Prog Rock Audio Archive

Il Cerchio d'Oro were one of the many symphonic-oriented groups to come out of the initial boom of Italian productivity. They were formed in 1974 by the Terribile brothers (Gino and Guiseppe on drums and bass/guitars, respectively) and Franco Piccolini on keys. They were active on the gigging circuit around Savona but never managed to secure a recording deal, and so the only recordings initially available were a handful of singles from the late '70s following lineup changes (they're not particularly interesting from a progressive rock standpoint, either).

25 years after the band formed, Mellow records came along and dusted off some old recordings, releasing them as the self-titled "Cerchio d'Oro." But these tracks were still of little interest to the prog fan, being mostly singles from the late '70s and even some disco-type stuff (!) However, another released was more promising- the LP "La quadratura" in 2005, which features some demo quality material and covers of other Italian prog bands such as Le Orme. Soon after, the band's original lineup reformed along with two new guitarists and came up with "Il viaggio di Colombo" in 2008. The new album harkens back to the '70s Italian school of progressive rock, with mature symphonic arrangements, juxtaposing understated parts (reminiscent of Reale Accademia di Musica and Pink Floyd) and punchier sections. The cover art shows the Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina departing for the new world- given the name of the album, you can venture a guess as to the subject matter of their new release; and you can also get a good impression of the music from looking at the cover art- detailed, creative, and mature even if not the most original thing coming out these days.

Source: Progarchives

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