Le Orme, Italy

Italian progressive rock

Facebook

Latest album: Il Leone e la Bandiera (2024)

Verita Nascote (1976)

After the disappointing commercial effort Smogmagica, Verita Nascoste is a nice return to form for Le Orme. Having acquired a full time guitarist for the previous effort, Le Orme had a new sound to experiment with. Not that Le Orme do much with it. On the contrary, the guitar seems to only add color and little else. By now, Le Orme are completely a song-based rock band, though more complex than their American contemporaries. This quality is displayed clearly on Verita Nascoste, where Le Orme's unique style makes for an overall enjoyable listening experience. 'In Ottobre' is an excellent example of how Le Orme could incorporate their progressive era sound into a tight commercial style rock framework. Throughout, Aldo Tagliapietra's voice is as wonderful as ever. There's even some nice violins on the pensive title track. While not as essential as their classic progressive rock albums, Verita Nascoste is a very pleasant listen, and a fine addition to the Le Orme catalog.

---3/11/01

Felona e Sorona (1973)

Le Orme's fifth release (and 3rd progressive album), Felona e Sorona, is generally considered their masterwork. The album is progressive rock by the numbers: 1) A heady concept with fantasy lyrics; 2) One long composition broken into nine subsections; 3) Keyboards galore featuring Mini-Moog, Mellotron and the familiar organ. The "formula" track as found on Collage has now been turned into an album length exercise. Going about it in this way, Le Orme came up with a fail-proof album that stills satisfies today. While it would be easy to pass off Felona e Sorona as a typical pretentious progressive rock album typical of the day, few deliver the goods as well as Le Orme. As with any ambitious project such as this, there is plenty for the listener to sink their teeth into. Many dynamic changes between the singer-songwriter tendencies of Aldo Tagliapietra and the bombastic keyboards of Tony Pagliuca. However what possibly keeps Felona E Sorona from the top echelon is the lack of allowing creativity and experimentation into the mix, so it appears most of the album seems restricted by an unspoken protocol. Exceptions to this are the eerie 'Attesa Inerte' and the ambitious closer 'Ritorno al Nulla', both reminiscent of the Uomo di Pezza balance of soft composition, jazzy grooves, and heavy rock. Overall, another classic Le Orme album and a must own for fans of Italian progressive rock.

---3/11/01

Uomo di Pezza (1972)

Uomo di Pezza, Le Orme's fourth album and second progressive rock era release, opens appropriately enough with an organ prelude quickly joined by a complex and heavy rhythm section. Silence begets a piano melody and then Aldo Tagliapetra's beautiful voice enters. The model found on Collage has been rediscovered and exploited.

So with that, Uomo di Pezza is ostensibly going to be a more sophisticated affair. As well, concerning instrumentation, Le Orme becomes more diverse. Here they add more acoustic guitar to the mix and the organ isn't as prominent as the newly acquired Mini-Moog. Gone are the jams and the reckless abandon found on Collage, to be replaced by more angular and thought-out creative music. 'La Porta Chiusa' is the perfect example of the new and improved Le Orme. A thundering bass and drum layer is offset by a Moog dial turn (as in turning the radio from soft to loud). Aldo then begins to sing softly, but somewhat eerily, only to find counterpoint with a thunderous organ, Moog, bass, and drum maelstrom. For pure songwriting, 'Figure di Cartone' and 'Aspettando L'Alba' are brilliant examples of melancholic beauty, especially the latter (which would've been the perfect soundtrack to an arty Italian film). Aldo's emotional voice is perfect for this kind of style and unfortunately they were unable to capture this magic on their later, more commercial, efforts. The album closes with the raucous instrumental 'Alienazione', perhaps the only acknowledgement of their previous history with heavy psych rock, via their opus Collage.

What separates Uomo di Pezza from the other albums in their canon is the perfect balance between the raw heaviness found on the predecessor - with the more uppity aspirations of pretension to be heard on their next opus. A true classic and, for me, Le Orme's finest work.

