'Syndone' is an Italian band that has already released 7 studio recordings and is already almost 30 years old, their first album 'Spleen' dating back to 1992 and appearing in spotify under the name of their leader 'Nick Comoglio'. After a long period without an album, they returned in the late 2000s with 'Melapesante' in 2010, then, 'La Bella è la Bestia' in 2012, then 'Odysseas' in 2014 followed by 'Eros & Thanatos' in 2016 and finally 'Mysoginia' in 2018 in which they had started to introduce English in a few of the songs. 'Kama Sutra' is thus their 8th album, and the singer 'Riccardo Ruggeri' gives us some explanations about this original theme: "For Syndone, it becomes a pretext to evoke both the love between two people, the reality of today's prostitutes, provocation, images, symbols, role-playing and people."
In an original style, they fuse different musical influences ranging from jazz to energetic rock, pop, symphonic and hard rock with melodies that can be reminiscent of a jazz club atmosphere. The album opener 'It's Only Kake Believin' shows the mix of hard rock with keyboards from the first 'Deep Purple' period and exuberant symphonic rock, and then, with 'Nirvana', we embark on a musical comedy that we would have married with the symphonic and theatrical style of 'Freddy Mercury', the whole being completely addictive with this remarkable communicative drive and, without transition, 'Carousel' sends a joyful and lively symphonic piece continuing in this demonstrative style. A complete change of scene with 'Into The Karma' which unfolds a slow melody with a magnificent vocal duet between 'Riccardo Ruggeri' and 'Annie Barbazza' and which accelerates at the end of the track for a beautiful orientalist finale, then, 'Bitches' is just as surprising with a magnificent a capella introduction followed by a resumption of the theme by strings leading to the arrival of the electric instruments in a fusion between the power of hard-rock, a psychedelic atmosphere and symphonic accompaniments. Another change of style with 'You Still Shine' which takes us to a more romantic and pared down setting with forays into jazz and blues, then, with 'Sex Toys R Us' we are transported into a composition that goes in all directions, first with an introduction made of impetuous keyboards and then a rather crazy almost a capella singing section that is interspersed with tumultuous saxophone interventions. After the short, dispensable instrumental 'Thousand 10', 'Sacred & Profane' takes us into a hushed jazz club atmosphere that gradually builds up to a memorable chorus and then alternates between the sensuality and energy of jazz. Another radical change with 'We are The World We Created' which is in a romantic classical style accompanied by melancholic piano and strings, the touching vocals of 'Riccardo Ruggeri' accentuating this dreamy side and which completely changes face for an energetic finale with unbridled keyboards close to 'ELP', the album ending with a short sparse piano/voice ballad filled with touching emotion.
In summary, the Italians of 'Syndone' continue to surprise us with this quite original mix that requires adherence to several styles that they alternate or merge in a very beautiful way and that finally remains very accessible thanks to melodic lines that are easily appropriated... | |
