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Oxhuitza, Italy

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Oxhuitza - s/t. 2013 Mirror

So we have a strange one here. If you read the advert for the band, you'd think Oxhuitza were a pure retro 1970s Italian progressive rock play. But this is two separate bands playing together. On the one hand you have the guitarist laying down chords in a pseudo metal style that was popular in the 90s. And the plodding fat rhythms could have backed up Dio in his prime. Then there's the two keyboard players, who seem completely oblivious to modern times. Each are playing away on a bank of Moogs, Mellotron, Hammond organ, and acoustic piano in the grand tradition of the 70's Italian masters. Meanwhile the bass player straddles both genres with his decidedly retro flute playing. I suppose the keyboards are truly the focus here, so it definitely appeals more to my tastes. But one does wish for Furio Chirico (Arti + Mestieri's drummer) and Danilo Rustici (Osanna's guitarist) to walk in and lay the place to waste, for something truly extraordinary. Maybe next time?
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  1. I blindly ordered it yesterday upon a friend's rave recommendation. The 90's metal reference makes me wonder...

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    1. Spyros - I think you'll be happy with this one. It's definitely not a metal releases. It has that pseudo metal sound, that many of the 90s prog bands employed to obtain a "heavier" sound without actually going "all-in" metal. With the keyboards being the focus, I'm sure you will find much to enjoy as I did. Solid 11 for me!

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