AA.VV.
The divine comedy's part.1 "Dante's Inferno"

The monumental work of the now well-established Musea-Colossus partnership, "Inferno" stands as the absolute pinnacle of a long series that began precisely with another monumental work, that "Kalevala" which indeed marked the successful start of this project.

In this instance, it must be said that Musea really spared no expense (a sign that these tributes work):

An 80-page color booklet, beautifully created by that Davide Guidoni who is now found almost everywhere (Tilion, Hostsonaten are two splendid examples!), foreword by the same Colossus Team, even translation of non-English texts... in short, a rich appetizer that promises great things...

...which promptly arrive with the first track: "Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch'entrate" by the reformed Nuova Era with the rhythm section of the disbanded Taproban is the best calling card of this tribute, a great piece! The same goes for Yesterdays and Little Tragedies, a sign that from the East comes a strong and precise signal, a notch below the Lady Lake, a fairly well-known band close to the '70s for a piece unfortunately anonymous and inconsistent with the work to be described. At the end of the first CD and the beginning of the second two great pieces by Colossus Project and Court; great orchestrations and especially excellent vocal performances. Slightly underwhelming are the Wicked Minds, especially considering what we were led to expect from their two CDs, while truly outstanding (the absolute peak along with Nuova Era!) are Garamond, a group from the Lizard stable, among the most original and well-equipped of the lot. Another pleasant surprise is the Ozone Player (where we again find the rhythm section of Taproban!) among the best at capturing the mood of the work together with Contrappunto Project, where the grand piano sets absolutely stunning lines!

The fourth CD is perhaps the one that takes off the least due to the somewhat lackluster performances of a series of groups just starting (Armalite, Corte Aulica) and the excessive angularity of others (Nathan Mahl). Fortunately, right at the finish line, Simon Says, a group now of considerable stature, come to our rescue, sealing the best release of 2008.

Given the considerable length of the work (about 4 hours!!!) the presence of some fillers is inevitable, but on the other hand, there are things that would awaken the senses of any die-hard progster.....what are you waiting for???