out-of-control weather, the search for all things prog travels beyond domestic borders this week as the journey continues to find prog music the world over.
Hopefully many of you will remember the Barock Project, a symphonic prog band from Italy I discovered two years ago. Time to set the GPS for the Modena region and check back in with this remarkable band. Barock Project recently released their fifth album "Detachment" and this seems the perfect time to put the headphones on and check it out...
The album opens to what sounds like a dreary day; you can almost feel the rain as the piano sets a sobering mood. The canvas is streaked with gray to dark hues as you are swept through a barrage of emotions culminating in the second track on the album, "Promises." This piece echoes through your head gently as the songs comes to full bloom; top notes of Spock's Beard permeate the mind. Barock Project come at you in a subtle way; tiptoeing through the prog garden as they set up a burst of sound that suddenly strikes from all sides. Filling the headphones with an energy level that seemingly came from nowhere, Barock Project abruptly hammers the lining of your skull a la Dream Theater.
Moving through the album, I come across what starts out as a gentle albeit somber piece called "Broken." Continuing to paint with primarily darker shades, Barock Project hits the canvas with splashes of color--just enough to pique your interest and draw you in deeper. There is a stillness to the music that belies an ornate, calliope-like energy level sulking under the surface...just waiting to ooze through your pores.
Liner Notes...on this album Barock Project is founding member Lucca Zabbini on piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Marco Mazzuoccolo on electric guitars, Francesco Caliendo on bass, and Eric Ombelli on drums. Guest and additional musicians include Peter Jones performing lead vocals on "Broken" and "Alone," and Alex Mari and Ludovica Zanasi adding additional vocals.
Barock Project has five albums in their repertoire including this release. You can find out more about all of them, listen, and make a purchase at one of these sites; BarockProject, BP BandCamp, and
BP Stars of Italy. The band also has a Facebook page where you can keep current with all things Barock Project Barock Project FB, as well as Twitter @BAROCKPROJECT
The final serving for review this week is called "Twenty Years." A soft acoustic opening melts away the darkness for a moment; there are top notes of early Kansas and perhaps a hint of Gentle Giant flowing through the headphones. Lucca's voice is gentle as the canvas begins to fill with Monet-like pastels...and then the tempo picks up--hard--and the hues get brighter, the images louder, and the aura starts to swing the pendulum back toward the ornate. Barock Project stay true to their inner being as guitars tilt the mood meters hard right and drums echo across the room.
The clip below is the earlier reviewed "Broken." I chose this cut because it gives a glimpse of all Barock Project is...opening with that trademark soft piano, it slowly raises the temperature without going ballistic. There is an atmosphere of a "Victorianesque" attitude among the commoners, much like serving white truffles with fried chicken. However; the crashing of these two opposing classes results in a piece of music that pours out a soul that you would otherwise miss...much like a subtle taste of tupelo honey lost among the jalapenos...
And so my fellow progheads, the curtain has drawn to a close on another masterful work of art. Barock Project has traipsed through the prog garden in grand style once again, expanding the boundaries, expectations, and abilities of their symphonic capabilities. The album blazes through an ornate set and leaves the listener wanting more. Listening to the Barock Project grow and mature from one album to the next gives me reason to expect even more from album #6...but let's savor "Detachment" for now...
Of course this can only mean one thing; the search for all things prog continues the journey. More new music awaits the anxious ears of the prog faithful...until next time...
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