Misteriosevoci

Misteriosevoci is pleasingly devoid of the usual "debut album" pitfalls (which can range from lack of in-studio experience to a we've-been-writing-songs-for-years-and-we'll-cram-‘em-all-on-this-first-platter attitude). Barock Project's first outing is a strong and soundly assembled record. The inspiration is progressive rock, approached from the classical side. Keyboardist Luca Zabbini, the group's main composer, is classically trained and it shows, although his group does not tackle classics a la Emerson, Lake & Palmer. But from the harpsichord development in "Volo" to the aerial melody of "Premonizioni," the music clearly bears a Baroque-ish imprint. However, the rock element is prominent, with the electric guitar occasionally playing a larger role than the keyboards ("Gentile Direttore"). Lead singer Luca Pancaldi is your typical Italian prog rock singer: emotional and lyrical, with an operatic flair. The music has the symphonic aspect of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso without that group's Mediterranean flavor, and the rock feel of Ys without the over-the-top vocals. Most of the material on Misteriosevoci is good, with "La Dansa Senza Fine," "Senza Regole," "Premonizioni," and "Un Altro Mondo" standing out as particularly strong prog rock songs. On the other hand, there are a few weaker songs -- let's say that, whenever Barock Project tries to do something more straightforward, it gets very trite, as in "Anima" and "Luce," the latter a flat arena rock ballad. This debut album shows good songwriting skills, strong musicianship, and a convincing sense of direction. It is also well recorded, although the mix is much too heavy on the bass register. ~ Francois Couture