Delirium
L'era della menzogna

The Genoese band Delirium is one of the historic names of the glorious Italian prog scene. Known to the general public for the success of "Jesahel", in reality, the group comprising keyboardist Ettore Vigo and flautist Martin Grice was capable of releasing albums filled with progressive sounds such as "Lo scemo e il villaggio del 1972" and especially the masterpiece "Delirium III – Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo" in 1974, following their successful debut with "Dolce acqua" in 1971 when Ivano Fossati was still part of the band. Having disbanded due to poor sales, Delirium later reformed and released the respectable, though not memorable "Il nome del vento" in 2009. Now, the ever-commendable Genoese label Black Widow, who has recently also released the comeback of Latte e Miele, presents their new album titled "L’era della menzogna". It's a concept album based on the squalor and unscrupulous nature of the political class that governs us. Mauro La Luce's lyrics highlight how immorality is the lifestyle of these figures who abuse their power through corruption. For this occasion, the group's lineup has seen some new additions. Joining the "seniors" Vigo and Grice and bassist Fabio Chighini are the highly capable drummer Alfredo Vandresi, the talented guitarist Michele Cusato, and La Maschera di Cera's singer Alessandro Corvaglia, undoubtedly one of the most convincing voices on the current Italian prog scene. "L’era della menzogna" turns out to be a good album overall, though not all tracks are on the same level. The most convincing moments consist of the initial and biting "L’inganno del potere", the subsequent "Il nodo", where the interplay between the musicians is perfect, the powerful title track, and the concluding mini-suite "Il castello del Mago Merlino" where the sumptuous sounds of the keyboards shine. The musicians demonstrate all their talent, the melodies are decisive and brilliant, and the sounds often verge on jazz-rock influences. A few somewhat weak moments prevent it from being hailed as a masterpiece, but "L’era della menzogna" remains an album worthy of respect. We hope Delirium will bring us more music in the future.