Caronte
Red, Blue and Green

Some time ago in the depths of the Palermo underground, I found myself at a concert of a young band called "Caronte". The live performance seemed to have few flaws, but the acoustics (not at all excellent) did not allow me to give an honest opinion. Luckily, at the end of the concert, the young musicians threw copies of their album into the crowd. I caught one.

This is the album entitled "Red, Blue and Green". By doing a little research on the internet, I discovered that it is their first album and that the band has been active for about two years. 

The first thing that strikes me about this album is the cover, which features the symbolist work "The Cyclops" by Odilon Redon, one of the greatest artists of the symbolist period. But let's get to the point. The album starts with the instrumental intro "Rapid Eye Movement". The title seems to allude to the beginning of a dream/nightmare, and the sounds also contribute to this impression. However, the track fails to surprise me immediately, sometimes appearing incomplete and forced, favoring boredom. Fortunately, the album continues with the track "The Elderly and the Wall", a song that abruptly wakes the listener with the bassist's slap and the accompanying nervous drums, not to mention the capable singer's practically endless initial vocal high note. The track calms down to make way for a psychedelic bridge accompanied by the voice and lyrics, only to re-attack in a more nervous and enjoyable manner than before.

The album continues with "Otrom", which calms the atmosphere with its pop/rock undertones, a track that, however, fails to leave a mark and is "forgotten" soon afterward. The next track is "Onirica", a 7-minute song that spans rock to metal, psychedelia to punk. The track impresses with the guitarist's solos, the singer's voice in the psychedelic part that remains well-imprinted, for the beautiful atmosphere and the energy it gives. Unfortunately, right after the song, the track "Who are you?" kicks in, which in my opinion often seems inconclusive and insincere, composed almost out of necessity. We then follow with "Living In Lies", a rock track that makes it clear how the band is also capable of creating non-trivial choruses that remain well-imprinted.

Immediately afterward, we find the title track "Red, Blue and Green", a track that offers total relaxation and affirms the bassist’s skill thanks to his tapping and the singer’s talent in creating beautiful vocal lines. The calm is once again interrupted by the track "The Devil Laughs Under the Bed", a track that, although very catchy, often borders on the banal, but what immediately disproves me is the incredible central bridge. Unfortunately, reading the lyrics on the back cover of the album, I realize that the singer is quite lacking in Anglo-Saxon pronunciation, but his vocal ability makes me think little of this flaw. The album concludes with "ES" , an instrumental track like the intro, which does not manage to leave a mark, although very particular and well-composed.

In conclusion, "Red, Blue and Green," for being the first album of a group formed just over two years ago, is a fine work. I look forward to their next work; I am really curious to hear, hopefully, the growth of the band that seems to have a lot to say.