Label: Sublime Label

Tracks:

1. In The Open Fields - 4:57
2. Kemper / Springtheme - 5:36
3. Living Stone And 1st Reprise - 3:30
4. She Sat Writing Letters On The Riverbank - 3:47
5. The Underwater And 2nd Reprise - 3:28
6. Lowtide - 3:20
7. The Wood Is Alive With The Smell Of The Rain - 4:20
8. Evocation Of Spring I A Fastdance - 2:40
9. Toward The Sea - 13:18 a) Blackmountains, b) 3rd Reprise, c) Springland

Musicians:

• Fabio Zuffanti - Acoustic & 12 Strings Guitars, Bass Guitar
• Francesca Biagini - Flute
• Sergio Caputo - Violin, Percussion
• Federico Foglia - Drums, Percussion
• Agostino Macor - Piano, Mellotron, Hammond, Moog
• Stefano Marelli - Lead Guitar
• Edmondo Romano - Recorders, Bagpipes, Sax
• Boris Valle - Piano
• Robbo Vigo - Piano

The new work of Finisterre's bassist project, Hostsonaten, will be undoubtedly one of the albums of the year for progressive rock, an album infinitely better than the previous "Mirrorgames".

This time, the album is totally instrumental, I give thanks for it, because the worst thing of the previous one were precisely the voices.

Musically, also it's very different than "Mirrorgames". Here we find prog rock really beautiful and sensitive, with references to Steve Hackett, Anthony Phillips, Camel, Mike Oldfield, Jean Pascal Boffo, Eris Pluvia, Celeste, PFM, etc, or in other words, the most pastoral progressive rock. Also folk influences, 70's symphonic rock, and a bit of fusion are present, featuring different kind of solo instruments, as flutes, violins, mellotrones, saxes, organs, guitars, pianos, etc, all of them executed with an exquisite taste and great sensitivity.

The whole album is oustanding. Just beginning the first song, we find some guitars that might belong to Steve Hackett. Advancing the work and transporting us to quiet landscapes of green meadows and nature, as Anthony Phillips showed us in his first album artworks.

We have the precious guitars and flutes of "In the Open Fields", the emotive flute melodies on "Kemper/Springtheme", the symphonic "Living Stone and 1st Reprise", the incredible beauty melodies of "She Sat Writing Letters on the Riverbank", the jazz touching of "The Underwater and 2nd Reprise" including a great solo guitar, the ethnic and oriental touching of "Lowtide", precious symphonic "The Wood is Alive With the Smell of the Rain", rhythmic and happy "Evocation of the Spring in a Fastdance". And finally, the spectacular progressive suite "Toward the Sea", the most powerful track of the album, which progresses perfectly, and is the golden touch to a wonderful album.

Definitely, an essential album of the current prog-rock, which will be remembered as one of the best of 2002.

Puntuacion: 9/10

Ferran Lizana