Label: Mellow Records

Tracks:

1. Il viaggio nell'oceano capovolto parte 1 (13'28")
2. Il grande labirinto (9'32")
3. Il canto dell'inverno (2'54")
4. Ai confini del mondo (12'39")
5. Il viaggio nell'oceano capovolto parte 2 (22'16")
6. (Bonus track) La consunzione (3'35")

Musicians:

• Alessandro Corvaglia : vocals
• Agostino Macor : keyboards, guitar
• Andrea Monetti : flute
• Fabio Zuffanti : bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, percussion
• Marco Cavani : drums, percussion

Guest musicians:

• Nick Le Rose : guitars
• Antonella Trovato : oboe
• Nani Tudor : 'flessibile'
• Crescenzo Amodio : 'martello pneumatico'
• Robbo Vigo : protools, sounds

It looks like the incredible that Fabio Zuffanti is capable of having formed so many bands, so different and with so good quality, and also is capable of releasing albums with several of these bands in the same year, with a quality level that many current artists would like to reach.

"Il Grande Labirinto" is the second La Maschera di Cera recording. A disc that continues a similar way than the first one, but at the same time it's a perfectly distinguishable album.

This second album continues being enough retro, though it's a bit more personal. I see it as a darker, melancholy work and with a bit experimental intentions, where mellotrones are everywhere, and is less depending of Il Balletto di Bronzo's or Il Rovescio della Medaglia's aggressiveness.

I have been delighted with these so long, complex, enigmatic and exciting tracks, where at some moments they submerge in the chaos as if they were Van der Graaf Generator. Especially the excellent two first tracks "Il Viaggio nell'Oceano Capovolto parte 1" and "Il Grande Labirinto" are, in my opinion, the best of the album. Tracks in which mellotron and organ works are excellent, as well as Alessandro Corvaglia's vocal labor. The rest of tracks are also of very good standard, though it's a shame that they become a bit long, falling in a certain monotony.

Concerning the bonus track "La Consunzione", it's just the more attainable fragment of "Il Viaggio nell'Oceano Capovolto parte 1", turned into a radio station song.

Definitely, another very good disc by Zuffanti and his friends. Comparable to their first work, though unlike that one, here they should have cut away a few minutes.

Rating: 7.5/10

Ferran Lizana