The return of classic Italian Prog?

[spacefreak]

What we have witnessed the last three years...

new bands

Ske -1000 Autunni
Accordo Dei Contrari -Kublai
Moogg -Le Ore i Giorni gli Anni
La Coscienza Di Zeno -La Coscienza di Zeno + Sensitivita
Runaway Totem -Le Roi du Monde + Affreschi e Meditazione
Al Doum & the Faryds -Al Doum & the Faryds + Positive Force
Höstsonaten -Summereve + The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Ornithos -La Trasfigurazione
Yugen -Mirrors
Il Bacio della Medusa -Deus Lo Vult
Il Cerchio D'Oro - Dedalo e Icaro
Psycho Praxis -Echoes from the Deep
La Piramide di Sangue -Tebe
Ballo Delle Castagne -Surpassing All Other Kings
Jooklo Stellar Tribe -Freakedelic
La Maschera di Cera -Le Porte de Domani
Ingranaggi della Valle -In Hoc Signo
Oxhuitza -Oxhuitza
Midryasi -Black, Blue and Violet
La Porte Non Aperte -Golem
In Zaire -White Sun, Black Sun
Homunculus Res - Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto


return of the old giants

Le Orme -La Via Della Seta
No Strange -Cristalli Sognanti
Metamorfosi -La Chiesa Delle Stelle
Locanda delle Fate -The Missing Fireflies
Alphataurus -AttosecondO
Museo Rosenbach -Barbarica
Osage Tribe -Hypnosis
La Leggenda New Trolls - Concerto Grosso 3


...plus many others that didn't impress me that much.

Probably in no other country there's so much quality prog out from both new and old bands. Are we talking about the renaissance of the classic italian scene???

[moecurlythanu]

it sure looks like it, but I'd like to know how much media coverage and/or radio this scene is getting in Italy. Has it broke surface or is it all still underground?

[Nearfest2]

Exactly. The existence of bands does not define a resurgence. There has to be true buzz - live shows, good crowds, media coverage, etc. Then again, I think it's unlikely that we will ever see progressive rock at the levels that is was in the early to mid-70s, so let's take what we can get.

[Progmatic]

Ornithos was a nice surprise for me...although they have this retro feel they made album interesting by mixing different influences and by really solid musicianship...recommended

[TheH]

Italy graces us with a sheer legions of great bands in all kinds of shades of prog rock.

Although I wish all those bands and the scene itself a breakthrough to the surface, I myself can live
very good with them just keeping those great music comming.

[Sunhillow]

I think the first La Coscienza Di Zeno-album was one of the best releases of 2011, no matter what country. But if there's a revival, if only as it seems in our small little niche, then I for one surely hope we won't wind up with 100 bands putting out just the one or two albums, and then disappear.

[TheH]

Hi Spacefreak, some bands you might like:

Not a prog band at all but I love their energy:


Some weird stuff


Some overlooked gem from 1997

[moecurlythanu]

I was kinda hoping one of our members from Italy would reply and give us a run down of just how visible the current Progressive Rock scene there is (or isn't) at the moment.

[ske]

Italian here. Prog is still pretty much underground in Italy nowadays. Mainly the only acts blandly mentioned by media are the "old bands", so you might run into some occasional news about PFM or BANCO but that's about it. "young" or "new" bands don't play a lot of concerts, and italian audience seems to be more interested in old acts than the new ones. Festivals are ok, as usually provide exposure for new bands opening for old acts, and these events keep growing, which is good. A lot of young bands just make one album and then disappear, just like in the 70s, except now they don't play live that much. There is little to no support from the state to music (or cultural activities, for the matter), so each situation lives based on unique conditions, giving it an unstable future. Some labels or fanzines or websites do hard work trying to keep prog alive, but they are not all that well interlocked within each other.
On a positive note, prog is still well respected by musicians overall, and the "classic prog" italian acts are generally quite known and loved.

[bill g]

Mmm. Probably it takes concerts to be mentioned by the media, I'd imagine. Really too bad, as there is some great music from Italy, and incidentally the Ske album is probably my favorite of recent years, though there are many I've yet to hear.

[moecurlythanu]

Thanks, Paolo.

[spacefreak]

Il Pan del Diavolo: on the "to buy" list... Thanks TheH.

[Sunhillow]

the new La Coscienza Di Zeno is at Progstreaming, in case anybody hear would like to hear this album. Listen to Not A Good Sign too, while you're at it. Both bands contain the same members, yet the music is somewhat different.

[Guess Who]

the new La Coscienza Di Zeno is at Progstreaming

Any plans for the brand new album from Submarine Silence?

