Darediablo
Twenty Paces

"Where eagles dare..."

The name Darediablo may not mean anything to you, and it won't.

It could be the name of yet another hooded Marvel hero.

It could be the acronym for the latest model from Lamborghini.

It could be the name of a meteorite that has escaped Earth's orbit and threatens the planet.

Well then, it might as well be the perfect name for a power trio, perhaps born in the Big Apple and so fascinating and ambitious that no one pays attention to it. Exactly, Darediablo is one of those triangular formations with the leader at the Hammond and the Fender Rhodes (Matt Holford) who from the command cabin pilots the duo Jake Garcia/Chad Royce on guitar (only occasionally bass, exclusively filtered so much that it also sounds like a guitar) and drums, that's it.

You understood correctly, it's instrumental rock, no singer.

Believe me, there's no need, there's so much going on.

In 2005, "Twenty Paces" was released, a dozen tracks saturated with '70s heavy rock that incorporate prog and psychedelic parts, (it couldn't be any other way given Holford's boundless talent for marking every single song with his organ), where the real protagonist is not the guitar as one might imagine, but rather the Hammond B3 and electric piano.

The result is a dark and epic sound that opens up visions long buried by dust. Sharp and unpredictable guitar riffs give way to the incredible sounds created by Matt and his fingers. Thus, twelve short films take shape (since the duration of the tracks barely reaches or often doesn't even hit three minutes) to be projected on the peripheral screens of some ghostly drive-in fallen into disuse, far from the hungry crowds of new blockbusters and the usual romantic comedies. Once you've found the right location, all you have to do is lower the seat a bit, turn up the volume, and relax, as I did... Let's go.

The title track shoots us straight into the Darediablo world, made of grooves and exciting passages, while with "Apache Chicken", Holford's virtuosity on a very tight rhythm section takes center stage and teleports me back fifteen years, reminding me of the magnificent Death Organ. We are in the presence of a truly tight-knit trio, proven by "The Bells Of Goliad" that will have us glancing out the window to see if we are really not moving and will appeal to those who love Motorpsycho.

The continuous changes within the tracks create distorted images as if we are seeing our surroundings through the bottom of a bottle (see "The Papier Mache Miracle" and "The Sidekick"), and as we move forward, we'll feel the urge to reach for the seat belt. In particular, "Billy Got Worse", introduced by the rotary Leslie tremolo, will completely disorient us... Perhaps with the assistance of my Chevy's old-style velvet interiors... Of course, not everyone can afford a '66 Camaro, but we still have our imagination, and for now, it doesn't cost a thing.

Twelve visions, each different from the other, but tied together by a certain dramatic quality, with mostly unusual titles like "Nife Fite On Wife Nite" and "Lonely Is The Stranger In The Rainbow Of The Still Of The Night", (Coverdale will hear more than one ear ring) made grand by the variety of combinations between guitar, heavy drum rhythms, and keyboards.

So we quickly arrive at "French Exit", which is their "Exit Music For A Film," and the appropriate closing to this rollercoaster of emotions. As the echoes of the Hammond fade and the end credits roll by, you wonder what kind of ending it might be: enigmatic, mysterious, happy or not... And maybe the answer is to be found in a "Twenty Paces II". So all you can do is wait for the sequel, if there ever is one.

Simply another great group that brings together the nostalgics of vintage sounds and instrumental escapes à la Deep Purple, those who love certain psychedelic and alternative '90s rock, and those like me who were just trying to while away the time in a desolate midsummer parking lot.

A crumpled and sun-faded poster tumbles through the parking lot, aided by a puff of warm wind. I pick it up and can only decipher a few words in bold: "ONLY FOR TONIGHT" then "Twenty Paces" a thirty-five minutes score by Darediablo. If you've ended up here and want to dare like those eagles, the commander has already torn you a ticket.

What to do.....

Commendator Bossolazzi's opinion:

Cinematic, for a summer festival! 4 medlars arriving at terminal 1 of New York.