La Maschera di Cera – S.E.I. (AMS Records, 2020)
A new album from Italian progressive rock band La Maschera di Cera is usually awaited with great anticipation. It took La Maschera di Cera seven years to release its latest album. S.E.I. is a mixed bag. On one side, you’ll find the fantastic vintage keyboards of maestro Agostino Macor, the flavorful bass lines of Fabio Zuffanti, the skillful drums of Paolo Tixi; and the engaging vocals of Alessandro Corvaglia.
On the other hand, S.E.I. features frequent standard jazz saxophone work that doesn’t satisfy the thirst for classic Italian progressive rock. Wind player Martin Grice fits better when playing the flute. His saxophone gets campy on the third track when he performs a medley that includes” My Favorite Things” from the musical The Sound of Music.
The album titled S.E.I., is an acronym for “Separazione / Egolatria / Inganno” (Separation / Self-worship / Deception). It includes three long epic tracks in classic symphonic progressive rock style.