From A Distance (Altrock/Fading Records, 2015)
Milan-based progressive rock act Not a Good Sign is a supergroup featuring members from two of Italy’s highest regarded progressive bands, Yugen and La Coscienza di Zeno. From A Distance is their newly released second album.
I’ve said it several times recently; Italy is experiencing an impressive progressive rock Renaissance with dozens of excellent bands in the symphonic progressive rock realm. Not a Good Sign is up there with the finest. Unlike other Italian groups who draw upon the Italian classics, Not a Good Sign uses English-language lyrics and their influences come from British and American bands like King Crimson, Echolyn and Big Big Train.
Even though Not a Good Sign ventures into a powerful, high energy sounds, it’s always within the context of creative progressive rock instead of regressive forms like metal. Like other Italian bands, Not a Good Sign mixes electric instruments with acoustic classical instruments, creating beautiful passages and transitions. As an all-star group, Not a Good Sign features virtuoso musicians who deliver memorable keyboard and guitar solos performed on vintage instruments. Vocals are essential in progressive rock and can make or break a band. Not a Good Sign has a charismatic vocalist named Alessio Calandriello that has become of the best in the thriving Italian scene.
Unlike many of the symphonic rock groups, Not a Good Sign prefers to construct shorter pieces rather than the traditional extensive epic suites.
“For every band, a second record is a great achievement and at the same time an occasion to focus on past experience and visions,” says the band in From A Distance’s press release. “We expect we’ll satisfy all the people who enjoyed our first work and we hope to gain new fans, even amongst people who don’t like progressive rock.”
Not a Good Sign started as a project by the AltrOck label and some members of bands signed to the label. Marcello Marinone, Paolo “Ske” Botta and Francesco Zago, who had performed in Yugen and Ske, proposed a new mix of their musical ideas. In 2011 Botta and Zago began to write the music, and Zago provided the lyrics. Soon after, G. Guidi Colombi and Alessio Calandriello, from La Coscienza di Zeno, joined Not a Good Sign. Drummer Martino Malacrida completed the line-up in 2012. The group’s first recording was the self-titled Not a Good Sign, released in 2013. Alessandro Cassani joined the band in 2013 after the release of the first album.
The lineup in “From a Distance” includes Paolo “Ske” Botta on keyboards; Alessio Calandriello on vocals; Alessandro Cassani on bass; Martino Malacrida on drums; and Francesco Zago on guitars. Guests include Maurizio Fasoli (Yugen), on grand piano; Eleonora Grampa on English horn and oboe; and Jacopo Costa on vibraphone and glockenspiel.
After the recording of “From a Distance,” guitarist Francesco Zago left the band and was replaced by Gian Marco Trevisan.
The group’s next concerts will be on May 29th with a live unplugged performance at Radio Cernusco Stereo and August 20th at the Crescendo Festival in St. Palais sur Mer, France.
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