Not A Good Sign
Icebound

THE REVIEW

The Milanese band Not A Good Sign returns, led by the versatile Paolo “Ske” Botta, one of the founders of this project along with Francesco Zago and Marcello Marinone. Now, after the commendable From A Distance, their new self-produced work titled Icebound is released. The main novelty is the addition of the talented guitarist Gian Marco Trevisan—who, together with Alessio Calandriello, also takes care of the vocal parts—while Francesco Zago departs. This allows Paolo Botta to fully display his creativity, effectively composing all the tracks except for one written by Trevisan. Additionally noteworthy is the presence of two guests, starting with the legendary David Jackson (ex Van Der Graaf Generator) on saxophone and Eloisa Manera (Artchipel Orchestra, Progenesi) on violin. Manera's contribution proves to be significant in the economy of the sound of Icebound, which at times, reminds me of King Crimson's Lark’s Tongues In Aspic and Starless And Bible Black. However, the sound is not merely derivative. The level of the compositions is generally good, and particularly, accessibility is never lacking, which is not so common. The opening “Second Thought” is characterized by dark and powerful atmospheres with Alessandro Cassani's beautiful pulsating bass, the violin, and “Frippian” guitars in the spotlight. The first part of the subsequent “Frozen Words” is quiet and dreamlike, but then the sounds become frantic and once again “Crimsonian.” “Truth,” on the other hand, takes us to more dissonant territories with a peculiar use of the drums that almost seem electronic. Remarkable is also “Hidden Smile,” a leaden track that evokes autumnal landscapes with perfect interplay between the musicians. The highlight of the album, however, is the long and intense—over 9 minutes—“Trapped Inn,” featuring David Jackson: the music alternates between calmer moments and more frantic ones: it might be just the impression, but indeed, at times, I felt the ghost of the Generator re-emerging! Overall, Icebound is a good album that does not disappoint expectations and confirms the value of Not A Good Sign. Icebound is released on CD in a “craft” limited edition of 500 numbered and autographed copies and is also available in digital format on their site at the following link (https://www.notagoodsign.org/) or by writing to info.notagoodsign@gmail.com. Available on Bandcamp: https://notagoodsign.bandcamp.com/album/icebound.