I Guardiani dell'Abisso
Labirinto Siderale

Prog is dead! Prog is alive! Long live prog!

This is what I feel like shouting joyfully every time I discover some new band that emerges out of nowhere to revive in some way the glories of a genre that seems to rise from its ashes every time.

There’s prog and prog: this Italian group debuting with a short self-produced album seems, on one hand, to draw on a certain national tradition honored by names like Le Orme and Corte dei Miracoli, and on the other, the classical and baroque keyboardism of ELP. In fact, they add nothing new to what was heard forty years ago. But it is known... faith in prog needs to be expressed through a series of sonic iconographies and reference elements, so true renewal is only partly possible.

Little to nothing is known about I Guardiani dell'Abisso. The members themselves use fantasy names with a mythological echo, and the liner notes do not help to form an idea about the project's (recent) history. In line with an Italian tradition - as I was saying - these Guardians have composed and produced four completely instrumental pieces that travel along the roads of organs and synthesizers, which is expected given that the lineup includes two keyboardists. Guitars are almost absent, except for some brief minimal solo incursions, and then lots of bass and drums. Although it is mainly the keyboards that dominate.

The opening track, which also gives the album its title, is a rather anonymous excursion into the origins of prog, a mini-suite structured in three movements that immediately displays the most fitting arsenal for the band's inspiration: Hammond, Moog, Mellotron supported by a rhythm section that is not outstanding but always compelling. From this beginning, it appears that the musicians are not particularly obsessed with virtuosity, but they have the ability to compact the most typical genres creatively, revisiting them without excesses and with many quotations. In my opinion, this first track is, however, the least noble part of the work.

With the second track "Lo spettro di Crono," things start to get interesting. A long and enveloping intro of harpsichord accompanied by synthetic flutes and violas unfolds into increasingly majestic and orchestral organ and piano phrasings, then unravels into a decent epic ride filled with syncopated rhythms and brief solos, which are repeated and elaborated with taste. Vague memories of many bands from the past (Emerson always winks, but also PFM...) come to mind, and in the meantime, I appreciate the cleanliness and clarity of the sound, even if it's not always precise. The feeling is that many parts were recorded live and there is little post-production.

The third track is my favorite, it’s called "Alluminium" and starts with a splendid solemn organ fugue that transforms into a romantic-era piano and in the end generates an enjoyable sequence suspended between jazz and beat-prog, with captivating phrasings and truly creative counterpoints. A brief but intense track. Nothing new in the instrumentation used, although effective, because it’s clear that the Guardians are more interested in having fun with style rather than experimenting with sounds and writing.

The album closes with "Marea di vetro," a soft atmosphere of piano and synthetic guitar, very choral and melancholic, which winks at certain King Crimson and Pink Floyd to slide into almost ambient sensations, but remains quite predictable in its overall development and baroque-style final solos. Catchy, linear, certainly the least prog piece among the four.

All in all, "Labirinto Siderale" presents itself as a divertissement capable of being more enjoyable for those who played it than those who listen. Certainly, if you are unbiased lovers of prog, you will not be bored at all. A rather short work, moreover, flows well and doesn’t betray the spirit of the genre.

Graphics of a space nature, perhaps not very suitable for the character of the album, which only in the main title finds references to cosmic impressions. I saw more metaphysics and urban literature than galaxies and nebulas.

Published in 2012, but in fact only distributed this year (and quite difficult to find).