Band: G.C. Neri

CD Title: “Logos”

Band Website: www.myspace.com/giorgiocneri

Label: Black Widow Records

Release Date: 2009

The folks at Black Widow Records have been really busy these days providing us with some very special music. One of the latest releases I received recently was from multi-instrumentalist Giorgio C. Neri entitled Logos. If you like your progressive rock to be a mixture of symphonic, space and psychedelia this is a disc you’ll want to track down. Neri, who seems to prefer going by the name G.C. Neri performs everything from guitars to keyboards, from dulcimer to sequencers, everything except the drums which are ably handled by Roberto Maragliano. But don’t be thinking this is going to sound like a solo project; on the contrary it has all the feeling of a full band at work.

What we have here is a concept album that focuses on a spiritual journey where if I get the story correct, music is the voice of the divine sent to aid mankind in whatever way is needed. There are thirteen tracks, most of which are instrumental. In fact the vocals only appear in one song or as spoken word bridges, shorter compositions that link the longer tracks and provide the story flow. Sometimes sound-effects are used for the same purpose. Like many Italian symphonic albums there is a mixture of short and long tracks and many which are joined together by effects or other instruments. Logos starts off with the atmospheric “Intro” [2:25] which has an almost new-agey feel if it weren’t so minor-key and hesitant. But then we launch into “Id & Trad” [4:38] with echoes of early Pink Floyd mixed with Hawkwind. In fact this is one of the more dominant influences I kept hearing. Track three “Alleanza” [4:03] is perhaps more classic prog with a hint of Yes or ELP. But none of these influences stands out that much, Neri has crafted his compositions very well and they display his own personal musical approach. Then we have the very lush and symphonic “Addio” [1:00] which leads into the very up-tempo and synth-orchestrated “Le Braccia E Le Ali” [6:04] sounding very much like the work of classic Italian symphonic bands such as Le Orme or PFM. Then you have songs that offer wonderful little surprises like “Godinus 7 (b)” [6:19] which is running along in Hawkind fashion only to subtly morph into some nice and meaty analog synth stabs which are then buried in a Scottish regiment pipe band! It’s great stuff.

Neri’s CD Logos could easily be classified as Space-Rock or Symphonic, the music flows back and forth so easily. The compositions themselves aren’t overly complex but do go through many change-ups and are arranged in a very dense or lush fashion, so one has the feeling of complexity while not having to worry about “too many notes.” This was a thoroughly enjoyable disc. Every time I put it on I heard something new. It’s well worth adding to the prog collection.