Falena is an Italian Progressive Rock band, formed in 2003. They are very active in live scene, both in the Rome area and throughout Italy, while in the studio they have recorded three albums. Their style mixes Heavy influences with the classic traits of the Italian 70s Prog, giving an ever-personal touch, with the lyrics in Italian. The last of these three works “Una Seconda Strana Sensazione” was published on 4 December 2019 for the Locanda Del Vento and available on CD and Digital Download. It contains 14 tracks, with four short tracks and others of medium duration, for over 66 minutes of music. The album opens with “Artefatto” with guitar at the center of the initial melody and the support keyboards, with a quick change the track that evolves into a song Prog with an organic and clearly printed 70s riff. The sounds and the recordings give that pleasant retro effect and between tempo changes and excellent guitar and keyboard duets the track closes, a good intro. “Un Mite Inverno” starts with a solid riff and Heavy Prog melodies, enters the vocal, clear, decisive and in Italian. It is a track full of energy, with keyboards that are the protagonists of the melodies and in the instrumental section a good guitar solo. The vocal returns for the last strophe and with the initial theme and a synth layer the song closes. The third track “Il Dubbio” opens with atmospheric keyboards, sung and spoken voices that get layered and come to life with a dark theme. The tones are dark with granitic riffs of guitar and synth synthesizers, with a sudden change the time accelerates, the synth draws a nice solo. In the central part it is softer with tones that remain dark and the vocal becomes more interpreted and in the final stages with another change returns heavier. A good song, which shows the whole Heavy Prog side of the band, very close to the sounds of the early 70s. An atmospheric electric synth and a Drum rhythm on the Tom and begins “Il Peso della Misura,” the track evolves with massive riffs that intertwine with the layers of keyboards. The vocal is more accurate and in the central part the tones become darker and the vocal becomes halfway between the narration and the singing. A long instrumental section and the piece ends with environmental effects, a good piece, one of the best on the record. “Scosto I Capelli Dal Cuore” is a short interlude with background noises and the phrase of the repeated title. “Passaggio” begins with vocals, acoustic guitar and flute inserts, an acoustic and symphonic introduction. After a calmer first part, in the second one increases the intensity with a good solo between guitar and synth, with the last verse sung the song closes. A more melodic and sung track, a good break in the midst of the power of the other tracks. “Una Seconda Strana Sensazione” is the title track, and goes back to Heavy Prog terrains with darker tones. The Korean guitars open and sharp riffs, with keyboard layers that add power and darkness to the sound. Excellent hammond inserts and time changes that embellish and increase the musical level. The bass lines are solid and create a massive rhythmic session, but in this piece the focus is all on the excellent keyboards. “L’Erpice” is another interlude with environmental noises that guides us towards “Nella Colonia Penale.” With a more acoustic and melodic first part, between piano and touching voices, the intensity increases with the passage of the piece. A swirling keyboard riff and a harder guitar and the sound becomes more aggressive, while in the instrumental section the guitar draws a melancholy solo. It is constantly changing and in the end a nice keyboard-guitar duet returns with layers of voices sung and spoken. “Per Un Libero Pensiero” is a two-minute interlude with pastoral flutes and acoustic guitar, with an atmospheric keyboard in the background. The previous one soon leaves room for “Requiem” which begins the sound of bell tolls and keyboard melodies and passionate voice. With the entry of the other instruments the band expresses all its power, dark and imbued with a retro atmosphere. With a spoken vocal and background noises reminiscent of the “Il Mercato” crowd, which the Italian means market, this interlude of its minutes develops. A start with hard, almost metal riffs and an Atomic Rooster style organ and “Sete” begins. Centering in full the Heavy Prog style, with layers of keyboards reminiscent of the golden age, seeming to come out of Vincent Crane precisely. The hammond is the protagonist of the first half, then the song evolves with the entry of the flute and brings the sound onto a more symphonic ground. With the return of hard guitar riff and a massive organ, this excellent song closes, one of my favorites on the album. Finish the album “Conseguenza,” which begins with the cry of a child and a hypnotic melody of more electronic synths. The song is very spatial, with more modern sounds and closes the album very well. Moth draws from the Heavy Prog sounds of the early 1970s, mixing influences from both UK exponents and Italian groups. They are inspired, because their sound is personal, it shines with its own light, and in these 14 tracks their ideas are fully expressed and played with precision. We sleep all the ingredients so that this album can get the right appreciation. Lovers of the most aggressive sounds of Prog, with a wide use of keyboards and synths and granitic guitar riffs will be pleasantly surprised by listening to this work. A confirmation for the Italian band, that with this third publication shows a mature and solid sound, so many ideas, and the number of tracks for a total of almost 70 minutes sliding and pleasant are the proof.
Tracklist
1. Antefatto (3:02)
2. Un Mite Inverno (6:23)
3. Il Dubbio (7:17)
4. Il Peso della Misura (6:57)
5. E Scosto I Capelli dal Cuore (0:53)
6. Passaggio (6:45)
7. Una Seconda Strana Sensazione (5:13)
8. L’Erpice (1:16)
9. Nella Colonia Penale (5:29)
10. …Per Un Libero Pensiero (2:01)
11. Requiem… (6:23)
12. Il Mercato (2:02)
13. Sete (9:27)
14. Conseguenza (3:32)
Lineup
Emiliano Sellati / Lead Vocals
Alessandro Fusacchia / Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Backing Vocals
Marco Peschi / Keyboards, Synth, Programming, Flute
Andrea Trinca / Bass, Backing Vocals
Rossano Acciari / Drums
Falena |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|YouTube Channel|
La Locanda Del Vento (Lizard Records) |Official Website|Facebook Page|YouTube Channel|
