Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Orlando: Le Forme dell’Amore
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Orlando: Le Forme dell’Amore
Inside Out Music
Release Date: 23/09/2022
Running Time: 01:15:55
Review by Chris Galea
8/10
Out of all the Italian Prog Rock bands of the 1970’s, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (BDMS) have been one of the most prolific. And the band’s quirky virtuosisms return once more with studio album number 16. It’s called “Orlando: Le Forme dell’Amore” and is a concept inspired by an epic 15th century poem by Ludovico Ariosto. Without a doubt, the subject matter is quite intriguing. Essentially the poem is about the difficult choices that love forces you to make.
Various musical elements find their way into this album…. Jazz, Prog, Tango, Funk, Rock… giving the album many shades and colours. To give a few examples, tracks such as ‘La Pianura Rossa’ (‘The Red Plains’) and ‘Il Paladino’ (‘The Paladin’) have elements of Liquid Tension Experiment. ‘Non Credere All Luna’ (‘Don’t Believe In The Moon’) makes a great use of saxophone while ‘La Maldicenza’ (‘The Slander’) is very synth-heavy. The album is quite long with numerous instrumental parts and songs which tend to segue into one another.
On the odd occasion the music does get a bit tedious but there are also several inspired moments. An example of the latter is ‘Moon Suite’, an epic song that’s more about the Earth than the moon. It’s a composition with a number of mood and tempo changes that perfectly encapsulates the band’s musical ethos.
“Orlando: Le Forme dell’Amore” is only the second album from BDMS to have Tony D’alessio on lead vocals. While he’s undoubtedly a talented and powerful singer, I felt that in this album he isn’t always on the ball with the material’s little nuances.
I happen to be fluent in Italian, but I do believe that the album has a lot to offer even for fans unfamiliar with the language. “Orlando…” marks the fiftieth anniversary since BDMS’s formation while keyboardist Vittorio Nocenzi is the only founding member with the current line-up.
If, despite the band’s longevity, you’re as yet unfamiliar with BDMS, think of Jethro Tull, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer… but, with an added zesty flavour.
‘Cadere O Volare’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Proemio (cover version)
02. La Pianura Rossa
03. Serve Orlando Adesso
04. Non Mi Spaventa Più L’amore
05. Non Serve Tremare
06. Le Anime Deserte Del Mondo
07. L’isola Felice
08. La Maldicenza
09. Cadere O Volare
10. Il Paladino
11. L’Amore Accade
12. Non Credere Alla Luna
13. Moon Suite
14. Come È Successo Che Sei Qui
15. Cosa Vuol Dire Per Sempre
LINE-UP:
Tony D’alessio – Vocals
Vittorio Nocenzi – Vocals, Keyboards
Filippo Marchegianni – Guitars, Vocals
Nicola Di Già – Guitars
Marco Capozi – Bass
Fabio Moresco – Drums
LINKS:
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