Goad
Landor

The Goad are undoubtedly a band that has, over time, assumed a "cult" status comparable to other historic names in Italian dark prog such as Jacula and Devil Doll. The Florentine band has now had a long career: they actually began their activity in the late '70s, reaching their first release in 1983 with Creatures. The Goad are characterized by a dark attitude that has led them to publish two tributes dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, two much-loved writers whose spirit hovers over all their records. The sound of the Goad is certainly distinctive, dark, raw, and misty, and distinguished by the splendid voice of Maurilio Rossi, very personal and anguished. Now a new work is out for the now legendary Black Widow of Genoa by Massimo Gasperini: it is a double CD entitled Landor in honor of the English poet — who died in Florence in 1864 — Walter Savage Landor and famous for his Imaginary Conversations in which he makes characters such as Girolamo Savonarola, Garibaldi, and Prior San Marco dialogue. The interest in troubled and decadent characters is confirmed. Moreover, the cover depicts a cemetery at night and introduces us to the dark atmospheres of the record. Landor maintains excellent quality levels confirming what we already knew about the Goad: we find once again the typical and particular dark-prog settings heard in their previous production: we are thus faced with a symphonic, gloomy, and sick sound with some reminiscence of the Van Der Graaf Generator. There is a vivid sensation of entering a cursed forest at night towards a goal that will lead us to a horrible and definitive fate. The highlight is probably the long "Where Are Sighs" of almost 12 minutes, but all of Landor maintains, throughout its 50-minute duration, a unique and hypnotic intensity. The second CD is instead a live album that once again celebrates Edgar Allan Poe by presenting 6 tracks from the tribute published in 1994. Landor is, in its own way, an unmissable album that confirms all the cult aura of the Goad.