Decoding the Emptiness by DAAL

Complex, medium-length songs that take their time to fully develop the underlying ideas, without overdoing either their length or their virtuosity. The atmospheres are predominantly dark, at times disturbing and tense, but without compromising the melody, which in some songs is predominant and exquisitely composed.

DAAL formed in Bergamo in 2008 from a project by Davide Guidoni, a drummer who has worked with Taproban, The Far Side, Gallant Farm, Nuova Era, and Ozone Player, to name a few, and Alfio Costa, who has worked with Tilion, Prowlers, Colossus Project, and Dark Session, and plays keyboards and synthesizers. On this album, they are joined by the excellent Ettore Salati on guitar and Bobo Aiolfi on bass, and Joe Sal and Alphabeard contribute vocals.

The band's name is a fusion of the first two letters of the founders' names, DAvide and ALfio. DA+AL=DAAL

The album contains eight songs, all long, ranging from 7 to 13 minutes, with the exception of two of these lasting about 6 minutes, for a total running time of approximately 66 minutes.

Decoding the Emptiness is the opening track, with more energetic sections and some more atmospheric ones, predominantly dark. Beautiful Mellotron and synths. The main theme is beautiful, along with the keyboard and synth sounds that give the song a psychedelic feel. It's sung admirably by Joe Sal in English.

"Attic Clouds" is an instrumental with a typical electric prog feel, but with long guitar and synth sounds and a strong emphasis on an excellent drum part that marks the tempo in an almost eerie way, predominantly with crashes. The organ part is very beautiful, along with the overall atmosphere that creates tension. This is a song that relies heavily on the overall sound, beautiful contrasts, moments of strategic stasis and counterpoints, a dialogue between bass and guitar, and Davide's flair for drums. The flutes reproduced on the synth and Ettore Salati's solo are also beautiful. The overall sounds are beautiful, very refined. This is the album's top track, in my opinion.

Twilight begins with a very intense piano riff, accompanied by Alphabeard's warm and emotional voice. It's a beautifully composed, seventies-style prog ballad. The instrumental part of the second half of the song is beautiful, in which the dark atmosphere returns with a sense of suspension and doubt, highlighting the keyboards, percussion, and lead guitar. When the voice returns to the initial mood, the song ends. The overall atmosphere is very beautiful.

Horror Vacui has a melancholic opening mood, with a crescendo of piano and synths that set the mood, along with beautiful bass lines and light drums that, as they build, make the song grow with their deep, low sounds. There's a beautiful, very interesting synth melodic line that evokes winds or strings, and an excellent melodic bass that leads to the epic phase of the song. The mood is dark rock for a few bars, then the piano returns with a truly disturbing solo. Then synth sounds usher in the return of the epic, dark phase. The atmospheric changes are notable, even in stark contrast, this sense of controlled explosion favoring the atmosphere. A truly remarkable song.

Simulacra is an instrumental track that starts off very strong, with an imposing intro and gives us a beautiful bass and drum line that punctuates every moment of tension with crashes. The tempo of this song is beautiful, a slow, syncopated beat, powerful in its dark atmosphere, like the synth work that includes strings and flute played with a very 1970s prog accent. The guitar part is remarkable, with both a melodic and rhythmic role. The sounds of a sort of electronic music box, at times dissonant, are disturbing, emerging at the right moments to increase the tension. The final section is an almost orchestral triumph of electronics and acoustics, a sort of dark loop in which all the instruments are rhythmic. Great piece.

Mademoiselle X is an instrumental that begins with great synth work, from the intro based on spacey sounds that resemble animal cries and sounds, to then be joined by electric piano, bass, and drums. The drums here also have a very acoustic sound; I don't detect any post-processing; I really like the touch and tuning. The melody and bass part are beautiful, as is the guitar solo. An emotional song that maintains a beautiful intensity throughout, even when the tempo is halved, it becomes more rock-oriented, and the guitar takes center stage. This is also a beautiful song. In my opinion, the best composition, although the most linear of all, the most "simply" rock.

D.O.O.M. is a very intense and complex song. The title stands for Mortuarii Octavarii Obscuri Declamatio. It's the longest track on the album, clocking in at 13 minutes, a purely prog epic suite with a psychedelic sound and a very heavy section bordering on progressive metal. Experimentation brings purely electronic input sounds and mechanical noises that open up a truly compelling prog ride, with beautifully styled guitars on display and beautiful sustained drum beats. The mix of spatial sounds, piano, progressions, and epic waves are the song's hallmark. A multitude of very well-connected ideas. A very ambitious song that I'd like to hear live, it showcases every instrument to its full potential.

There's also a bonus track, "Return From The Spiral Mind," with a heavy opening that converges on an oriental sound. Great song.

The production is top-notch; the album's best moments, in my opinion, are "Attic Clouds" and "D.O.O.M." With "Mademoiselle X" as a hit, it's suitable for audiences who don't just love Prog.

Recommended!

The Tracks
1. Decoding The Emptiness (8:53)
2. Attic Clouds (7:56)
3. Twilight (7:02)
4. Horror Vacui (7:40)
5. Simulacra (6:19)
6. Mademoiselle X (5:41)
7. D.o.o.m. (Mortuarii Octavarii Obscuri Declamatio) (1:00 PM)
8. Return From The Spiral Mind (Bonus Track) (9:25 PM)
Running Time: 65:56 PM

The Band
- Alfio Costa - piano, Rhodes, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Minimoog, Moog Sub-37, Roli Seaboard, and synthesizers
- Davide Guidoni - drums, acoustic percussion, noises, and samplers
- Ettore Salati - guitars
- Bobo Aiolfi - bass
Featuring:
- Joe Sal - vocals (1)
- Alphabeard - vocals (3)