---3/11/01

Collage (1971)

In the late 1960's, Le Orme were one of the few Italian bands to attempt an American styled psychedelic music, and the results varied from high quality original compositions to trite mimicry. By 1971, Le Orme had changed directions to the new music movement sweeping Italy: Progressive rock. Collage, Le Orme's first progressive album and third overall, is a stripped-down affair with only organ, piano, bass, and drums. The exception is the opening title track which could be considered the bridge between their psych and prog composition styles. This track has a kitchen-sink mentality and features an orchestra, pseudo-baroque motifs, and some trendy of the era moves. The next piece however, 'Era Inverno', is the beginning of the classic Le Orme sound. Aldo Tagliapietra's instantly recognizable alto voice opens the song and then is followed by Tony Pagliuca's fabulous organ and the energetic drumming of Michi dei Rossi. Of all the songs found on Collage, this one would be the model for the future. The amazing 'Cemento Armato' follows. Le Orme has never been known for being a jam band, but this eight-minute organ trio number is one of the greatest of its kind. Blistering organ work and the rhythm section of Aldo and Michi are as hot here as anywhere to be found in their entire canon. Another highlight can be found on 'Evasione Totale', an experimental organ jazz rock piece with heavy echoed keyboards and groovy rhythms. Overall, Collage is Le Orme's most energetic, raw, and experimental album. As such, this album tends to be overlooked by those awed by their more polished follow-up efforts. Fans of heavy organ rock, as more commonly found in Germany, will likely adore Collage.

---3/11/01

Other albums heard: Ad Gloriam (1969); L'Aurora Delle Orme (1970); Contrappunti (1974); In Concerto (1974); Smogmagica (1975); Storia o Leggenda (1977); Elementi (2001)

2/14/19 (new entry)

Hokr, Czech Republic

Retro prog; Progressive rock

Website (they have a Facebook page but it hasn't been updated since 2013)

Bandcamp

Latest album: Starej Hokr Vol. 2. (2023)

We've received word, via a friend of the band, that a new album will be released this November (2024) to coincide with the group's 45th anniversary.

Starej Hokr Vol. 2. (2023)

Every few years we hear from the Czech Republic's finest prog band Hokr, and here we have a very interesting mix of archival and new material. I'll discuss that further below, but let's tackle the music first. Which I did over five listens on subsequent nights. Hokr has never been an easy listen, and this album is no different. 

For their last album I wrote: "...is a dense Van der Graaf Generator styled prog with the addition of sax and anguished vocals (in their native Czech). ...There are 8 tracks totaling 48 minutes, and everyone of them is challenging and complex. Yet easy on the ears with a certain melodicism. This is not the cold and calculating avant prog classroom exercise. No, this points to the early 70s masters of the style. I listened three times straight last night, and each listen revealed many new twists. Hokr are a full sounding 5 piece group, whose music will easily transcend time."

I think that covers this as well. That thick organ, tenor sax, complex charting, and impassioned vocals immediately recall the best of VDGG. Just the sound alone is very enticing. It's a varied album, which makes sense when you know how it was compiled, but it still comes across as a cohesive whole. Despite terms like "difficult" and "complex", the album actually flows nicely and is pleasurable throughout. That's a testament to the group's experience.

So what is this album anyway? The title means Old Hokr Vol. 2. Petr Cermak (friend and drummer of the band) tells me this was music they used to play from 1979 to 1985 (newly recorded though). OK, tell me more. Thank goodness for Achim, my long time friend and colleague from Germany, as he saved me time here. He dived deeper and offers this (translated by Google): 

