Mangala Vallis
Lycanthrope

For my first review, I chose this Lycanthrope, which will probably be unknown to many of you... I did it because in case I wrote some nonsense, no one will notice, at least not before having listened to this deserving album.

Mangala Vallis is a band from Reggio E. formed by talented over-fifty musicians: among them, the names of the drummer Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (collaborations with Ligabue) and the underrated Bernardo Lanzetti (Acqua Fragile, P.F.M.) might not be new to you. Together with Mirco Consolini (guitar) and Enzo Cattini (keyboards), they undertake the challenge of playing in 2005 things more suited to 1973.
And "Lycanthrope," preceded by "The Book of Dreams," from 2002, is the worthy result of this attempt.

It is a concept album, with lyrics by Lanzetti, and guesting the great VDGG David Jackson with his sax: after the psychedelic start of "Echo Absolute" it immediately kicks off with the lively "Cosmotraffic Jam"; with changes of rhythm and virtuoso solos, our four veterans show us that they are still in great shape! However, the song doesn't leave a mark, unlike the following "Call Me Aelias", introduced by a poignant embrace of mellotron. Over a delicate chord progression, Lanzetti passionately sings a tearful melody of rare beauty, which flows into a sublime Consolini solo.

But the best is yet to come: after the cabaret-style and melodic "Lychantroparty" and "Animal Song", we reach the true gem of the album: introduced by a mournful howl, "The Boy That Howls At The Moon" is an intricate fairy tale, a 13-minute suite that contains in itself many different elements. The bed of acoustic guitars with which it starts creates a calm yet unsettling atmosphere; the whole grows more and more until it reaches the pinnacle of the song: on a rather hard riff in compound time, Cattini shows his virtuosity on the white and black keys with a breathtaking solo. When the chord shifts to major and the guitar embraces a dreamy melody, you can feel something magical. Yes, that magic hidden in the great and ancient prog compositions of the '70s is here too for me... wonderful! With "The Mask", the atmospheres change abruptly: in these 11 minutes our band tackles new, harder, modern sounds. But the result is convincing! The conclusion is entrusted to "The Transparent and The Obscure", where Lanzetti's still wonderful voice dominates. Particularly beautiful is the phrase where he says "trasforma l'oscuro in trasparente (turn the obscure into transparent)".

And we young people should listen to them, let's set fire to the tablatures of Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers that our bandmates want us to learn and play the music we really like! Let's turn the obscure into transparent, prog is old, but not yet dead!