Sithonia appear to be still around as of May 2024. Barely...
It's a rare case indeed when a band that possesses a full 6 piece membership reforms after 13 years with all attendees still accounted for and present. Perhaps even more surprising is that it sounds like Sithonia picked right up where Confine left off, especially from a compositional standpoint. And, best of all, this time the band showed up with some old-fashioned analog gear, allowing Sithonia to showcase their immense songwriting talents with the proper (or preferred I should say) instrumentation. So I had asked the question in my Spettacolo Annullato review what that album would've sounded like with a less tinny and digital sound. And we get our partial answer here. It's different material, but the style is similar, and thus I think we know that the album in question would benefit with the addition of organ and mellotron, as presented here. Not to mention the fatter production.
All the trademark sounds of Sithonia are present: Great songwriting, an impassioned vocal performance (appropriately done in Italian), and excellent instrumental work which also now benefits from a larger palette of sounds to choose from.
In short, La Soluzione Semplice is Sithonia's best album to date. Quite a remarkable achievement for a band that was gathering mothballs for over a decade. Let's hope they continue this reunion with another effort!
---1/2/13
Confine (1995)
On the Spettacolo Annullato review, I mentioned that it would be interesting to hear that album with a more modern (and analog) recording. In some ways Confine is that album. Not quite what I would expect from a band today, but at least this effort from 1995 has more heft than its predecessor. Especially surrounding the guitar sound, which when in riffing mode, at least gives off a whiff of true heavy metal. Make no mistake, Sithonia aren't a progressive metal band, but at least if they're going to use a heavier tone, give it a little muscle - and they did. The keyboards are still digital, but are somehow mixed a little further back and the sound is a bit better as a result. On the down side, I don't think Giovannini's vocal performance is as inspired as on Spettacolo Annullato, and the compositions aren't as memorable or as deep. Perhaps they're letting the production be the star, like we see in the movie industry (who needs plot when we have special effects). However, there is no question they manage to capture the spirit of the best themes from their past. On the whole, Confine is a very good album.
---10/12/11
Spettacolo Annullato (1992)
Spettacolo Annullato is Sithonia's sophomore effort and is a huge leap in quality from their good-not-great debut.
In some ways, the band succeeds despite itself. The guitarist plays in that annoying pseudo-metal riffing style, stopping just short of actually being balls-out metal (which would be far more preferable actually), with plenty of pig squeal guitar leads to send everyone racing from the room covering their ears. Worse are the digital keyboards, a set of plastic wonders that A Flock of Seagulls most assuredly would enjoy playing.
With that bit of grime out of the way, let's focus on why the album works. Primarily it's the compositions themselves, which are incredibly well thought-out while constantly on the move, in that classic early 1970's Italian style. There is quite a bit of thematic development as driven by the fantastic acoustic piano work, and the melodies are in your mind long after the music has stopped. With the right editing, and other factors, some of these songs could have been major label radio hits. But perhaps best of all is new vocalist Marco Giovannini's performance. What an outstanding impassioned display he gives here - some of the finest from the Italian progressive rock scene.
I rarely vote for re-recordings, but I would love to hear Sithonia record this album with a instrument setup of all analog gear and perhaps a bit more crispness during the recording. It should prove to be a masterpiece.
---10/9/11
Other albums heard: Lungo il Sentiero di Pietra (1989); Hotel Brun (1998)
1/2/13 (new entry)
