Detailed Reviews [Accordo Dei Contrari - 2014 - "AdC"]

Prolusion. The Italian band ACCORDO DEI CONTRARI (ADC hereinafter) has existed since 2001, at the time consisting of three musicians. Following an initial phase of line-up alterations, the band settles around a core of four members, with additional guests contributing on their recordings. The band have released three studio albums so far. "AdC" from 2014, the most recent of these, was issued by the Italian label Altrock Records. To read the reviews of their other two albums, please click here and here.

Analysis. As far as the artists signed to Altrock go, ADC represents something rather different from the others I have encountered on this label. While the greater majority of the Altrock bands are deeply rooted in one or more distinct avant-garde traditions, this band is more about variety. Opening composition Nadir ebbs and flows an intensity with jazz-rock as the arguable foundation for the proceedings, with tight soloing by keyboards and guitars, both dual and separately, but also with room for some gentler, folk-tinged escapades, as well as dampened noise and keyboard constructions before this almost 10-minute long instrumental journey concludes. Tracks like Dancdelion and Dua focus more on a harder edged mode of expression, with room for ‘70s tinged guitar and organ constellations, arguably closer to ‘70s hard rock. The latter of these also has room for gentler piano moments admittedly, and as such contains a bit more variety. Seth Zeugma hones in on similar territories, following an opening sequence featuring strings and acoustic guitar in more of a chamber rock inspired excursion. While the longer Tiglath expands upon the territories explored on Dua with frail sequences and firmer, harder edged ones, both well represented in a manner that somehow defies a strict definition, but which includes both folk-tinged escapades, classic hard rock guitar and organ constellations and more ethereal and undefinable passages closer to what fans of avant-garde art rock are familiar with. As this disc reaches its conclusion, it does so by way of viola, cello and acoustic guitars in a careful, melancholic and frail creation named Piu Limpida e Chiara di Ogni Impressione Vissuta-2. This composition is closer aligned with chamber classical music. Clocking in at just under 38 minutes, this is a fairly short production as far as a modern CD is concerned, but with the variety at hand that this is just about the perfect length for a production of this nature.

Conclusion. Instrumental progressive rock that ranges from frail chamber rock to ‘70s jazz-rock and progressive hard rock is what ADC explores on their third studio recording "AdC". An intriguing blend of musical styles, explored with care and consideration by high quality musicians. If you have a soft spot for instrumental progressive rock and a taste for variety, this is a disc that merits a closer inspection.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: December 1, 2014
The Rating Room