delving is a studio project by Nick DiSalvo, known for being the frontman of the band Elder, in which he plays all the instruments. The new album “All Paths Diverge” was released on August 23, 2024 via Stickman Records and contains seven tracks ranging from 7 to over 13 minutes in length. The proposed genre ranges from Progressive Rock to Space Rock, passing through Psychedelia and Krautrock and Electronics, enhancing Nick‘s compositional and performing technique. Layers of sounds enriched by effects open “Sentinel,” characterised in the first part by enveloping and atmospheric keyboard and guitar interlacing. The intensity increases as the minutes go by, through which Nick evolves and develops a theme steeped in elaborate Progressive sounds, with forays into modern Psychedelia. The rhythm section is solid and gives a more Space Rock feel at times, enriched by tempo changes and elaborate passages. Prolonged solo inserts enhance the artist’s technique on the various instruments, with keyboards and guitar in evidence. An excellent blend of all the sonic nuances that characterise his style. An electronic keyboard intro reminiscent of more classic Krautrock opens “Omnipresence,” the sounds are layered and the song is developed into a musical crescendo. The sounds are enveloping and steeped in passages with references to Kosmissche Musik, Space Rock and Psychedelic atmospheres that bring the classic sounds of the genre to the present day. Here too, the tempo changes are an added value to the sound, allowing the artist to range through the many facets that characterise his distinctly personal style. Both the melodies and the solo interventions are valuable and refined, creating a high-level malgam between keyboards and guitar. “Chain Of Mind” is the “shortest” track on the album, despite being over six minutes long. Here too we find an interesting mixture of more rhythmic Space Rock sounds, hypnotic layering of sounds and Space and Progressive openings alternating with accelerated drumming. A pleasant journey through Nick‘s musical universe, always adept at creating atmospheres that lead the listener into an emotional musical crescendo. Electronic sounds permeate “New Meridian,” a track over seven minutes long that incorporates elements of Ambient in the first part. A track that changes sound in the middle part, returning to Space Rock, again with Electronic traits and Cosmic atmospheres. The layering of sounds and modulations here are skilfully used by the artist, in a harmonious development of the track with a constant musical crescendo. We come to the epic track “Zodiak,” which immediately shows a more progressive rock character with classical and modern elements intertwined thanks to Nick’s personal touch. Continuous tempo changes characterise the rhythm section, keyboards and well-constructed guitar riffs intertwine with forays into Heavy Psych sounds. One of the best tracks on the album, in which the artist displays all his compositional and performing technique between melodies and refined guitar and keyboard solos. In the finale, the artist experiments with Ambient sounds that take us into the depths of the cosmos with very well modulated Ambient effects and sounds. “The Ascetic” opens with melancholic arpeggios that create a distinctly electronic sound, where the skill in layering and modulation of sounds is expressed at the highest level. The first part is steeped in classical Kosmische Musik, and then with a change turns into an elaborate song with more Space Rock traits. One of the strengths of the track and of the album as a whole is definitely Nick‘s ability to evolve the central theme of his pieces, with ideas and passages that are always very sophisticated, as in this case. The track closes with a more Heavy Progressive Rock section with guitar and keyboards as protagonists. The album ends with “Vanish With Grace,” another long track that reaches almost 10 minutes in length. A hypnotic intro with repeated keyboard melodies intertwine with distorted, scratchy guitar work. The drumming is solid and energetic, taking the sound into classic Space Rock territory, over which Nick draws engaging and sophisticated melodies and solos. A killer bassline completes the rhythm section, while guitar inserts feature prominently in the first part of the track. The journey ends in the second part with an extended section with electronic traits, showing the artist’s versatility. An album that confirms the artist as one of the most inspired on the modern music scene, enhancing his compositional and performing technique on all instruments. An interesting and refined blend of Progressive Rock, Electronics, Krautrock, Space and Psychedelia that is engaging from start to finish. The tracklist is well constructed, exploring all the musical facets that characterise Nick DiSalvo‘s sound. A recommended listen for lovers of modern Prog sounds with forays into electronica in Space and Psychedelia among others, an album to buy and listen to.
Tracklist
01. Sentinel (07:38)
02. Omnipresence (07:12)
03. Chain Of Mind (06:16)
04. New Meridian (07:53)
05. Zodiak (13:37)
06. The Ascetic (09:34)
07. Vanish With Grace (09:51)
Lineup
Nick DiSalvo / All Instruments
