G.O.L.E.M. is an Italian band that offers a 70s-style Progressive Rock with Krautrock, Psychedelia and Hard Rock influences. The instrumentation and the retro sound bring us back to the atmospheres of the past by proposing a music full of energy that will bring back pleasant memories. Their debut album “Gravitational Objects of Light, Energy and Mysticism” was released on Macrh 04, 2022 for the historic label Black Widow Records, always skilled in offering artists with refined sounds. 6 tracks between 5 and over 10 minutes, which enhance the compositional and executive technique of the band. The opener, “Devil’s Gold” begins with an intro by Hammond, from which a granite track comes to life with a solid rhythmic session and a Heavy Prog imprint of the 70s matrix. The vocal is dynamic and energetic and the exquisite keyboard intertwining takes center stage, while the tempo changes are an added value to the sound. An intense track that immediately plunges us into the musical atmosphere of the disc. The following “Five Obsidian Suns” opens with a dark intertwining of keyboards and bass, and then opens into a more Symphonic section. The vocal is warm and expressive and interprets the song with intensity, delicate and with a melancholic atmosphere. In the instrumental part the synth offers a valuable solo insert, at the end of which the track accelerates and the Hammond gives us another more tight solo. The singing returns with more aggressive strokes to close by returning to the initial theme of the piece. A pathos-laden vocal and a bass arpeggio begin “The Logan Stone,” which immediately comes to life with a solid structure with the Hammond in evidence. The journey through the sounds of the past continues, with both high-level tempo and intense and well-constructed keyboard works. The rhythm session is elaborate and the bass lines deep and load-bearing, with the sound that gives the right space to vocal parts and instrumental sections. “The Man from the Emerald Mine” opens with a dreamy piano melody, which after a minute develops into a Urih Heep-style Hammond. The vocal offers another convincing and dynamic proof, while the melodies are refined and engaging with the organ taking center stage with an excellent solo in the middle. The rhythm session is solid and adds energy to the song, certainly one of the best on the album. The whole compositional technique of the band is enhanced by the keyboard textures of “Marble Eyes,” with continuous tempo changes, passing from more symphonic features to the harder sounds of the band. Intense and highly sought after, creating intertwining high-level keyboards, with the vocal offering an interpretation full of pathos, an excellent summary of all the traits that characterize the band. Closes the album “Gravitational Objects of Light, Energy and Mysticism” which begins with a powerful drumming and an organ, with a hypnotic and supportive bass line. It is the longest track on the album and develops with continuous tempo changes, where harder strokes and Heavy Prog alternate with other more Symphonic ones. After the first sung part, the band offers us an instrumental section with a succession of keyboard solos. The second part features vocal and instrumental parts that interchange, enhancing both the singing and the excellent technical skills of the artists involved. This band has talent and it shows in all the tracks of this debut album, a concentrate of energy and refined ideas, well composed and performed. Heavy Prog sounds permeate the record, with keyboards taking center stage and a solid rhythmic session, enriched by tempo changes. The vocal is dynamic and very expressive, best interpreting both the softer and the more aggressive parts. A listening recommended for all lovers of the ’70s sounds of Prog with more Heavy features, this album in my opinion is a masterpiece, one of the most intense plays in recent years. Congratulations to the band, skilled in recreating the atmosphere of the early ’70s and to Black Widow Records, always careful to discover important artists of the Progressive scene.
Tracklist
01. Devil’s Gold (07:58)
02. Five Obsidian Suns (08:52)
03. The Logan Stone (05:20)
04. The Man from the Emerald Mine (07:02)
05. Marble Eyes (05:31)
06. Gravitational Objects of Light, Energy and Mysticism (10:35)
Lineup
Paolo Apollo Negri / Hammond Organ and Synths
Marco Vincini / Vocals
Emil Quattrini / Electric Pianos and Mellotron
Marco Zammati / Bass Guitar
Francesco Lupi / Drums
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