Jus Primae Noctis
Istinto

An explosive release for fans of classic Italian prog from the '70s, namely "Istinto" by Jus Primae Noctis. In fact, the band already has 3 self-produced albums in their past, which will be reissued in 2020. Considering the quality of this product, I am eagerly awaiting the reissue of their previous albums. In the lineup, we find Beppi Menozzi on keyboards from Il Segno del Comando, alongside Marco Fehmer on guitar and vocals (the mind behind the lyrics), Pietro Balbi on guitars, and Mario Riggio on drums. The four are joined by respectable names from the prog scene and beyond, including Diego Banchero (leader of Il Segno del Comando) who practically plays bass on the entire album, Luca Scherani on keyboards (La Coscienza di Zeno, Periplo, Hostsonaten), ex-Jpn Renzo Luise (Gipsy Troyka, voted best guitarist at Django), percussionist Alex “Pacho” Rossy (Perigeo, Morgan, Elio e le Storie Tese, Alphataurus) and percussionist Matteo Scarpettini (Antonello Salis).

The title “Istinto” refers to how man, under the mask of rationality, hides an irrational and animal aspect that occasionally surfaces and influences his existence. The sound is warm and compact, and the interplay between the musicians is perfect. We are not dealing with, unlike Il Segno del Comando, dark and gothic atmospheres. On the contrary, the overall tone is very relaxed, and at times the tradition of the Italian singer-songwriter is revived. Truth be told, the historical matrix of the group is precisely that of singer-songwriting, but I don't find this a negative aspect: on the contrary, I am a fan of Lucio Battisti and an album like “Anima latina” which was played divinely. And also in this “Istinto,” all the tracks are perfect. Generally, the sound is very cohesive: as emphasized, there is a certain tendency towards song and melody, but everything is rearranged in a prog and symphonic manner with the omnipresence of keyboards, sometimes very harsh guitars, and a beautiful pulsing bass. Sometimes, the great La Maschera di Cera comes to mind, perhaps the project I prefer by Fabio Zuffanti along with Hostsonaten. “Quarto” is undoubtedly one of the strong pieces of “Istinto,” alternating between calm and rough moments while Marco Fehmer's lyrics are remarkable and talk about madness: the theme is the basis of a future trilogy. "Nel buio" is an instrumental characterized by surreal and dreamlike settings with a touch of healthy madness. “La prima volta che ho visto la luce” is a track where the singer-songwriter's soul of the group emerges, with a beautiful guitar solo and prominent keyboards. The suite “Una storia” starts with an oriental and psychedelic flavor, a bit like certain works by Claudio Rocchi, with bouzouki and percussion, then progresses towards “Santana” style atmospheres with Pietro Balbi in the spotlight. “L’uomo d’aria e la preda” is another episode where hard guitars and aggressive rhythms emerge, reminiscent of some songs from the first album by La Coscienza di Zeno (another valid Genoese band where Luca Scherani plays), like “Il fattore precipitante”. “Maria” is a mini-suite live (seasoned with fake applause) that talks about parricide. The closure is entrusted to the long “È tutto amore”, characterized by the omnipresent regal and sumptuous keyboards of Beppi Menozzi and Luca Scherani.

Ultimately, in “Istinto” the great passion and commitment of Jus Primae Noctis shine through. Mind you, there’s nothing new (it’s classic prog that will appeal to lovers of '70s atmospheres), but the album is very beautiful and well-played. Genoa continues to gift us with great music!