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"Far from the usual Italian progressive scene, Lucid Dream's “A Peaceful Death” is a varied, easy-to-access album that will satisfy many fans of progressive rock where melody is king above all else."
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4/5
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An Italian band that has been active on the progressive scene for some fifteen years, Lucid Dream is made up of some well-referenced veterans of the transalpine scene, let us judge: on vocals and bass, Roberto Tiranti, ex-Mangala Vallis and a regular contributor to Alan Simon's productions; Luca Scherani, a classically trained keyboardist who has appeared on Hostsonaten, Finisterre and La Conscienza di Zeno; and Paolo Tixi, the drummer who regularly plays alongside Fabio Zuffanti solo or with La Mascera di Cera. At the start of 2025, all these fine people are releasing their fifth album, “A Peaceful Death”, presented by the band as a more intimate and personal work, in the form of a collection of ten tracks of rather compact length.
The album opens with “Dawn of a New World”, a track you'd expect to find on an AOR compilation from the 1980s: an in-your-face track with an unstoppable, unadorned yet effective melody. Given the pedigree of the band's members, this opening may come as a surprise, but the rest of the album proves to be far more varied and effective, but always with a pronounced concern for melody. 'Out of Time' presents a calmer ambience, with a mid-tempo rhythm punctuated by choruses that aren't always quite right, and a fine saxophone solo set against a Hammond organ background, while the string trio makes its presence felt on 'Open Cages', with the cello and viola taking it in turns to lead the solos.
In the end, the progressive aspects usually associated with Italian bands are barely present (there's no flute, in particular), with the ensemble leaning more towards Saga-style constructions for short, effective tracks. This is particularly true of 'Heroes of Light', a truly melodic single whose chorus immediately makes its mark, carried along magnificently by the fearsomely effective rhythm section. The band also regularly plays with contrasts, as on 'Father', where the sharp, quasi-metal guitars give way to a string trio in the second half of the track, before the guitar returns in the form of a Steve Morse-style solo. The whole gently concludes with an atmospheric instrumental driven by Simone Terigi's guitar, leaving the listener suspended in silence, ready to resume listening to the album for a new sensory voyage.
A far cry from the usual Italian progressive scene, Lucid Dream's “A Peaceful Death” is a varied, easy-to-access album that will satisfy many fans of progressive rock where melody is king above all else. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Dawn of a New World 02. Out of Time 03. Open Cages 04. Heroes Of Light 05. Ruins 06. Broken Hopes 07. Father 08. Shadows on my Shoulders 09. The Eleventh Illusion (Acoustic Reprise) 10. Wheel Of Karma
LINEUP:
Andrea Cardinale: Violon Karl Faraci: Chant Luca Scherani: Claviers Paolo Tixi: Batterie Rachele Rebaudengo: Violoncelle Roberto Tiranti: Chant / Basse Sara Calabria: Alto Simone Terigi: Guitares Paolo Firpo: Invité / Saxophone Sefora Firenze: Chant / Invité
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