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

What we have witnessed the last three years...

new bands

Ske -1000 Autunni
Accordo Dei Contrari -Kublai
Moogg -Le Ore i Giorni gli Anni
La Coscienza Di Zeno -La Coscienza di Zeno + Sensitivita
Runaway Totem -Le Roi du Monde + Affreschi e Meditazione
Al Doum & the Faryds -Al Doum & the Faryds + Positive Force
Höstsonaten -Summereve + The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Ornithos -La Trasfigurazione
Yugen -Mirrors
Il Bacio della Medusa -Deus Lo Vult
Il Cerchio D'Oro - Dedalo e Icaro
Psycho Praxis -Echoes from the Deep
La Piramide di Sangue -Tebe
Ballo Delle Castagne -Surpassing All Other Kings
Jooklo Stellar Tribe -Freakedelic
La Maschera di Cera -Le Porte de Domani
Ingranaggi della Valle -In Hoc Signo
Oxhuitza -Oxhuitza
Midryasi -Black, Blue and Violet
La Porte Non Aperte -Golem
In Zaire -White Sun, Black Sun
Homunculus Res - Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto


return of the old giants

Le Orme -La Via Della Seta
No Strange -Cristalli Sognanti
Metamorfosi -La Chiesa Delle Stelle
Locanda delle Fate -The Missing Fireflies
Alphataurus -AttosecondO
Museo Rosenbach -Barbarica
Osage Tribe -Hypnosis
La Leggenda New Trolls - Concerto Grosso 3


...plus many others that didn't impress me that much.

Probably in no other country there's so much quality prog out from both new and old bands. Are we talking about the renaissance of the classic italian scene???

You didn't like Latte e Miele-Marco Polo? Or is that too old for this context?

[Brian Griffin]

the new La Coscienza Di Zeno is at Progstreaming, in case anybody hear would like to hear this album.

Thank you for the heads up, I checked this one out this morning

Very, very good CD on first listen, solid retro

BG

[old school]

Lots of great prog bands coming out of Italy I think it is still a underground scene unfortunately. My wallet is smaller I can say that much!

[spacefreak]

You didn't like Latte e Miele-Marco Polo? Or is that too old for this context?

Haven't had the opportunity to listen to this up till now...

[Scrotum Scissor]

Really looking forward to hearing that Homunculus Res thing myself.

[Zeuhlmate]

There are a few Homunculus Res tunes on youtube. Sounds good

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Been listening to Una Volta Eravamo in Sette in the car lately. The other day I was taking my 5-year old grandson somewhere, and he said, "That's spooky music!". I asked him if he liked it, and he replied "yeah!"
Must be nice to have such good taste at such an early age!

[TheH]

If there is a "Return" or not, they are shooting like mushrooms out of the soil:

VZ69: blusey prog with very BIG voice


PropheXy: a bit like Deus ex Machina meets Canterbury with heavy outbreaks


La Maschere di Clara: one of my faves, top R.I.O.

[TheH]

Corde Oblique: simply wonderfull folk prog


Sidera Noctis: another very different folk prog band

[Scrotum Scissor]

There are a few Homunculus Res tunes on youtube. Sounds good

I've got a serious problem turning this album off altogether - it's constantly spinning here at casa mia. Absolutely wonderful melodies and songwriting; completely unpretentious, refreshing and "different yet reminiscent".

[laurainspace]

What we have witnessed the last three years...

new bands

Ske -1000 Autunni
Accordo Dei Contrari -Kublai
Moogg -Le Ore i Giorni gli Anni
La Coscienza Di Zeno -La Coscienza di Zeno + Sensitivita
Runaway Totem -Le Roi du Monde + Affreschi e Meditazione
Al Doum & the Faryds -Al Doum & the Faryds + Positive Force
Höstsonaten -Summereve + The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Ornithos -La Trasfigurazione
Yugen -Mirrors
Il Bacio della Medusa -Deus Lo Vult
Il Cerchio D'Oro - Dedalo e Icaro
Psycho Praxis -Echoes from the Deep
La Piramide di Sangue -Tebe
Ballo Delle Castagne -Surpassing All Other Kings
Jooklo Stellar Tribe -Freakedelic
La Maschera di Cera -Le Porte de Domani
Ingranaggi della Valle -In Hoc Signo
Oxhuitza -Oxhuitza
Midryasi -Black, Blue and Violet
La Porte Non Aperte -Golem
In Zaire -White Sun, Black Sun
Homunculus Res - Limiti all'eguaglianza della Parte con il Tutto


return of the old giants

Le Orme -La Via Della Seta
No Strange -Cristalli Sognanti
Metamorfosi -La Chiesa Delle Stelle
Locanda delle Fate -The Missing Fireflies
Alphataurus -AttosecondO
Museo Rosenbach -Barbarica
Osage Tribe -Hypnosis
La Leggenda New Trolls - Concerto Grosso 3


...plus many others that didn't impress me that much.

Probably in no other country there's so much quality prog out from both new and old bands. Are we talking about the renaissance of the classic italian scene???

*ahem*

Aldo Tagliapietra - Nella Pietra e nel Vento (released 2012)
and soon:
Aldo Tagliapietra - L'Angelo Rinchiuso (due Sept. 2013)

sure looks to me like a renaissance ... at least for Aldo.