After the interesting but immature eponymous debut album, between August 2000 and February 2001 Logos recorded their second effort “Ásrava”. It’s another self production but the sound quality is definitively improved if compared with the previous work. The line up featured Fabio Gaspari (bass, acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar, vocals), Massimo Maoli (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, nylon string guitar, pedal steel guitar), Alessandro Perbellini (drums, vocals) and Luca Zerman (keyboards, vocals). You can find on this album influences of artists like Le Orme. PFM and Franco Battiato, but the band managed to add a touch of originality mixing new ingredients with the classic “Italianprog” style. The album opens with “Prologo”, a symphonic instrumental introduction featuring a multiple overdub of keyboards. Next comes another instrumental, “Ezra Pound”, full of energy and well balanced changes of rhythm and atmosphere, from symphonic to funky…
The long and complex “’99” is about the fear for a nuclear disaster… A nightmare where the protagonist dreams to fall asleep in the footprint of a dinosaur and to wake up alone in that peculiar and gigantic cradle. The music is good enough but vocals every now and again seem to be a little insecure…
“La leggerezza della libertà” (The lightness of freedom) is a beautiful short acoustic ballad featuring acoustic guitar and keyboards, “not too delicate, not too simple”… Next comes the title track, a long instrumental featuring a trumpet solo where rock, funky and jazz are blended in an original way.
The mysterious “Terra incognita” (Unknown land) is about the discovery and conquest of a new world in the name of a king that will come to upset the quietness of a beautiful savage nature. Clear melodic vocals alternates with distorted ones while music gives a sense of impending tragedy… “When on the first of these new days / The sunset will come out from its hiding place / It will cover with darkness a new world / The World of the new Kingdom”.
Last track “Epilogo” (Epilogue), reminds of some works of Franco Battiato of the Eighties and features just keyboards and an acoustic guitar solo… “Wind and snow play together / Ten children run after each other in the empty square…”.
On the whole an interesting work, so… have a try! At the moment, after many troubles and line up changes, Logos are working on a new album: I’m looking forward to listen to it!