Spettri
2973 – MMCMLXXIII – La nemica dei ricordi

The Spectres return from the mists of mythical times, one of the many groups that were part of the obscure Italian prog scene of the '70s. Black Widow, a commendable Genoese label always very attentive to unearthing the hidden nuggets of the Italian underground galaxy of the era, made available in 2011 the legendary debut album of the Spectres that was not published at the time. It was a record characterized by abrasive and heavy sounds where the influence of groups like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, but also prog giants like King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer, clearly emerged. Now, Black Widow gifts us with the new endeavor of the Florentine group ambitiously titled "2973 – MMCMLXXIII – La nemica dei ricordi," an album that could have easily been released in 1973. It seems that time has never passed and that the Spectres wanted to link the time machine to make a journey back to 1972, the year they recorded the first album. The concept of "Spettri" was centered on a man grappling with the world's ugliness and the discomforts of civilization, seeking answers in social revolution. The story narrated here ideally connects to the previous one, although in this case, the protagonist embarks on a sort of metaphysical journey in search of himself. The instrumentation used (Hammond, Leslie, and guitars) is the same as the ‘70s, and the Ponticiello brothers' group even wanted to record with the same technology available in 1973! "2973 – MMCMLXXIII – La nemica dei ricordi" thus retains all the spontaneity and freshness of that legendary period. Sepulchral "Sabbathian" riffs characterize the initial, intense "Il lamento dei gabbiani." In the subsequent "La nave," the settings tend heavily towards prog, with the piano and sax in the foreground, reminding me of King Crimson. In "Onda di fuoco," the beginning is in pure Emerson, Lake & Palmer style, while the central part is very atmospheric and rich in pathos. Even the opening of "La nemica dei ricordi" is still in pure Crimson King style. In "Il delfino bianco," we find guest Elisa Montaldo from Tempio delle Clessidre on vocals in a fairy-tale and delicate track. The concluding "L’approdo" is certainly one of the album's peaks. Here we find guest Stefano Corsi from the great Whisky Trail on Celtic harp: thus concludes the protagonist's journey to a mythical island, and everything assumes a fantasy and mythological dimension. Honor to Black Widow for gifting us the Spectres!