"Appunti di viaggio", the second album by Sfaratthons, was released
Three years after "The Bestia Umana", the Sfaratthons (English speaking of the dialect "Sfarattòne", "scansafatiche"), a band from Borrello (Chieti), the country of the highest natural waterfalls in Italy, present "Appunti di Journey ”, their second rock opera, composed of nine tracks, some entirely instrumental, following the tradition of progressive rock, other cantatas - some in Italian, others in English, others still in Abruzzo dialect.
The Sfaratthons have thought of a journey not only sound, but also visual, literary and emotional: the CD is in fact contained within a 36-page booklet, in which, in addition to the lyrics of the songs, are presented themed paintings of the artist Luca Luciano (established for years in the national and international artistic sphere and who recently attended the 58th Venice Biennale).
The songs in English were written by the drummer of the group, returned two years ago in Italy, the others by Argentino D'Auro (already author of "The Bestia Umana - A small musical enterprise", volume that in 2018 received a special mention at the Florentine literary review "Ut pictura poesis") and by Donato Di Luca, writer and poet of Abruzzo origin, author of books, stories, representations and poems, in Italian and vernacular, winner of several dialect poetry competitions, including two editions of the "Sigismondi Award" of San Vito Chietino in the 1980s.
The presence of the international flautist Geoff Warren, traveling companion of the Sfaratthons for the occasion, embellishes the work, giving it, at times, almost epic connotations.
Travel notes is the title of the work, but also the entirely instrumental piece with which the CD opens: a suite of about ten minutes, in which the listener is invited to travel with the band, as did Ulysses and his men in the mythological return to Ithaca. The sound of the sea opens the way to strings, synthesizers, 12-string guitars and mellotron, which alternate between frequent rhythmic changes and sonorities, ingredients that will also be found in Vela, another track with typical prog-rock features, sometimes psychedelecious .
In the two passages Cielo Nero and Notte melt classical sounds and aggressive rock traits: a repeated and hypnotic piano arpeggio introduces the first of the two passages, before leaving the place to the moog and the distorted guitar, while an electronic sequence, homage to the first and valid sound experiments of the Eighties, open the song dedicated to the most intimate part of the day, the night.
In the three songs in English With the strength of my voice, Trust and Your war, our war the band travels to different places in the world, moving from Syria, the scene of horrible events, to the base of many desperate journeys to Colombia, for years in war, but now perhaps on the road to peace and hope.
The songs in dialect Vaije (Vado) and Ne journe, n'anne (One day, one year), are two authentic pearls, which embellish the work of the Sfaratthons, also and above all, for the fusion between jazz / rock and folk / ethnic: the presence of the Corale "Trebula" by Quadri (CH) - one of the oldest and most prestigious in Abruzzo - within the second of the two passages, represents an authentic cameo, a true flagship of the sfaratthoniana opera .
The Sfaratthons are among the eight artists chosen by "Sanremo Rock & Talent" to participate in the regional selections to enter the final event at the Ariston, in the Ligurian town.
