CD Review: CAMERATA MEDIOLANENSE – Vertute. Honor. Bellezza

Label: Prophecy Records

Release Date: June 7, 2013

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by: Todd “ToddStar” Jolicoeur

I am still not sure what draws me to foreign language CDs.  I have covered Japanese rockers B’z, German rockers Gothminister and Rammstein, and even Italian pop star Emma.  Now I find myself once again engrossed in the Italian language with the latest from Milan based Camerath Mediolanense.  This is not your typical album by any means.  This disc cannot be easily categorized into any genre.  The opening track, “Voi Ch ‘Ascoltate,” has you convinced you just might be listening to the original cast recording of some musical.  The next track , “Dolci Ire,” follows the same path, but adds depth and texture with more instrumentation and layered vocals.  Other tracks on the disc give off the same feeling, as this seems to be more art than music for music’s sake.  There are songs that stand out a bit from the rest.  “Altri Perfecti” has a cool pop synth sound that mixes nicely with chanting and trance like rhythms.  This song give the disc a bit of a twist to this point.  As far as this disc goes, without understanding the language or the lyrical content, you must rely on the vocals and music coming together to tell a story and emote.  The band has done this well on this disc.  “Fragmentvm XXXV” and its accompanying piece, “Solo Et Pensoso” is another grouping of tracks that are very emotional in its sound and nature.

“Tremo Et Taccio” is another emotional track that features a twist.  The techno backbeat and underlying musical track takes this song in a different direction that other tracks on the disc.  The next track, “Vago Augelletto,” is a moody piece that features a lot of instrumentation, but a beautiful soprano that soon merges into a nice duet.  The sound of this track really adds more dimension to the sound of the disc.  “Vergine Bella” was the lead track I discovered on this disc.  The use of the instrumentation laid against the light soprano really brought images and sounds to the mind that I wouldn’t have imagined listening to the rest of the disc.  This song alone is worth the price of this disc in my opinion.  “Lo Gran Desire” brings back a rhythmic feel underneath the layered vocals that keeps the track moving and keeps the mood light as the disc slowly moves towards a close.  “O Mia Stella” comes across as more of a carnival or circus type piece.  I instantly feel the need to listen to Alice Cooper’s “The Last Temptation” with its carnie feel and orchestration.  The disc closes with another piece that sounds as if it were ripped from a foreign language musical.  Will I listen to this all the time? Nope. When I am in the mood for something different that enhances the senses, this is just the disc to do it.

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Category: CD Reviews