Yassir Meneses
Tras esperar unos años por más música de esta gran banda, regresan con un álbum en el que demostrando el gran talento que tiene la banda, la voz de Simone Cecchini es genial.
Favorite track: La Dolorida.
“Imilla” is the fifth studio album by the Italian prog-rock band Il Bacio della Medusa, hailing from the town of Perugia; a record leaves back the electronic experiments of its predecessor “Seme*” and returns to the visceral and multifaceted rock sound that shaped most of the band’s production stylistic code.
Here we are facing a new concept album, based on a ‘contemporary’ topic and inspired by the figure of Monika Ertl, who took the name “Imilla” when she joined the Bolivian revolutionary militia during the 60s and the 70s. Initially recorded in a mainly acoustic form, entirely conceived and composed by frontman Simone Cecchini, once proposed to the rest of the band, thanks mostly to the arrangements curated by Diego Petrini, “Imilla” has finally changed into its current form, with progressive and hard rock tones, without however completely abandon its original folk and Latin nature.
In “Imilla”, the band’s 20-year old main core, consisting of Diego Petrini’s sprawling and multifaceted percussion and keyboards, Federico Caprai’s pounding bass, Eva Morelli’s flutes and saxophones, delicate and sharp at the same time, and Simone Cecchini’s histrionic voice, perfectly combines with the new guitarist – Eva’s younger brother – Andrea Morelli’s biting and roaring riffs. The result is yet another excellent album from one of the most significant bands of the modern Italian prog-rock scene!
*****
“Imilla” è il quinto studio album della band Perugina Il Bacio della Medusa, un disco che abbandona le sperimentazioni elettroniche del precedente “Seme*” per tornare al rock viscerale e multiforme che ha contraddistinto la cifra stilistica di buona parte della produzione del gruppo dalle origini sino ad oggi.
Siamo al cospetto di un nuovo concept album, questa volta ‘contemporaneo’ e ispirato alla figura di Monika Ertl, di cui “Imilla” era il nome da combattente presso le milizie boliviane negli anni ’60 e ’70. Nato da una versione prevalentemente acustica, interamente realizzata dal frontman Simone Cecchini, una volta proposto al resto della band, grazie principalmente agli arrangiamenti curati da Diego Petrini, “Imilla” ha finalmente assunto l’attuale veste dalle tinte progressive e hard rock, senza tuttavia perdere del tutto la sua iniziale natura folk e latin.
In “Imilla”, oltre allo zoccolo duro della band, forte dei suoi venti anni di attività, costituito dalle percussioni e dalle tastiere del tentacolare e poliedrico Diego Petrini, dal basso martellante di Federico Caprai, dai flauti e dai sax di Eva Morelli, carezzevoli e taglienti al tempo stesso, e dalla voce dell’istrionico Simone Cecchini, si innestano alla perfezione i riff graffianti e ruggenti del nuovo chitarrista Andrea Morelli (fratello minore di Eva). Il risultato è l’ennesima eccellente proposta di una tra le band più significative del moderno panorama prog-rock italiano!
credits
released August 25, 2023
*****
Copie fisiche dell'album in formato CD papersleeve e LP sono disponibili a questi link / Physical copies in papersleeve CD and LP format are available at these links:
Brilliant retro/symphonic/folky prog from Norway. Pastoralia was great, but I think I like this even better! This album sounds as if they made it for me, simply love it!
If you're imagining Mirage-era Camel with Norwegian woods, er, words, you'll might guess what to expect. At least, that's how I would describe it. Or just check the liner notes here. They nail it, too... Carsten Pieper
Museo Rosenbach's voice, "Lupo" Galiffi, still going strong 48 years after Zarathsutra's release and joining forces with notable figures of modern Rock Progressivo Italiano (members of La Coscienza di Zeno, Höstsonaten, Ubi Maior...). RPI lovers shouldn't hesitate to get this great album (great songs (melodies, arrangements, great singing and playing). Newbies are invited to acquire the taste. Carsten Pieper
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