Sven B. Schreiber (sbs)
This is full-fledged RPI, like it was pioneered in the 70's, but with a more modern sound. The band members are professionally trained musicians, most of them playing several instruments. Main composer Niccolò Davide Gallani has worked some time as a sound engineer for the "Genesis" tribute band "Get'em out", which explains some obvious similarites to the sound of early "Genesis", added to his brilliant music in a - fortunately - unobtrusive way. Francesco Lovari sings his lyrics with a typical Italian accent, which native speakers hopefully will forgive.
Favorite track: Embankment.
Cellar Noise are a very young progressive rock group from Milan that play completely original English-sung compositions, paying homage to the classic sound of the ’70s and looking towards the future at the same time. “Alight”, their full-length debut, given the young age of the musicians involved, impresses on the songwriting maturity level, both from the musical and the lyrical points of view.
Nothing is left to chance, even from the band’s name choice: ‘cellar noise’ as a metaphor of a small shake that awakens from the slumber of everyday life; an epiphany that is one of the main themes of “Alight”, a concept album constantly suspended between the real world and the protagonist’s mind who, on an ordinary day like many others, immersed in the enormous labyrinth of the London Underground, finds the meaning of an existence that he thought to have completely lost in the monotony of the daily routine.
The musical component is just as solid, built on large hammond and mellotron soundscapes, on which piano, keyboards and guitar scores are played with fine taste, always at the service of the melody and the narrative concept. As a result, the album songs, even if long and structured, carry the listener through a tale that is flowing and enticing at the same time.
“Alight”, artistically directed by Fabio Zuffanti, is a completely ‘made in Italy’ production, but with an international flavor; a remarkable debut that’s already now candidate among progressive rock’s most important releases of 2017!
*****
I Cellar Noise sono un giovanissimo gruppo milanese di rock progressivo cantanto in inglese la cui proposta, costituita di composizioni completamente originali, omaggia i classici degli anni ’70 e al tempo stesso volge lo sguardo verso il futuro. “Alight”, debutto sulla lunga distanza, considerata la giovane età dei musicisti coinvolti, impressiona quanto a maturità compositiva, sia dal punto di vista musicale, sia da quello lirico.
Nulla è lasciato al caso, a partire dalla scelta del nome della band, un ‘rumore di cantina’ metafora di un sussulto che risveglia dal torpore della vita di tutti i giorni. Un’epifania che è tra i temi principali di “Alight”, un concept album costantemente sospeso tra il mondo reale e la mente del protagonista il quale, in un giorno come tanti altri, immerso nell’enorme labirinto della metropolitana londinese, ritrova il senso di un’esistenza che nella monotonia della routine quotidiana sembrava aver completamente perduto.
La componente musicale è altrettanto solida, costruita su ampi tappeti di hammond e mellotron sui quali si sviluppano partiture di pianoforte, tastiere e chitarre suonate con gusto sopraffino, mai fini a sé stesse ma al servizio della melodia e della narrazione del concept. Di conseguenza i brani dell’album, mediamente lunghi e articolati, trasportano l’ascoltatore attraverso un racconto scorrevole e avvincente al tempo stesso.
“Alight”, che vede Fabio Zuffanti in qualità di direttore artistico, è un prodotto totalmente ‘made in Italy’ ma dal respiro internazionale; un notevole esordio che sin da subito si candida tra le più importanti uscite discografiche del 2017 nell’ambito del rock progressivo!
They played a wonderful set at Summer’s End in October 2018 which was based around this album . For me it was one of the sets of the weekend. The record is a wonderful permanent reminder of the show. Tony Honour
This might be the least folky of the Wobbler releases and I wasn't sure about it at all.
After a few listens however I'm loving the inventiveness and the endless melodies, all driven along by Kristian Hultgren's wonderful percussive bass. PartTimeZombie
Soothfully a phenomenal prog rock album—an instant classic. What motivates me to say so, is the music’s incredible expressiveness & its wonderfully cinematic song structures. Jargon is a very good fit with this band. It is quite evident that the band’s current lineup have great chemistry together & that they share a common affinity to this vein of music. I look forward to their next creation. Drifting Sun are definitely one of prog rock’s brightest lights. Thank you, DS!
9+/10. Alrihkh
The Long Island metal band's third album etches arena-sized hooks into their jagged compositions, deftly balancing experimental and poppy inclinations. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 12, 2022
A career-spanning live album from the European experimental rock band, featuring King Crimson's Gavin Harrison on drums. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 27, 2021
This album sounds so authentically like 70's "rock progressivo in Italia" that I wasn't sure if it's a re-release. But no, it's new! Great flashback for those addicted to vintage Hammond and Mellotron sounds, who like to travel into the past musically for some time. The album concludes with a nice cover version of Ivan Graziani's hit "Fuoco sulla collina" from his 1979 studio album "Agnese dolce Agnese". Sven B. Schreiber (sbs)