Biglietto Inferno

From the prog loving folks over at MaRaCash comes Metafora di Un Viaggio, the album from Italian progressive rock veterans Sezione Frenante. These guys have been around in one form or another since the early '70s, and much of this latest album will instantly appeal to fans of acts such as PFM, Banco, Locanda delle Fate, Le Orme, and Biglietto per L'Inferno. That's right, gorgeous Italian symphonic prog, littered with soaring vocals, vintage styled keyboards, tasty guitar, fat bass lines, and tight rhythms. Just listen to Mirco de Marchi's commanding Hammond organ & Sandro Bellemo's beefy bass on the excellent "Attesa", or the heavy rock guitar riffs courtesy of Doriano Mestriner doing combat with those lovely keyboards on the engaging "La Quiete in un Attimo". Spectacular stuff…

Seven long years separate La Maschera di Cera’s previous studio album (“Le Porte del Domani”, the ideal follow-up to Le Orme’s concept album “Felona e Sorona”) and “S.E.I.”, a great comeback for one of the key groups in the recent renewed interest for the glorious and unique Italian Progressive Rock of the ’70s. Warm symphonic atmospheres, Italian lyrics and a vocal style that often reminds the melodrama tradition: this is what has often characterized this musical genre and perfectly fit the band’s proposal.
“S.E.I.” renews the compositional skills of the current members of the group, based on very specific sounds: imaginative keyboards, ever-changing rhythmic patterns, a full-bodied wind instruments section, a powerful distorted bass that makes up for the absence of the electric guitarю…

Villa Pamphili is a double CD set with a selection of 32 tracks by Italian prog bands! In addition to major band tracks, this sampler includes also several rare tracks from vintage 7" singles by less known groups: Fholks, Fiori di Campo and even Krel (an early PFM line-up from 1970). Pay attention: while Villa Pamphili was a live 1970's concert, this double CD is not a live album from that concert.

The story of ASTROLABIO begins with ELETTROSMOG, an Italian prog band from Verona. ELETTROSMOG was formed in 2003 by Michele Antonelli (vocals, guitar, flute), Francesco Delli Paoli (bass), Alessandro Pontone (guitar), Massimo Babbi (keyboards), Cristian Maselli (drums) and Alessandro Savalli (bouzuky, banjio, mandolin, acoustic guitar). In 2004 they recorded their first demo EP, "Buona la prima" and started performing live. Later Francesco Delli Paoli and Alessandro Savelli left and were replaced by Michele Fiori (vocals) and Paolo Iemmi (bass). In 2006, after two years studio work, Elettrosmog released their first full length album, the self-produced "Monologando".