Il Segno del Comando
Il Volto verde

Il Segno del Comando is a musical studio project born in Genoa in 1995. The intention was to recapture the Italian musical aesthetic of the '70s as can be heard in the first album, released in 1997, a true homage to Italian prog (ahead of later experiences like La Maschera di Cera) that evoked the dark atmospheres of certain Italian horror culture of the time represented by horror films such as those of Mario Bava and by groups like Jacula.
The concept was indeed based on the extraordinary fantastic series "Il Segno del Comando", aired by RAI in '71, and on the book by Giuseppe D'Agata from which the group takes its name.

The next "Der Golem" focused, thematically, on the renowned masterpiece novel by the great esoteric writer Gustav Meyrink, while musically, there was a shift towards gothic-metal and experimental sounds.
After a long hiatus (from 2002 to 2010), Il Segno del Comando now returns with a new work that again focuses on the "meyrinkian" work, particularly on his second novel "Il volto verde," which gives the album its title. In this work, the great writer began to imbue his writings with esoteric and mystical themes. Meyrink himself was actually an initiate and a great connoisseur of Eastern philosophies and disciplines like yoga. "Il volto verde" is set in Amsterdam during a period of material and spiritual disorientation for Europe, when war was devastating the continent, and revisits the legend of the Wandering Jew. It is undoubtedly one of his most important novels, admired even by the great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

Meyrink's style is visionary and progresses through "images" and, at least initially, is not easy to grasp. The reading requires great concentration: the book reveals secret techniques to gain control of the mind and awaken the powers hidden within oneself. Through these techniques, man thus manages to awaken and reach a higher state of awareness that leads him to attain immortality.
From a conceptual point of view, the album reveals a very deep philosophical and esoteric depth. Diego Banchero reworked the themes of the novel by writing visionary texts with a strong symbolic charge.
Musically, "Il volto verde" is a partial return to the sounds of the first album and an homage to legendary groups like Il Balletto di Bronzo, Goblin, and Antonius Rex.
The guests are also numerous and of great significance: Claudio Simonetti, Gianni Leone, Martin Grice, and Sophya Baccini, Paul Nash & Maethelyiah from Dans Society and FreddyDelirio from Death SS. Additionally, tracks like "Chider il verde" and "Il manoscritto" clearly pay homage to the musical spirit of the glorious "YS" by Il Balletto di Bronzo.

The influences are numerous and range from gothic rock to horror film soundtracks. Throughout the album, there is a dark and esoteric feeling reminiscent of a mythical and creative era for our country. Particularly moving are "L'evocazione di Eva" — featuring, as mentioned, the great Claudio Simonetti on keyboards and Martin Grice from Delirium on flute and sax — and "L'Apocalisse," a track that benefits from the decisive contribution of Gianni Leone on keyboards.

"Il volto verde" — presented with a suggestive cover (at the opening) showing a painting by Danilo Capua — proves to be an excellent album without lapses in tone that I warmly recommend to all fans of dark music, prog, and particularly, of course, to aficionados of Gustav Meyrink. Also because, to understand the spirit of the album more deeply, it would be better to read the book.