A PIEDI NUDI - CREAZIONE - 1995

While it may be true that A Piedi Nudi sits at or near the upper echelon of the 90s resurgence of Italian progressive rock, I see little reason to place this band on the same pedestal as the country's true elite, made up really of the one-two punch of Deus Ex Machina and DFA. Comparisons to both these bands are applicable, particularly the former given A Piedi Nudi's tendency for spastic instrumental passages and stop-on-a-dime tempo changes, not to mention the sheer bombast of the whole thing. Still, the group lacks DeM's eccentricity and DFA's finesse, separating themselves instead by incorporating a heavy electric guitar presence, lending a 'metal' feel that is superfluous as often as it is effective. There is a heavy nod towards the past of course, particularly towards heavy Italian prog giants like Semiramis and, in particular, Il Baletto di Bronzo. Vocalist Carlo Bighetti has an emotive delivery that often recalls Gianni Leone's famed caterwaul, while the pyrotechnic surges of the compositions do their best to hit on the same kind of complex brilliance as those bands. Unfortunately, what the band has in chops and musicianship is often lost in atmosphere. Certainly, many of the problems with this album are aesthetic qualms. Overly crisp production, the metallish guitar incursions and a gated drum sound contribute to a sleek, "modern" feel that lacks a certain charm for me personally. Still, it's probably unfair to really measure the group against any of the aforementioned giants, as few bands do. This is not a bad album. Opener "Memorie" is probably the best track on here, simply by virtue of throwing the most compelling and memorable riffs and arrangements out at the listener before the slight redundancy of the remainder of Creazione sets in. That said, "Nuova Vita" still manages to jump out in the latter half of the album as an outstanding track in its own right, benefiting from an addictive main theme. A good album, if somewhat flawed in spots.
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Italian Progressive Rock. They have a lot of that "Italian Prog" sound like Le Orme or PFM, but lean more heavily on Metal-style electric guitar than most. You could call them "Progressive Metal", but with emphasis on "Progressive". This is NOT just another Metal band who calls themselves Prog, these guys are very Prog. The music has lots of complex rhythms and fast flurries of notes, sometimes doubled on Guitar and Organ. Not that Keith Emerson distorted Hammond organ sound, but the mellower organ sounds used by a lot of Italian bands. The vocals are in Italian, which I've always liked. The singers become just another instrument, and I don't need to strain to understand the lyrics.