Presence - Evil Rose (2008)

Label: Black Widow Records
Bandsite: www.presence.it
Duur: 72:10
Reviewer: Harry 'JoJo' de Vries
Waardering: (uit max. 5 JoJo's)

Presence is een Italiaanse band die al langer meedraait en met 'Evil Rose' alweer hun zesde album presenteert. Ik moet eerlijk zeggen dat ik de bandnaam weleens voorbij had zien schuiven maar dat beluisteren tot op heden nog niet aan de orde was. Totdat deze promo met een plof op de deurmat viel.
De band beweegt zich in het donkere segment van de progressieve rock en verwerkt met graagte gothic-elementen in haar muziek en snufjes klassiek en jazz. De harde kern bestaat uit een driemensschap met de geweldige gitarist Sergio Casamassima, met toetsenist Enrico Iglio die diepe zware klanken weet te produceren en zangeres Sophya Baccini die in de voetsporen probeert te treden van de zangeressen van Within Temp- tation, Nightwish en The Gathering maar hun schoenveters nog niet eens mag vastmaken. Over dit laatste euvel later meer.
Referenties aan de genoemde bands zijn ook in de muziek terug te vin- den, al is een band als Within Temptation uitermate goed in staat pakken- de melodielijnen te schrijven en die in een goticjasje te gieten. Presence slaagt daar maar zelden in. De composities zijn 'over the top' en geforceerd complex en bestaan zonder uitzondering uit onlogische overgangen en 'breaks'. Nu kan 'onlogisch' na meerdere draaibeurten opeens gaan klinken als 'logisch' maar dat weldadige en doorgaans spirituele moment heb ik nog niet mogen ervaren bij dit album. Voorts zijn de teksten vaak volkomen onbegrijpelijk en lijkt het alsof de tekstschrijver goed z'n best geeft gedaan om de moeilijkste Engelse woorden uit het woordenboek op te diepen.
En dan de zang van Sophya Baccini. Wat voor de composities geldt, gaat ook op voor de zang: 'over the top'. Verder is het soms onzuiver en ontstaat er slechts zelden synergie met de muziek. De uitspraak van het Engels is bovendien matig en de klemtonen worden her en der op z'n Italiaans ge- legd. Dat zou ik haar nog wel willen vergeven maar ik heb het gevoel dat Baccini absoluut niet weet waarover ze zingt, en als dat wel zo is weet ze dat slecht over te brengen.
Is er dan niets positiefs te melden? Jawel. De band is technisch vaardig. Zo weet vooral gitarist Casamassima prima, langgerekte tonen in zijn solo's te verwerken waardoor hij soms lijkt op Hackett. Ook de keyboards van Iglio staan goed in het geluidsspectrum en weten op de juiste wijze een donkere, sombere sfeer neer te zetten. De hoes is mooi verzorgd. En zo af en toe zitten er hele aardige melodische passages tussen o.a. in het titelnummer van tweeëntwintig minuten en in het acceptabele 'Orphic'. Er staan ook twee covers op (brrrrr....): 'The Prophet's Song' van Queen's Brian May en 'Gates of Babylon' van Blackmore en Dio die qua sfeer welis- waar goed op het album passen maar het niveau helaas niet omhoog trekken.
Presence draait zoals gezegd al heel wat jaren mee en heeft een hele rits albums gemaakt. Daar zal dan blijkbaar een markt voor zijn in het Italiaan- se. Mij kan het echter nauwelijks bekoren. Ik ga 'The Silent Force' van Within Temptation opzetten. Even luisteren hoe het wel moet. Harry 'JoJo' de Vries (07-2008)

Bezetting:
Sophya Baccini - vocals
Sergio Casamassima - electric guitar, bass guitar
Enrico Iglio - keyboards
Valerio Silenzi - drums

Discografie:
Makumba (1992)
Black Opera (1996)
Gold (2000)
The Sleeper Awakes (1994)
Live (2004)
Evil Rose (2008)

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