[Review] Arcadelt – Arc8

The Italian Neo Prog band Arcadelt returns after 25 years with a new Full-Lenght ‘Arc8,’ released by Lizard Records on May 20, 2019. It contains seven songs sung mostly in English, it is a welcome return that showcases a mature soind of clear Progressive Symphonic with a strong dose of New Prog Marillioniano. The album opens with ‘Behind the Courtain,’ a symphonic piece in Genesis style, with good guitar and keyboard cues and the vocal that reminds the English band. Sung and instrumental moments always alternate attentive to the symphonic atmospheres that permeate the track, a good start. The second track ‘The Heartbeat’ opens with a sweet piano and a soft and inspired vocal, closer to modern Marillion sounds, especially for instrumental openings of guitar and keyboards. The passage passes from softer moments to more powerful ones, full of emphasis, another beautiful passage. ‘Dogs in Chain’, after an intro with electric guitar and effected vocals, the structure of the song becomes elaborate and more intricate than the previous ones. A song different from the previous ones, more angular, with a good synth solo and a guitar solo then, in the central part, after a closer listening it will reveal its beauty. With an intro in Italian that invites children to listen to a fairy tale about a child in search of happiness, ‘Caledonia (The Inn of Happiness) begins’. The song begins and the poems return to English, characterized by positive melodies, with classical and bizarre incursions. Symphonic moments and more elaborate incursions are interchanged, a great test by the band, both in the narration and in the instrumental parts, one of the best moments of the album. ‘Assenze’ is sung in Italian, with delicate melodies and sweet melodies with string carpets. A delicate piano on which is inserted an intense and very expressive vowel, a harmonious and passionate detachment. ‘Blood On’ is the shortest song on the album and also the most Rock, full of grooves with powerful guitars and support keyboards. A drawn rhythm that recalls the Heavy side of the Prog, even the most aggressive vocal offers a good test. The album closes with ‘The Blue Side’, one of the longest tracks, with over eight minutes of New Prog characterized by more relaxed moments that alternate with more accelerated and rhythmic ones. In the second part of the song the intensity increases and the keyboards guide the sound alternating in the solos. This band, after so many years of silence, returns in great style, showing a splendid form and expressing all its potential, which in the previous work came out only in part. A symphonic record in full New Prog style, but with more energetic interventions in certain traits. A mature work that will satisfy lovers of IQ and Marillion style sounds, while incorporating some more personal traits.

Tracklist

1. Behind the Curtain (7:58)
2. The Heartbeat (5:53)
3. Dogs in Chains (4:26)
4. Caledonia (The Inn of Happiness) (8:18)
5. Assenze (4:18)
6. Boold On (3:59)
7. The Blue Side (8:13)

Lineup

Pierfrancesco Drago / Vocals
Fabio Cifani / Electric Bass
Sandro Piras / Drums, Percussion
Fabrizio Verzaschi / Electric Guitar
Giacomo Vitullo / Keyboards, Piano, Programming

Arcadelt |Official Website|Facebook Page|

Lizard Records |Official Website|Facebook Page|YouTube Channel|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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