Compagnia dell'anello
Terra di Thule

A work that can be defined as folk/Celtic with a nod to progressive. It greatly recalls singer-songwriter works from the '70s, especially Branduardi and something of Guccini or De André. But let's not dwell too much on the labels (also because they are usually categorized in the large cauldron of alternative music) and let's talk about the importance of the album: it was released in 1983 on vinyl, and today it is unfindable, representing the first example of alternative music recorded with professional means and paying attention to various aspects and not just the promotional one. I can't consider the first LP of Janus from 1979 to be professional because, in my opinion, it's very poorly played and the musical hints are really scarce. In this album, we can find the best of alternative music: non-monotonous, inspired lyrics that deal with themes very dear to the neofascist tradition (tradition, religion, medieval references) written by different members and former members of the Compagnia dell’Anello. As we said before, the music is a folk with prominent use of piano and synthesizers. The classical and acoustic guitar adds passages worthy of interest; unfortunately, the electric bass is not very audible, but it can be appreciated in its peculiar loop in “Il contadino, il monaco, il guerriero.” Mario Bortoluzzi's voice, among the founders and soul of the Compagnia, is calm, soft, and tenor-like and stylistically reminiscent of Eugenio Finardi, but it presents a strong personality and is among the most recognizable in all of alternative music; sometimes he is accompanied by the harmony of the pianist Gino Pincini. It is necessary to mention the guitarist and author of most of the music, Marinella Di Nunzio.

The album features a traditional Scottish melody (Il costume del cervo bianco), an original composition for a film (Il domani appartiene a noi, which became an anthem of the alternative area), fast ballads (Pensando a un amico, Sulla strada), Branduardi-esque songs (Fiaba), and other unique compositions (Terra di Thule, Nascita, Ninna Nanna).

It is the first gem of alternative music and unique in its genre, with similar experiments being followed by others (Gabriele Marconi, Francesco Mancinelli), but the fact remains that among various musical trash inside this genre (where you can find numerous bands that do not know how to play), this work stands out without too much trouble, like all the others by the Compagnia dell’Anello. A work that should not be missing in the collection of fans of Italian '70s progressive, also because for those who are not accustomed to certain themes, it is helpful that the lyrics are fairly neutral and do not go into detail but tell stories of a medieval and European imaginary that makes even those who are not necessarily right-wing dream.