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Nick Prol and the Proletarians_An Erstwi
NICK  PROL AND THE PROLETARIANS
An Erstwisle Alphabestiary: Book One
(2020 - self release - USA)

https://proletarians.bandcamp.com/album/an-erstwisle-alphabestiary-book-one

This 2nd masterpiece by The Proletarians may start out like a Robert Fripp (Larks' Tongues In Aspic) guitar homage, but seconds later it is all enhanced and graced with the full skills of Nick Prol and his comrades. The debut by the band was stunning enough, and raked new ground for more unimagined growth, but this new album gives the listener more than a hand full of grand craziness in the allsorts/avant hodgepodge/glow worm exercises in quick changes, complex composition, yet always holding on to a dreamy melody that hooks you. The pop and punk element mixed with hyper downslope always headed to the big blue sky of this RIO, brings a smile far outside your mask each moment. You must dedicate yourself to sit and listen to the entire recording void a blink, or urge to go use the bathroom will cause you to miss something very important. Some songs only clock in around the minute and a half mark.

All that said, the music is not as simple as that. Nick has a broad taste in music and background. He is also one of most modest people I have ever met. Taking no written credits for the music on the CD or Bandcamp page, he seems to be someone who everyone loves to work with, and a person of overflowing creative juices. A fine visual artist as well as audio genius, fans can expect many more peculiar and perfectly crafted gems. To list all the styles and or bands one might hear influences from is a chore indeed. One fact is that the dozens of years and styles I hear with both releases, is that I love them dearly. The score balances gravity on both the time you are floating and almost firmly grounded. From track three ('Apropods') all the songs are alphabetized (this Book One has A-L, and Book Two will continue) and the notes inside the CD speak of each guest performing on which tune, so track "E" is track #7 'Emitones', for instance. The mainframe of the band are Nick Prol - vocals, lyrics, guitar/ Ben Spees - bass, synth, backing vocals (who also produces the album)/ and Connor Reilly - drums. The guest list includes Dave Newhouse - Horns/ Mohadev (from Stop Motion Orchestra, and who has a Cardiacs cover band) - stunt guitar/ Oliver Campbell - stunt bass, screams/ Jerry King - stunt trombone/ Jack Tickner - additional stunt guitar/ Kavus Torabi - narration/ Thymme Jones - narration/ and Bob Drake - narration.

If you love quick witted song structure, fleeting time signatures, changes akin to the speed and flash of a pinball machine, then this will attract you in grand fashion. With talents from such prominent bands in the invention world of music, and accolades from giants like Robert Wyatt, Tim Quy, and Mike Keneally, one has to expect a high in the sky recording, and no one will be let down. Nick Prol wrote all the music and lyrics except the band wrote their own bass and drum parts, and Ben Spees wrote a couple new sections of the music on 'Jelonomi' (Track 12 or 'J'). Let me leave you with how Nick describes the theme of this album and title. "Erstwisle... pronounced like "erstwhile" but with the word "isle" in there...Strange, dreamlike dimension, an isle situated smack dab in the middle of the vast "Headsea", an endless body of water filled with giant floating heads. This is our afterlife. It has finally been proven that THIS is where we go when we die, a lone island teeming with enigmatic plant life and creeping creatures. This album is your guide to said isle's flora and fauna. In YOUR world it's Part One of a fun and ambitious concept double album. In Erstwisle, it's the first of a pair of books penned by its foremost creature expert!"- Nick Prol. EXTREMELY HIGHLY (on a throne) RECOMMENDED.
 
 ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 2 - 18 - 2021
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ACQUA FRAGILE
Moving Fragments
(2023 - Maracash - Italy)


https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/moving-fragments


  A group who have the uncanny talent of keeping their classic  sound along with staying up tpo date. This amazing return is from 1970's Italian progressive rock outfit, with frontier man lead vocal Bernardo Lanzetti, who made this band and some PFM albums so specifically brilliant. At this decade, to expect more beauty would be a fantasy, yet it is set before your ears, even with the first notes, this masterpiece of Italian, (and not only Italian) progressive rock that certainly grasps the notion of what the genre of "progressive" was always meant to be. ACQUA FRAGILE create another sweetly classic knockout recording, not with even a heavy breath of past to present effort.  In fact, it sounds and feels more authentic than ever.  Bernardo sounds as if he never aged a week, and all muscians present are at full force, not passing up the chance to make another massively classic album.   An album to put Acqua Fragile at the top of the few chosen progressive rock choices of all time. The first song ('Her Shadlows Torture' 05:52 - editors note:  A misspell on the 'Shadows' which is on Bandcamp at this writing - but is correct as 'Her Shadow's Torture' on physical CD)  hug you and give all relief, as to any possible doubts of a long awaited fourth album by this top notch Italian band. I claim it will leave your heart lay bleeding. Grab the spectral energy and enjoy a glimpse of beautiful cocoon birth.

  Not one song is with sacrifice, even a wink of lamb. In fact, some elements are added to further enchance and stun the audience, such as inclusive female vocals by Rossella Volta. The bulk of the outfit is Piero Canavera (drums, percussion, vocals),  Franz Dondi (bass), Bernardo Lanzetti (lead vocals, guitar, Glovox),  Stefano Pantaleoni (keyboards),  Claudio Tuma (guitars), with special aid by (aforementioned vocalist Rosella Voita) ,  Gigi Cavalli Cocchi - drums (1,6),  Sergio Ponti - drums (4,9), Stef Burns- guitar (2),  Brian Belloni - guitar (4),  Davide Piombino - 7 string guitar (5),  and David Jackson - sax & flute (6). Could you ask for more?   After one listen you cannot want more. Thank Maracash label (Italy) for standing behind so many great Italian artists who have done the blood, sweat, and tears in earlier years, and deserve the attention now.
Although the band name translates to 'Fragile Water', it might be better described as Precious Water at this point and time in our decreasingly cared for world. Perhaps even better, Rare Water. The beauty of this entire recording is apparent, true, sincere, and a step forward. Better than one would dream of, past the point of how all old fans could imagine, and  actually done in the upper atmospheres of what anyone could have dreamed of. Everyone is top notch and most of all, Lanzetti is 100% present, making it another masterpiece.  It is my deep recommendartion for all fans of both classic progressive rock and the new fields of progressive music to give this a direct and full attention (no distractions) listen. RECOMMENDED.
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 19 - 2024


 

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