Electric Swan
Windblown

The Black Widow of Genoa has been an essential reference point for years for lovers of classic progressive and darker tones, doom, and hard rock. The Electric Swan from Piacenza belong precisely to this last category. Founded in 2008 by guitarist Lucio "Swan" Caligari, a member of the historic Wicked Minds, the group has two respectable albums and a long series of concerts under their belt, which have brought them to perform on the stage of the prestigious Burg Herzberg Festival in Germany, an institution when it comes to certain progressive and rock sounds. In the second album Swirl in Gravity produced by the Black Widow, the late flutist Clive Jones of Black Widow, the legendary band from the '70s that gives its name to the Genoese record label, also collaborated. For this new album titled Windblown, the Electric Swan have settled on a new lineup that includes the talented singer Monica Sardella, Vincenzo "Ciaccia" Ferrari on bass, Alessandro Fantasia on drums, and of course Lucio Caligari on guitar and vocals. In two tracks, there is also the presence of Sergio Battaglia on saxophone, which provides an incisive and powerful contribution to the sound. I say right away that this is a good album, with a compact and cohesive sound, that will make lovers of '70s hard rock and blues sounds without frills very happy. The sound is direct, characterized by a pulsating bass, a divine guitar with sharp and never out-of-place solos, and the warm voice of Monica Sardella in the foreground. The opening track “Cry Your Eyes Out” immediately overwhelms us with its granite and explosive riffs, bringing us into the “mood” of Windblown. In “Face to Face,” the sax provides the right balance to the ensemble, while the following “Bad Mood” is one of the album's highlights with its captivating hard-rock riff. There is also room for a cover of Grand Funk Railroad, namely “Sin’s a Good Man’s Brother.” Noteworthy is the instrumental “Beautiful Bastard” with an exceptional and funky bass. The bonus track is a cover of Marc Bolan, previously released in a Black Widow tribute. Highly recommended for lovers of '70s rock. Available at https://www.blackwidow.it/.