"An email exchange with Petr and Pavel Cermak helped a lot to clear things up, and also helped clarify the band name. 'Hokr' was the band's neighbor's last name, i.e. the neighbor of the Cermak family, in whose house the group had started rehearsing in the fall of 1979. Since he was a bit strange (the neighbor), says Petr Cermak, and the band's music too, they named themselves after him. Back to "Starej Hokr Vol. 2". Starje is called old, so the album is roughly called 'The Old Hokr Part 2'. Here you can find music that Hokr composed, rehearsed and performed at secret concerts back then, especially in the first half of the 80s (they did not have an official performance permit from the Czechoslovak authorities). "Starej Hokr" is the sister album to "Hokrova Vila", which also contains such historical material from the band, but newly recorded in 2003-2004. “Starej Hokr” took a little longer, as the pieces were recorded between 2005 and 2023. This was probably also because Petr Cermak lived in the USA in 1986, while Pavel was active in the Czech Republic with Hokr, with a new drummer. Of course, original drummer Petr Cermak wanted to work on the skins for “Hokrova Vila” and “Starej Hokr”. ...Petr Cermak names Blue Effect (Modrý Efekt), Colegium Musicum, The Plastic People of the Universe, DG 307, Mikoláš Chadimas Extempore (later known as MCH Band), Vladimír Mišíks Etc…, SBB, Budka Suflera, Ossian and Omega as influencers at the time . The group's favorite band was probably King Crimson. From these sources of inspiration and a lot of their own, Hokr then formed their very own style, keyboard-heavy, a bit jazzy, slightly chamber rock and always nice and creaky, with very unique singing in the local language. Aku-Aku's colleagues, Dunaj, Domácí Kapela and Narajama later made similar music."

Thank you, Achim. Had no idea it was their neighbor's last name! And I also need to follow up on some of those reference groups. I know many and have written about them here, but there are some new names to me too.

---4/7/24

Klid v Bezčasí (2017)

One of the better progressive rock discoveries of the last decade was Hokr, a band from Prague who released two albums of great invention. I have notes on each below, for reference. So when I received notice that a 3rd album had just come out, I was ready to pull the trigger immediately. Ummm... one small problem. No one had it for sale. I mean no one. I put on the Discogs want list immediately, along with an ebay search. And waited. And waited. And waited. And finally that day arrived. Hokr managed to be for sale, even here in the United States. Hooray.

Now that I have secured the CD, which Hokr can I expect? The reality is that their 2 albums are very different from each other, but both great. The 2004 debut is a keyboard based progressive similar to Collegium Musicum but updated Elephant9 style. The other (Zahřáté Brzdy Optimismu from 2012) is a dense Van der Graaf Generator styled prog with the addition of sax and anguished vocals (in their native Czech). And the answer is? Klid v Bezčasí is very much like the latter. There are 8 tracks totaling 48 minutes, and everyone of them is challenging and complex. Yet easy on the ears with a certain melodicism. This is not the cold and calculating avant prog classroom exercise. No, this points to the early 70s masters of the style. I listened three times straight last night, and each listen revealed many new twists. Hokr are a full sounding 5 piece group, whose music will easily transcend time. They are 3 for 3 in my book. Well worth seeking out.

---5/7/21

Zahřáté Brzdy Optimismu (2012)

It's been 8 years since Hokr's last album, and in between they released an album under the name Poco Loco. Zahřáté brzdy optimismu is closer in sound to Poco Loco than the last Hokr. The vocals have an anguished guttural quality similar to Peter Hammill (except sung in Czech), and the dense complex compositions recall the early 70s albums by Van der Graaf Generator. Sax, fuzz bass, and amplified organ lead the instrumental side of the band. This a fairly unique album overall. Perhaps only Garden Wall of Italy has a similar compositional style. Remove the metal guitars and add sax, and you have about the closest cousin you can spot. And they are distant cousins. Very distant. Highly recommended for the adventurous progressive rock listener.

