Lemures by Il Balletto Di Bronzo

Lemures by Il Balletto Di Bronzo, 2023

A great band on the Italian progressive scene, starting in 1970 with Sirio 2222 and then Ys, two great albums.

In 2023, Gianni Leone, who has never stopped being active on the music scene, put together an album of unreleased material recorded over the course of several years and released a new album by Balletto Di Bronzo. A decidedly progressive album with a distinct psychedelic tendency and vintage-sounding '70s keyboards that I personally consider a plus, a dark album full of tension and unease.

An album over 58 minutes long across nine tracks, excellent arrangements, no guitar, a sound based on beautiful bass and drum grooves and great keyboards that sometimes surpass and surprise even more than those of Ys, which after so many years demonstrates a great passion and capacity for innovation and evolution.

The album opens with an instrumental intro, "Incubo e Succubo," which sets the mood of the album. The keyboards and drums are beautiful.
"Oceani Sconosciuti" is beautiful, with its organ and Leone's voice singing dark verses with a beautiful rock sound.

"L'Emofago" is a powerful and captivating song, hard rock, progressive, and features some space rock accents with a great Hammond solo.

"Napoli Sotterranea" is a beautiful instrumental track during which Leone delights us with a typical Mediterranean vocal style, great tempo changes, bass and drums in full evidence, along with the creativity of the keyboards. A great piece.
"L'ombra degli Dei" stands out with its dark atmosphere and then descends into chaos with great drum work.

"Labyrinthus" features splendid progressive rock, a top song in my opinion, with beautiful keyboard parts.

Certezze fragili, a slow song with a more orchestral feel than the previous ones, with a perfect harmony between bass, drums, and keyboards.
Deliquio Viola, a commanding, powerful piece with strong, almost theatrical vocals. Beautiful.
Il Vento Poi, a soft song with a pure '70s Italian progressive rock sound. I love it.

Leone's vocals are always full of passion and very compelling, and the rhythm section, composed of Salvatori and Spilli, is excellent, ranging from hard rock influences bordering on progressive metal and allowing for excellent digressions into fusion, with great precision, taste, and power.

The production could have been better, and I must say the cover art, too, but it remains an album that amazes with its high quality, intensity, and the ingenious arrangements that bring prog back to life with its strengths and complexity, but also with a good dose of that madness that we love so much about this genre, and which Leone, with this new lineup, has definitely revitalized.

Recommended album for lovers of Italian Progressive Rock.

Tracks
1. Nightmare and Succubus (3:54)
2. Unknown Oceans (4:22)
3. The Hemophagus (4:29)
4. Underground Naples (6:35)
5. The Shadow of the Gods (8:19)
6. Labyrinthus (8:58)
7. Fragile Certainties (7:29)
8. Viola Swoon (7:49)
9. The Wind Then (6:11)
Running Time 58:06

The Line-Up
- Gianni Leone - vocals, keyboards

- Ivano Salvatori - bass

- Riccardo Spilli - drums