PropheXy: Improvviso

PropheXy started life as an Italian band seeking to make inroads into the Metal market so encouraged in their homeland in recent years. However with their third, and live, album Improvviso you'd never guess it. Instead the approach here is avant-garde and Proggy with flavours of Jazz. In truth, what PropheXy have added in scope, they do seem to have subtracted in focus.

With vocals as likely to holler, scream or make random "fnnfnnfnnfarrggarghblburrrblubeeblubrr" noises as they are passionately blurt out Italian lyrics and roars, some will immediately become isolated from what is going on. For others the sheer breadth and diversity (and seemingly random nature) of what is served up musically will be the stumbling block. However if you have a taste for the unusual and a motivation to push beyond more expected song constructions and formats, then the likes of "Babba" and "Straica di Quotidiano" may be for you. Flute adds a folk tinge at times, but comparisons to Jethro Tull would be tenuous, with it being piano excursions which punctuate much of what is going on here. The show recorded obviously had a small crowd in attendance, although their (I'm guessing) unfamiliarity with some of the newer pieces does leave things a little muted. In truth, until a gentle ripple of applause breaks out, it is sometimes easy to forget this is a live offering at all. Two live "bonus cuts" also appear with Richard Sinclair guesting, "Disassociation" taking an eternity to spring to life, meandering on far too long, while the lyrics to "Golf Girl" simply grate on the nerves. Even though the English words on both songs do offer a welcome change of focus.

I haven't heard either studio effort (Enforce Evolve and Alconauta) from PropheXy, however I'd be hopeful that either or both provides a more obvious "in" to what is going on during Improvviso. An album which I've found stubbornly difficult to decipher.

Track Listing
1. Tritone
2. Babba
3. La Rotonda Della Memoria
4. Stralci Di Quotidiano
5. Paradigmi Mentali
6. Trickster
7. C'è Vite Sulla Luna?
Bonus Tracks (featuring Richard Sinclair):
8. Disassociation
9. Golf Girl

Added: January 18th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: PropheXy Online
Hits: 1913
Language: english

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