Trasparenze (Electromantic Music, 2009)
Malibran has a great reputation as one of the finest Italian progressive rock groups of the post-1970s era. Although the name Malibran appears as the author of Trasparenze, the subtitle indicates that it’s a musical project by multi-instrumentalist Giuseppe Scaravilli so in reality it’s a solo effort.
I was impressed with most of Trasparenze. Throughout most the album, which is nearly 80-minutes long, Scaravilli and his guests deliver one gem after another, performing state of the art symphonic rock progresivo italiano inspired by the great masters like PFM, Locanda Delle Fatte, classic Genesis and even the folk-infused progressive rock of one of my all-time favorites, Celeste.
The guitar, flute and keyboard magic of the first two tracks of the album is abruptly interrupted by an unwelcomed heavy metal piece titled Vento d’Oriente. Track 4 returns to the pastoral guitar and progresses into a fusion electric guitar section but the hard rock/metal returns abruptly again. It’s puzzling, especially when you consider that after track 4, the rest of the album is pure delight with exquisite flute, acoustic/electric guitar and keyboard work along with memorable Italian-language vocals.
The lineup on Trasparenze includes Giuseppe Scaravilli on vocals, acoustic, electric & slide guitar, flute, electric bass, and keyboards; Jerry Litrico on synth guitar and various guitar solos; Alessio Scaravilli on drums; Giancarlo Cutuli on saxophone; and Toni Granata on violin.
Malibran is definitely a band worth adding to your most precious progressive rock collection. Apparently the hard/heavy rock did not appear until this recording so I’ll definitely go back to explore the band’s earlier material.