Finisterre
In Ogni Luogo

After the first two albums, "Finisterre" and "In Limine", with intentional nods to the 1970s progressive era, in 1999 Finisterre released on the Italian label Iridea Records "In ogni luogo", an album with unique atmospheres different from the two previous works. In fact, particularly in "In Limine," the group's sound settled into clear references to a very '70s style of progressive rock. However, with this work, they clearly deviate from that to embrace jazz-rock atmospheres where keyboards fade away to make way for Stefano Marelli's guitar, the absolute protagonist of the album.

The Finisterre thus try to combine the complexity of progressive rock with relatively modern sounds, teetering between electronic and very sophisticated and elegant ambient atmospheres into which the sweet and delicate voice of Francesca Lago and the violin of Sergio Caputo perfectly fit.

Stefano Marelli, as mentioned, is the absolute protagonist, managing to create with his guitar solos that range from fast and powerful hard-rock riffs to melodic and psychedelic riffs with Floydian echoes and atmospheres similar to those created in their long suites by the early Porcupine Tree of Steven Wilson.

"Tempi Moderni" opens the album with an alternation of fast solos and psychedelic solos in an uninterrupted flow of notes and sensations that are swept away by "Snaporaz", a track where Caputo's nervous and acidic violin accompanies Marelli's distorted guitar in a dialogue immersed in phrases taken from "La dolce vita" with Marcello Mastroianni. The sound becomes harder with the guitar drawing hard-rock atmospheres in "Ninive" but soon gives way to an atmosphere balanced between ambient and jazz with Francesca Lago's voice at the forefront in "Ogni Luogo" and "Continuitàdilaraneltempo" to underscore and emphasize these so sweet and delicate atmospheres.

Marelli is once again the protagonist taking us on a lysergic spiral with Floydian solos immersed in electronic and in the hypnotic and disorienting rhythm of "Coro Elettronico", in the almost acoustic and classical atmosphere of "Le città indicibili" where Caputo with his violin weaves a wonderful sound plot that then gets lost among the psychedelic and expanded mists of "Agli amici Sinestetici" where Marelli, just like in the first track, varies the sound in continuous solos now melodic, now much harder. Then it becomes catchy in "Peter's house" with an almost breathless driving rhythm that flows into the calm and relaxed jazz-rock of "Wittgenstein mon amour".

It is obvious that Finisterre, in this album, do not make progressive rock in a classical way; they do not follow any seventies cliché but rather try to give a completely personal touch to a movement that very often endlessly repeats classical patterns without bringing anything new. In this perspective, therefore, Finisterre in "In ogni luogo" and especially in the subsequent "La meccanica naturale" will put on disc a crossover of genres: progressive, electronic, jazz, post-rock, without ever being pointlessly dispersive or technically striving for its own sake.

An album recommended, therefore, to lovers of the genre and beyond, an album that does not claim innovation or pseudo-intellectualism but presents a group that challenges itself by changing its way of playing and composing without giving up the complexity typical of progressive musicians, a fluid work that is pleasantly listenable throughout its duration.

"The electric chorus of a thousand ignited sparks echoes like a slow breath, Moon Sea. In Silence. Suddenly I leap beyond without searching in every place. In Silence."

(from "In ogni luogo" by Fabio Zuffanti)