L’Ira Del Baccano hails from Rome, Italy, not the city in New York that their Bandcamp profile shows. They have also gone by other names in the past, which I became aware of while on the Encyclopaedia Metallum site. Between 1995 and 1998, they were known as Dark Awake; from 1998 – 2006, they were Loosin ‘o’ Frequencies; and from 2006 – the present day, they have been known as L’Ira Del Baccano. On March 3rd, they released their 5-track album, Cosmic Evoked Potentials.
About Cosmic Evoked Potentials
This album was written by Alessandro Santori and was recorded by Roaming Sounds Recordings, with Alessandro producing. I like that all the album’s main instruments were recorded live, with overdubs being recorded by Santori. This gives the album an excellent feel, which is almost impossible to achieve with instruments being recorded one at a time in a booth.
This album features the artwork of Fabio Listrani, and what he did will grab your attention, but it’s the music that will keep it. The instrumental format is something that I have found myself enjoying more and more as time goes by, with Cosmic Evoked Potentials adding to that in a big way.
Alessandro said that …
“Cosmic Evoked Potentials is a rite of passage, the end of a circle and already blooming of another. Surely our most instinctive effort so far. We went back to our roots of live recording; this time, instead of a stage, we chose an old mansion from the late 1700s outside Rome. The atmosphere there was so charming and stimulating that 13 minutes of a 45 min long improvisation ended up in the album. We wanted the dynamics and moods of the parts to be the most important thing, taking more time than we usually do in developing the “story” of the songs.”
The Songs
1 The Strange Dream of My Old Sun (10:44)
2 Genziana (Improvisation 42)* (13:21)
3 The Electric Resolution (6:36)
4 Cosmic Evoked Potentials (6:37)
5 Eclipse Omega (2:50)
“The Strange Dream of My Old Sun” is 10+ minutes of psychedelia tempered with progressive rock and spacey sounds that will most likely make people think of bands like Pink Floyd. L’Ira Del Baccano doesn’t stop there, though, as they throw in some decently heavy riffs; this ingenious sense of dynamics creates peaks and valleys that help make the music even more interesting.
“Genziana (Improvisation 42) *” is the improvisational track Alessandro mentioned in the above quote. That this is only about a third of the 45-minute original jam is awe-inspiring, and I hope they release the whole thing in the future. I’m not going to go into any detail with this one, as it needs to be experienced with a fresh mind and no preconceived notions about what is going on.
“The Electric Resolution” sometimes has a Black Sabbath vibe but also employs a progressive rock influence in others. The guitar solo was outstanding, fitting into the song with ease before the band launches into a section that may bring Rush to your mind. L’Ira Del Baccano also manages to squeeze in a bit of spacey psych as the track nears its end.
Without any gap in the music comes “Cosmic Evoked Potentials.” I love how these tracks work into each other; there’s no break, just a smooth transition from one to the next. The band exhibits more of the psychedelic end of what L’Ira Del Baccano does, utilizing effects to their fullest and leaving space for the track to breathe and feel like a living organism. It almost seems like the soundtrack to an acid trip through time and space, but at the end, they applied some heavier guitars to add dynamics to an already amazing song.
“Eclipse Omega” is the last and shortest of the five songs; it may also be among the most mellow ones. There seems to be an enormous Pink Floyd vibe; I’m thinking of a Dark Side of the Moon influence, which closes the album with grace and style.
Final Thoughts
One of the highlights of Cosmic Evoked Potentials is the musicianship that the band displays, as they are all masters of their instruments. The way they blend their influences, the organic sound of the music, and their grasp on dynamics are also enormous parts of why L’Ira Del Baccano is so enjoyable. So, head over to their Bandcamp, Spotify, or anywhere you can find their music, and immerse yourself in it. Enjoy!!!
Support L’Ira Del Baccano by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook)
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
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