Monday 14 January 2019

Ellesmere - II From Sea And Beyond (2018)


The second album from this one-man Italian band.

Roberto Vitelli on bass and all kinds of keyboards and synths is Ellesmere now.

He has got help from various guest musicians on drums, percussion, sax, piano, hammond organ, guitars and vocals.
Among the famous names helping out is Alan Benjamin, Robert Berry, Brett Kull, Trey Gunn and David Jackson.

I really liked their very good 2015 debut album Les Chateaux De La Loire and you can find my review here. It was a very good Anthony Phillips influenced album.

So I expected more of the same.

Did I get it ? No.

Roberto Vitelli has moved to a new musical sphere and that sphere is bombastic prog somewhere between symphonic prog and neo-prog.

There is plenty of both genres here. There is even some vocals from Robert Berry. There is even a couple of songs here.

There is a lot of really good keyboards and synths here  too and the music is big and bold. It is also very good with lots of very good melodies.

Roberto Vitelli has again delivered the goods and put Ellesmere up among the more interesting prog combos out there.

3.5 points




 


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