CD REVIEWS
in Fight Amnesia! #9
ATARAXIA "Il Fantasma dell' Opera"
(AVANTGARDE MUSIC)
The new ATARAXIA CD is
a phenomenon of musical and lyrical creativity and comes quite near to a monumental
epos. With this "concept" album, ATARAXIA definitely offer their masterpiece so
far and prove themselves as one of the most serious and innovative new bands.
This is an album of incredible brilliancy and deep passion and I can tell you
that for a few days now, the CD has "stuck" in the CD-player. ATARAXIA's music
comes to warm your heart through pictures of fiery beauty, which musically come
to shine through classic guitar arpeggios and keyboard soundscapes as well as
a vast variety of classical samples and sounds, revealing to you the true and
obscure identity of the Phantom, his despair, his unlucky love to Christine and
his Usher-like doom to be genious, alone with the unbearable burden of his artist's
soul (E.A.Poe). ATARAXIA go deep behind the masque of the Phantom and enforce
the dark regions of his psyche with sensitivity and respect, acquiring the wisdom
of creation as a whole. Francesca's vocals have reached an incredible power of
expression, changing from soprano, opera parts to melancholic and passionate passages,
all bearing the gripping and haunting character of a theatrical singer. The compositions
reach incredible regions, starting with medieval and classical sonatas, moving
to baroque and neo-classical fields and yet flirting with complex forms of Minor
Avant-Garde keys. Kate Bush's cover version 'Wuthering Heights' fits perfectly
the mood and the philosophy of the album and sees Francesca reaching the zenith
of expression. ATARAXIA own a never-
ending source of inspiration and are definitely kissed by their Angel of Music,
who will hopefully escort them for many many years to come!
AVANTGARDE MUSIC, PO BOX
19, I-20010 Vanzago (MI), ITALY
ATARAXIA c/o Francesca Nicoli,
CP 13, Ufficio PT MO succ. 5, Via Vignolese 546, I-41100 Modena