Habelard2 is the name of the project of the Italian keyboardist and guitar player Sergio Caleca, originally from Milan and active in the scene since 1979. With numerous productions released over the course of over 40 years, he is also keyboardist since 2018 of the RPI band Ad Maiora. The latest solo record release “Copriferro Semantico” collects recordings of the 1979 homonym plus 5 other tracks from different years. A mixture of all the shades and experiences of the artist, for over 55 minutes of music, to report the excellent cover with objects and faces drawn with an original touch. The “Muscle inertia part 1” opener begins with music box sounds and then leaves room for intertwining guitar and piano with repeated deep bass notes. The sounds are enriched by the orchestrations of the Mellotron, creating a dreamy atmosphere that takes us back to the 70s and to the more Symphonic tracks of Prog. The guitar solo in the final part is good and the piece closes with an organ insert. A guitar arpeggio and the paino open “How can I explain It” characterized by the first vocal of the album, intense and in English. The intensity increases with the passing of the minutes and the textures become more elaborate thanks to the tempo changes and the guitar and keyboard inserts. From the darker atmospheres of the previous one, it closes with a short guitar solo and a Mellotron background. “Bifolky” is characterized by an intro with acoustic guitar arpeggios, and the song develops on a Folk Prog genre, between tempo changes and accelerated rhythms of the rhythm session. Interesting and original is the mix between the tradition of Italian and Rock music, with cheerful and positive melodies and a very rhythmic drumming. more intricate in the melodies “Acquaragia” also presents more electronic sounds in the keyboards, while the rhythmic session is constantly evolving. A very elaborate and intense ’70s Prog track, with technical passages and valuable intertwining between guitar and keyboards, recalling the more technical sounds. Here is the second part of the open track “Muscle inertia part 2” which, however, offers more electronic sounds than the first, with a layered vowel in the central section. The keyboards are at the center of the sound, in the style of German music with a more electronic matrix. We are halfway through the album and “Nothing more” is softer and more linear, a good ‘song’ reminiscent of Italian music. Pleasant and smooth, it softens the tones between the most Prog tracks on the album. “Lulluba” returns to the more electronic sounds, where the keyboards are at the center of the scene, with repeated and hypnotic melodies. In the central part there is a vocal in Italian and the second part of the track develops on a more classic Progressive style, showing the two main nuances of this work. A guitar arpeggio opens “There’s no solution” with sustained drumming and the English vocal, a more classic Rock track, which is more elaborate only in some passages. Good guitar solo in the final, where it closes with a good keyboard insert. The shorter “Carosello” is a short but intense passage of Symphonic Prog with pompous keyboards of a clear 70’s style, very pleasant and well developed. “Crank” could easily come out of an early ’70s record, with valuable solo cues from Genesis-style keyboards and guitar. Entirely instrumental, and with prolonged guitar and keyboard solo sections, the track in the finale increases in intensity and closes with a crescendo. The disc ends with the title track “Copriferro semantico” which is also the longest running track. The keyboards are layered, loaded with electronic-style effects and modulations, giving life to a track that is close to the German Cosmic and modern Ambient genre. An album that contains different tracks, passing from the 70s-style Prog Rock to more electronic sounds close to German Cosmic music, a Folk Prog track and a more songwriter track. A journey within the sound facets and experiences of the artist, in this pleasant journey in his over 40 years of musical experience. A recommended and varied listening, suitable for a wider audience of Prog music, given that the artist is able to range and explore more styles of the genre.
Tracklist
01. Muscle inertia part 1 (05:07)
02. How can I explain It (06:04)
03. Bifolky (04:11)
04. Acquaragia (04:20)
05. Muscle inertia part 2 (04:29)
06. Nothing more (04:02)
07. Lulluba (04:55)
08. There’s no solution (04:44)
09. Carosello (02:26)
10. Crank (06:22)
11. Copriferro semantico (08:52)
Lineup
Ettore Salati / Lead Guitar, Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Bouzuki
Fabio Sereni / Drums
Paolo Callioni / Vocals
Sergio Caleca / Keyboards, Electric Bass, Acoustic and Electric Guitar