---5/18/13

Hokrova Vila (2004)

At its core, Hokr are an organ based trio (whose history goes back as far as 1981) that seems to be the spiritual successor to Collegium Musicum, but put through the Elephant9 hyper amplified grinder. Additional guests on cello, tenor sax, and guitar augment their sound greatly. Though primarily an instrumental album, the Czech vocals are delivered in an impassioned narrative like a cross between Pholas Dactylus, Devil Doll, and Deus Ex Machina (at the higher registers). The cello gives them a slight Anekdoten feel. This is the best album from the Czech Republic since the heyday of The MCH Band, who they share some similarities with especially on the tracks with sax (minus the guitar of MCH of course). 'Mouse in a Trance' is a certified monster quality track! Hokr evolved into the also creative Poco Loco, a group I need to spend more time with obviously. Don't miss this one!

---4/28/11

4/28/11 (new entry)

The Cosmic Dead, Scotland

Space rock; Krautrock styled

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest album: Infinite Peaks (2024)

The Exalted King (2012)

The Cosmic Dead are a Scottish quartet who've been around a couple of years, and whose raison d'etre is improvised space rock. The Cosmic Dead are yet another one of these new bands who seem to be content to issue their albums via download, along with the archaic cassette format (which, to be fair, does allow for 90 and 120 minute albums). They have 6 albums to date but only two are on the more durable and desirable formats like the LP and CD. 

The Exalted King is a sprawling 2 LP set of droning keys, echoed guitars, and pounding rhythms. Hawkwind and the more cosmic moments of Amon Duul II are the obvious comparisons. This is music to turn the lights off, sit back / lay down, and take in the aural kaleidoscope provided. Wake up, turn the vinyl over, and repeat. By the end of Side 4 you're ready for a blissful sleep.

---6/1/13

6/1/13 (new entry)

Malady, Finland

Retro prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest release: Ainavihantaa (2021)

Nothing too much happening in 2024, though the group is still active.

Ainavihantaa (2021)

See the two reviews below, starting with the first. Then... Remember what I said on the latest Agusa album about putting on a pair of your favorite jeans? That's Malady. Whereas Agusa takes me to new heights, Malady feels comfortable. Like watching an old episode of Rockford Files rather than something more challenging, even if it's based in old school principles (say... Bosch for example). The question then becomes how many pair of comfy jeans do I need to own? That's going to be a debate coming in the not so distant future. We'll have to review this one with a more critical ear. For now... I'm good.

---4/4/24

Toinen Toista (2018)

Toinen Toista is the sophomore album from Malady, and is largely an extension of the debut. As I stated on the notes for that debut, Malady is a band that have truly captured the sound and essence of the early 1970s. And they are defiantly Finnish at that, so the country's own progressive rock heritage is brought to the fore. Like their ancestors, Malady are not in a hurry to prove a point, but rather they invite you into their world, with strange shapes, dynamics, and colors.

The opening title track tells the whole story of the album in musical terms, so if that's not going to draw you in, might as well skip this title and head to the next one in your stack. 'Laulu Sisaruksille' is the now-requisite short introspective number with shards of mellotron and classical stringed instruments. 'Tiedon Kehtolaulu' is the highlight for me, providing a potential soundtrack to your dream vacation touring the countryside of Finland. It also underscores how much Malady should add flute as a permanent instrument. While listening to this track, you will see images of a pretty girl with long auburn hair and slanted eyes. I actually saw her come out of my CD player. Neat huh? 

'Etsijän Elinehto' is a very good track, but ultimately faceless in comparison. The 23 minute 'Nurja Puoli' almost takes us to the next level, with some stunning guitar melodies weaved into the multi-part harmonic track segments. Oddly I was reminded of Trettioariga Kriget's 'Krigssang' side-longer. I say almost, because the last 6 minutes or so took away the full enjoyment for me, with chorus' sounding like Pink Floyd through a - oh nooooooooooo - Radiohead filter. They tipped their hand that they have indeed experienced the 90s. But hey, Radiohead has the greatest album of all time according to RYM. It just boggles the mind really. Tragedy of the commons indeed. Oh well, we won't let one singular lapse in judgment spoil all the fun. Still a great track as well as an overall excellent retro prog album.

