Macchina Pneumatica
Appartenenza

Here are the Macchina Pneumatica again, releasing after their previous and well-received Riflessi e Maschere, their new album titled Appartenenza. This is a band with a typically '70s sound that can at times remind you of the Goblin. Everything sounds quite dated but I don't mean this in a negative way. After all, we're talking about a glorious sound in which Italian musical groups have given the best of their creativity. The scheme partly retraces that of the previous album with a solid rhythm section (Carlo Giustiniani on bass and Enzo Vitagliano on drums) and vintage keyboards (played by Carlo Fiore) in the foreground. The atmospheres are sometimes more calm, sometimes more agitated. The sound is compact and without frills: the voice of Raffaele Gigliotti (who also plays the guitar) is warm and powerful just right, and it does not constitute (as in most Italian prog groups) a weak point. And, as in the best tradition of Italian prog, we also find a sort of concept that talks about the drama of homogenization (as can be seen from the visionary cover) that we live every day in our daily lives. The response to this situation is found in madness, seen in the dual possibility of drama and salvific escape. Probably there is not much originality in such a proposal but I don't find this a negative aspect either. In an Italian musical landscape full of often anonymous and meaningless music, listening to a warm band like Macchina Pneumatica is a breath of life. For followers of prog and jazz-rock.