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Rating: If in the golden age Banco, PFM, and Orme were the pinnacle of the Italian progressive scene, it must also be acknowledged the importance of a whole series of bands that, for one reason or another, did not manage to reach the fame of their illustrious colleagues, but still produced excellent works, often snubbed at the time but later reevaluated over the years.
In this dense undergrowth of "minor" groups, quotation marks are necessary, one of the most famous is certainly La Locanda delle Fate. Originally from the Asti area, they completely missed the "timing," releasing an album, "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più," that passed completely unnoticed, with 1977's Italy being more interested in disco and punk than the now outdated progressive, not to mention the rise of the nascent new wave and heavy metal scenes, which would peak in the following decade. Even then, the same "founders" of the Italian path to prog realized it was time to move on, leaning towards fusion or pop, yet Locanda came out with an album absolutely tied to the canons of classical progressive, excellently played and truly inspired, but unfortunately found a public already interested in other things.
Following their inevitable dissolution shortly thereafter, the group resurfaced in the nineties, even recording a second album, "Homo Homini Lupus," inexplicably presenting themselves without the historical singer Leonardo Sasso, one of the most beautiful voices of Italian music, only to disappear again and return to the scene only in more recent times. As inferred from the title, the album in question was recorded on the occasion of Progvention 2010, held at the Bloom in Mezzago, evening that marked the return on stage of other old prog glories, Alphataurus and Garybaldi. The current course of the Astians sees a lineup newly reshuffled, although many of the historical members are in their place. Due to a very limited discography, the great classic "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più" could not be left out, almost entirely present here, and despite the long hiatus, the group is cohesive enough to offer a performance worthy of its name.
Ezio Vevey and Michele Conta, who were among the main authors of that album, are no longer part of the team but the abilities of the individuals manage to compensate even for the absence of two such significant members. Sasso confirms himself as a charismatic and expressive singer, an excellent performer of that romantic progressive that has always been the group’s trademark. The keyboards intertwine harmoniously, creating great melodies, while the guitars perhaps remain a bit in the background, and the rhythm section performs admirably its duty. Everything is played with precision, although here and there, there seems to be some moment of hesitation, but it's overlooked without too many problems. The recording is also effective, conveying quite faithfully the atmosphere of the evening.
The album, initially released only on vinyl, perfectly captures the current situation of many prog names back on track in recent years, constantly suspended between the need to present the strong pieces of the past and the, sooner or later, to present new material to demonstrate that, aside from being good performers of their thirty-year-old selves, they still have something to say. In the same period this "Progvention" was released, "The Missing Fireflies" was also published, an album containing tracks written at the time of the debut and never made it to disk, as well as some live tracks, a curiosity for the most ardent fans, but which adds little to what has already been said. For years talks of a new album of original material have been circulating, will this be the right time? Listening to pieces like these is always a pleasure but one cannot live solely on their past.
Lineup:
Leonardo Sasso, vocals
Luciano Boero, bass
Giorgio Gardino, drums
Oscar Mazzoglio, keyboards
Maurizio Muha, piano, minimoog, keyboards
Massimo Brignolo, lead guitar
Setlist:
1. A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete
2. Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più
3. Profumo Di Colla Bianca
4. Sogno Di Estunno
5. Cercando Un Nuovo Confine
6. Vendesi Saggezza
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