" the band delivers their 24' long epic, which once again kicks off with a heavy marriage between distorted bass, organ and flute floating in a sea full of breaks and rhythm changes. Towards the end of the composition it becomes very dramatic with once again the use of heavy bass and eerie mellotron sounds. The sound swells and swells adding Moog along the way before the pompous arrangement comes to a halt so Alessandro can recite a couple of more lines in almost silence. The final song "Schema" kind of sums up the main elements which make La Maschera di Cera what it is today, highlighting both flute and keyboard playing. Fans of Italian prog who sadly have never witnessed the genre at its peak and who hardly know bands such as PFM, Locanda Delle Fate or Le Orme will hear a completely new world open up for them when they put this Lux Ade album in their CD player. Out of the three studio albums the band has delivered so far, without any doubt the new album is the most mature of the three, whether it concerns the compositions, arrangements, production or the way the disc is actually presented. No doubt La Maschera di Cera is the name to remember where the current wave of interesting new Italian prog is concerned. I'm convinced you won't regret it!


Tracklisting:
Porta Del Cielo (1:11) / Doppia Imagine (7:50) / Unsensoall Impossibile (10:18) / Orpheus (4:46) / Nuova Luce (10:19) / Enciclica 1168 (24:27) / Schema (3:43)

Musicians:
Alessandro Corvaglia - vocals, 12-string guitar
Agostino Macor - mellotron, piano, organ, Moog, clavinet, VCS 3, Fender Rhodes, theremin
Andrea Monetti - flute, saxophone
Fabio Zuffanti - bass, bass pedals
Maurizio Di Tollo - drums, timpani, percussion

Discography:
La Maschera Di Cera (2002)
Il Grande Labirinto (2003)
Lux Ade (2006)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin IT

Added: July 11th 2006
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.mascheradicera.com
Hits: 2367
Language: english

  

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