INNER PROSPEKT: Canvas Three (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Inner Prospekt is the solo project of Roman Alessandro Di Benedetti, founding keyboardist of the Italian band Mad Crayon and composer/guest of The Samurai of Prog since "Toki No Kaze" (2019). If Mad Crayon has only produced four albums in 29 years, Alessandro Di Benedetti seems to want to make up for lost time with Inner Prospekt, "Canvas Three" being already his twelfth album in less than ten years.

In the discography of Inner Prospekt, the "Canvas" have a special place because they include tracks composed by Di Benedetti for other bands. Thus, "Canvas Three" is made up of tracks originally released (in order of appearance on the album) on "Omnibus II" (The Samurai of Prog - 2021), "Robinson Crusoe" (Bernard & Pörsti - 2021), "The White Snake" (The Samurai of Prog - 2021), "The Spaghetti Epic 4" (The Samurai of Prog - 2022) and "Liber De Dictis" (Guildmaster - 2022). However, as this is the composer's personal interpretation of these songs, it is not strictly speaking a cover album and we will therefore only be interested in the music contained in this disc without comparing it with the versions of the aforementioned albums.

In keeping with the progressive tradition, the five tracks are all long enough to multiply the themes and create an atmosphere. The transitions from one theme to another can be very fluid, as on 'A Wordless Fable' where the music naturally unfolds its different melodies without a hitch, but also sometimes in a more abrupt way, the different parts being simply juxtaposed without any effort of transition. Nevertheless, the beauty of the compositions never wavers and makes it go down very well.

For one of the strong points of this album lies in the quality and richness of the melodies. Alternating dynamic and calmer rhythms, the tracks are sometimes melancholic ('The Island of Despair'), sometimes sunny ('A Wordless Fable') or cinematic (the western opening of 'The Showdown'), always sumptuous. The other strong point is in the interpretation, between a wide range of instruments, flute and viola da gamba giving the line to the guitars and to the numerous keyboard sounds used, and magnificent soli, whether it's on guitar, piano or synthesizer.

If there is a weakness to be mentioned, it lies in the somewhat neutral vocals, which are not always at the same level of the whole. But as it leaves a lot of room for the instrumental parts, it's not really annoying. As far as inspiration is concerned, we often flirt with Genesis during the Gabriel period (one of the first albums of Inner Prospekt is called "Dreaming Tony Banks" for a reason), a bit of ELP on some synth soli, Camel like "The Snow Goose" or, to stay in the theme of geese, Anthony Phillips and his unavoidable "The Geese and the Ghost All".

Despite the references mentioned, "Canvas Three" is not a backward-looking album or a rehash of the glorious elders. Its varied, fluid music, sometimes pastoral or dreamy, always very melodious, unfolds without a break and allows to spend a very pleasant moment. - Official website

INNER PROSPEKT

CANVAS THREE

AUTOPRODUCTION

PROGRESSIVE ROCK