Post Description

Studio Album, released in 2009, Italy.

RPI/Pastaprog.

CANTINA SOCIALE is a new Italian group. The line-up is: Rosalba Gentile (keyboards), Elio Sesia (guitars, bass, violin), Iano Nicolo (vocals), Gianni Grasso (bass, saxophones), Carla Viarengo (saxophones, background vocals), Marina Gentile (guitars) and Graziano Viola (drums). The music is mostly similar to the seventies groups but there are some modern influences as well. They have more Mediterranean feel in the music than an average Italian symphonic group.
The debut album "Balene (c'e qualcosa di piu)" was released in 2002. It is a good album with a prominent vintage keyboard sound and it has nice use of saxophones throughout the album. The group has a good singer in Iano Nicolo and his emotional vocal delivery ads some theatrical feel. He is also the composer in the group. It is the strong Mediterranean influence that sets them apart from many other new Italian bands. Their second studio work "Cum Lux" was released in 2009.
CANTINA SOCIALE should please fans of seventies Italian progressive who don't mind some modern Mediterranean influence.

"Cum Lux" is the latest album from this modern seven piece Itailan band.This was released last year and it's their second album.They did participate as well on one of those Collosus Projects called "Kalevala : A Finnish Progressive Rock Epic". My biggest complaint here is with the deep vocals.I just find them hard to get into.I do like the fact that we get a fair amount of sax and mellotron on this recording though. "Unonessunocentomila" has a good relaxed sound early as these deep vocals i was talking about join in.Some laid back sax follows then acoustic guitar before 3 minutes with more sax.It's quite passionate sounding later. "Goccia" opens with synths and dripping water.Vocals and guitar before a minute.Sax a minute later.Drums and vocals lead after 3 minutes.A calm with that dripping water a minute later.Some good bottom end follows then it's mellow again after 7 minutes. "Il Populo Dei Coriandolie" opens with atmosphere as reserved vocals join in.A fuller sound before 1 1/2 minutes,sax too.Guitar after 2 minutes.Great sound 3 1/2 minutes in with mellotron.It's building before 5 minutes. "7 Piccoli Indiani" has some prominant guitar and drums to start then it settles with some atmosphere.Vocals and sax follow then it kicks back in.Some organ after 4 1/2 minutes then it setttles with spoken words and piano.It's darker too.Guitar is back as it builds.It's much better before 10 minutes until the vocals return. "Kantele" opens with vocals as it starts to build.Sax before 2 1/2 minutes.Guitar after 4 1/2 minutes then it settles right down before picking back up one more time. "Cum Lux" is the over 20 minute epic.Atmosphere as reserved vocals join in.It's jazzy before 2 1/2 minutes with bass and guitar.Mellotron 3 minutes in.Prominant guitar 6 minutes in that goes on and on.Nice.A calm 7 1/2 minutes in with vocals.Not a fan of this.It kicks back in at 9 1/2 minutes.A calm 2 minutes later with mellotron.It starts to pick back up before 15 minutes with piano,guitar then vocals.Sax too actually.A calm again follows as the tempo continues to shift. "Luce" has these experimental sounds and vocals expressions.




Songs / Tracks Listing

1 . Unonessunocentomila (6:55)
2. Goccia (8:02)
3. Il Popolo Dei Coriandoli (6:51)
4. 7 Piccoli Indiani (11:01)
5. Kantele (7:26)
6. Cum Lux (20:36)
7. Luce (2:51)

Total Time 66:42

Line-up / Musicians

- Iano Nicolò / lead vocals, percussion
- Marina Gentile / guitars
- Rosalba Gentile / keyboards
- Carla Viarengo / sax, vocals
- Marco Trissini / drums
- Gianno Grasso / bass, sax
- Elio Sesia / guitars, bass