---2/7/19

Malady (2015)

One of the common complaints I often hear regarding the "retro prog" movement is that the various bands that attempt it either 1) use new instrumentation to emulate old sounds or 2) use newer production techniques, even if the instrumentation is authentic. I have no such qualms, but for those where 1) and 2) are a problem, then Malady is the remedy for your... (cough) malady. Hammond organ, flute, loud acid guitar, woody bass, vocals in Finnish... you know the drill by now.  This is an album that sounds like it was recorded and released in 1973. If groups with names like Tasavallan Presidentti, Kalevala, Nimbus, and Fantasia get your heart started, well then, do I have an album for you...

---1/8/16

1/8/16 (new entry)

Helmet of Gnats, USA-Connecticut

Prog fusion

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest album: Travelogue (2020)

Latest single: Nathan Deacon's Other Brain (2024) 

Nathan Deacon's Other Brain (2024) single

Helmet of Gnat's latest release is a lengthy seven minute "single". Starting off more in electronic territory the music soon enough shifts towards a mellow Crimsonic type cyclical fusion piece. This eventually leads to the more comfortable sounds of common jazz fusion as one might hear in 1982 (they continue to move forward in time, though 40 years in the rear view mirror). Though the funky wah-wah bit at the 6 minute mark is a cool twist. Very nicely done.

---4/3/24

Travelogue (2020)

I was recently in touch with guitarist Chris Fox, and he was kind enough to send me over a copy of Helmet of Gnats 4th and latest album Travelogue. I have notes on the second and third albums and there's a common bond between them. To cut and paste snippets from each:

"Their stock and trade is retro jazz rock/fusion, with Hammond B3 and electric guitar leading the way. Melody is front and center so this isn't a chops fest, just the way I prefer it. At times it sounds like Niacin with some spruced up psychedelic guitar leading the solo parade."

"As for style, I'm reminded of what Mandrill said about their music: "We were too prog for funk, and too funk for prog". Replace funk with fusion and you could make that same argument here."

The main theme on both of the above is that Helmet of Gnats favors melodicism over technique. And that shines through once again on Travelogue. You never have to sit through a chromatic scale shred fest, nor gymnastic rhythmic displays. Rather there's a natural flow of events to the compositions. While Timeslip refers back to the early 70s side of jazz rock, Travelogue comes in around 1977 or so. Fantastic synthesizer and other analog keys complement Fox's thoughtful guitar solos. The rhythm section is complex but not busy. Some of the warm bass tones are right out of the late 70s fusion cookbook. Their are seven tracks totaling precisely 50 minutes. A full LP length, not too short where you are pining for more, not too much where it leaves you exhausted. Travelogue is timeless music, the kind that sounded fresh in the 70s and continues that way into the 2020's and most assuredly beyond. I've enjoyed all four of Helmet of Gnats albums to date.

---3/29/24

High Street (2010)

What I wrote for Timeslip most certainly applies here too. The concept is about the band members' childhood home street. There is something special about that experience and connection with the past. I have a very good friend from my old neighborhood (lived right across the street) and we've been friends for well over 50 years. We both are blessed with excellent memory capability so we can each recreate moments going back to our earliest school days of the early 70s.

This connection comes through in the music of Helmet of Gnats. As for style, I'm reminded of what Mandrill said about their music: "We were too prog for funk, and too funk for prog". Replace funk with fusion and you could make that same argument here.

---10/8/23

Timeslip (2004)

Timeslip is Helmet of Gnats second album, 8 years after their debut. Here their stock and trade is retro jazz rock/fusion, with Hammond B3 and electric guitar leading the way. Melody is front and center so this isn't a chops fest, just the way I prefer it. At times it sounds like Niacin with some spruced up psychedelic guitar leading the solo parade. That reads like a great combination to me! If your tastes in fusion run towards the early 70s side of the continuum then Timeslip will most certainly satisfy.

---7/28/22

Other albums heard: A Helmet of Gnats (1996)

1/21/24 (new entry)