Fungus Family
The Key Of The Garden

THE REVIEW

The Fungus Family is a historic group from Genoa, a city with a great tradition in the prog realm. The name itself harks back to a hippy and psychedelic era, and it is no coincidence that bassist Carlo Barreca goes by the nickname “Zero the Hero”, a clear reference to the saga of the flying teapots by the Gong. Among the members, Alejandro J. Blisset is still credited, although he unfortunately passed away a few years ago. But in reality, his music and spirit still live on thanks to his old companions who continue, with great dedication and commitment, to offer his compositions as in the new The Key Of The Garden released by Black Widow. Musically, Fungus is a nostalgic group, with a genuine psychedelic and progressive "feeling" that will delight fans of these genres. They are not overly symphonic and pompous, and their mini suites evolve to give space to the musicians' creativity. There are references to historic bands like the Van Der Graaf Generator, as in the initial "Suite n. 5 (part I)", and particularly to the Family and the Pink Floyd, of whom two covers are proposed. The choice of Pink Floyd (including "See Emily Play") is not incidental, as the spirit of Syd Barrett hovers over this work. Among the guests, we find the legendary Nick Turner – on flute and sax – of the Hawkwind in 2 tracks – “Eternal Mind” and “Becoming To Be” – which shine with ancient echoes of times gone by. Some might criticize such an overtly retro approach, but I stand with the Fungus. Away from the massified and hollow sounds of much contemporary music, the music of Fungus is genuine and takes us back to experience an unrepeatable era. Highly recommended for lovers of psychedelia and less pompous progressive rock.