Entity - Il Naufragio Della Speranza - 2024
“... the progressive rock project of Mauro Mulas ...”
intro
The project ENTITY was born from the love of composer, arranger and producer Mauro Mulas for progressive rock music. Ten years ago (2014) I wrote the following conclusion about the first ENTITY album 'Il Falso Centro';
"What a pleasant surprise from Italy. The debut album “Il Falso Centro” from ENTITY is an album full of great symphonic rock with some jazzy and classical influences. Most of the album is keyboard dominated. Mauro Mulas is an amazing keyboard player. But in overall the musical craftsmanship on this album is of a very high standard. The music is powerful, intense and sounds fresh. The compositions are diverse and besides the complex character of some of the music there is a lot of emotion and passion in the music. Highly recommended for the open minded music lover."
The successor 'Il Naufragio Della Speranza' completes the ENTITY project. The title of the album is inspired by the famous painting by Caspar David Friedrich. Preparations for this album began in 1994 and 1997, and was finally completed in 2024.
line-up
Mauro Mulas - keyboards and percussion; Gianluigi Longu - bass; Marco Panzino - drums; Marcello Mulas - guitars; Sergio Calafiura - vocals
review
Both albums are inspired by the theme of exploration of inner life, the irrational, the madness, the dream. In fact thr inner life of a young artist who sees his dreams, shipwrecked in reality.
The track 'Derealizzazione' (9:05) opens the album with a sultry and stirring piece of progressive rock with delicious synth and organ parts accompanied by very good drumming. After a good minute the sounds of the organ and especially the guitar give a glimpse into the kitchen of our own Dutch band Focus. At this point there is a musical link to the first album 'Il Falso Centro'. When the tempo then slows down the music develops more into a fusion of jazz, classical and prog through beautiful piano work by Mauro Mulas. Here his jazz studies and the composition theory of the conservatory come into their own. 'Derealizzazione' is a nice opener that clearly indicates what you can expect from this album in terms of quality. The piano returns in the delicate and classical opening of the track 'Inettitudine' (9:06). The wordless vocals emphasize the relaxed atmosphere even more. But gradually the tempo increases and the music of the middle section develops into overwhelming prog rock with jazz influences. Atmospheric and more hectic prog parts alternate and give the track the right variation. In the last part the Focus atmosphere returns for a moment before heavy guitar and fat synth parts seem to close the track. But the guitar sound of Marcello Mulas, which in terms of atmosphere has similarities with the sound of Focus guitarist (Jan Akkerman) and the fat synth of Mauro Mulas win in the end. How different the guitar sounds in the delicate and acoustic opening (piano and acoustic guitar) of the next track 'Cristallo' (6:27). When vocalist Sergio Calafiura then presents his vocals with great passion, a kind of Brazilian jazzy atmosphere arises. 'Cristallo' is a beautiful ballad that provides variety on this great album.
The following 'Osservatorio' (7:48) opens with drums and percussion parts before the Hammond organ and guitar take care of the first uptempo melodies. As a Dutch reviewer I have to think of the music of Focus again because of the guitar playing and sound. Musically the track develops as a nice piece of RPI (Rock Progressivo Italiano). In the last part you can enjoy delicious organ and cool synth parts again before the percussion of the beginning returns. 'Fuori Dalla Realtà ' (1:22) is a short piano intermezzo with a jazzy atmosphere before 'Risveglio Parte 1 - Tango' (4:57) gives a jazzy but Argentinean Tango vibe. I think Mauro Mulas' experience as a film music producer helps him to create such varied atmospheres. In the last part Marcello Mulas surprises us with a beautiful and melodic guitar solo. The melodies are wonderful. Also in 'Risveglio Parte 2 - Fuga' (2:31) the electric guitar and the Hammond organ take the lead and you can once again enjoy the most beautiful melodies. In the short 'Un Volto Senza Nome' (1:39) vocalist Sergio Calafiura returns accompanied by a classical piano to passionately present his delicate vocals. I am glad that the choice was not made to use the English language. In this way you maintain the special atmosphere that suits the music. With the uptempo track 'Enigma' (5:36) we return to the sultry and rousing progressive rock with lots of Hammond organ and fine synth parts. The vocals are again presented with the famous Italian passion. The album closes with the atmospheric 'E Sarà Domani' (2:16) in which the piano of Mauro Mulas has the leading role.
conclusion
Just like the first album 'Il Falso Centro', her successor 'Il Naufragio Della Speranzo' is an album full of fantastic progressive rock with influences from the worlds of jazz and classical music. The sound of the Hammond organ and the electric guitar sometimes creates an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the Dutch formation Focus. But the music is so much more, it is a consistent album in terms of quality and it has the necessary variety to captivate until the last second. Mauro Mulas proves with this album once again to be a very talented keyboard player and composer. If you enjoyed the album 'Il Falso Centro' as much as I did, her successor 'Il Naufragio Della Speranzo' is a must buy. This album is highly recommended by progVisions.