In Fuga by Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno

In Fuga by the Italian band Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno, released in 2025.

A surprise for me, having not followed them before, an album that amazed me and that I can't stop listening to. I find great vocal performances, ranging from the theatricality of singer-songwriter music to the intensity of hard rock, spanning various genres, including folk and Italian Progressive Rock in its purest form, rock, and modern jazz, all performed with great precision, combining technique and taste.

A band from Rome, my hometown, active in the Italian Progressive Rock scene in the 1970s, which then disbanded and reunited in 2010.

A melodic and symphonic sound influenced by jazz and folk, characteristics that are also striking and beautiful in this latest work.

A band composed of great individuals who express themselves with such harmony, naturalness, and cohesion that it makes one think of a band that has never truly broken up since the 1970s.

We're talking about Luciano Regoli, painter, sculptor, writer, musician, composer, and singer, who joined Worms in 1967, then, after various bands, joined the group Ritratto di Dorian Gray in 1971, and after their breakup, joined the band Raccomandata con Ricevuta Ritorno.

We're talking about Nanni Civitenga on bass, one of the greatest Italian session musicians who has recorded with masters such as Ortolani, Ferrio, Canfora, and the great Ennio Morricone (on more than 100 soundtracks), as well as major hits in the world of pop and television.

But also Walter Martino on drums, who has played in bands such as Goblin, Libra, Portrait of Dorian Gray, Reale Accademia di Musica, and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

And the great musicians (just listen to the album to see it) Damaso Grassi, Stefano Piermarioli, and Manlio Zacchia, who have been in the band since its inception with Per... Un Mondo Di Cristallo.

The tracks:

The opening track, "Incubo," is incredibly tough, aggressive and features a terrifying guitar riff. The vocals are in perfect hard rock style, and the guitar is spectacular. What energy!

Mary Reilly is spectacular from the intro, initially in the form of an Italian "Canzone," slow and passionate with classical vocals, but then unexpectedly shifts into hard rock breaks. The violin solo and electric guitar solo are spectacular. The drums are incredibly intense and of extraordinary precision. Then comes the sax solo, magnificent in its speed and flair. Top vocals with screams that take us back about fifty years, but without mocking or caricaturing the great hard rock voices of the past, in an absolutely credible and solid way.

"Sognando" begins with guitar arpeggios and electric guitar riffs... sung like a typical old-style Italian song, with an almost theatrical style. The bass takes center stage, keeping time and the melody steady with great depth. Beautiful lyrics as the song moves along rock-based tempos and then pushes further with guitar solos and Martino's great syncopated drums. The overall energy and passion are beautiful. The keyboards are truly prog, as is the entire piece in the final phase until the close, with a complexity supported by all the instruments. The epilogue is on piano and keyboards, with the soft guitar arpeggio fading away. A beautiful song, complex, nuanced, and full of flavor. Excellent performance.

Nubiano begins intensely with a drum beat, and soon the vocals join in, first with vocalizations, then with a mantra repeated with varying levels of intensity and emphasis. Then the song begins, with a haunting and tense pace. The drums continue to create a compelling and extraordinarily rich rhythmic foundation with the percussion and bass. The tone, tension, and overall volume rise. A captivating song, combining singer-songwriter music with the magic of song theater, at times, and rock, until it transforms into a ballad, with wind instruments and strings, for an almost orchestral finish and an exceptional violin solo. The guitar always makes the difference when it enters with its solo, which this time is in unison with the violin, which then gives way to the keyboards. Fantastic.

Ancora l'ombra, the longest song on the album, begins with organ and keyboards, and we immediately leap fifty years back in time, with the wonderful sound of typical Italian progressive rock. The singing is clean and engaging. Flute and organ accompany each other with virtuosity. The guitar with its exceptional sustain. It's beautiful when the piece kicks off in all its power, the overall groove is splendid, a captivating piece. Exciting. The lyrics are beautiful when the voice is supported only by a light veil of keyboards and a great sax. Then it starts again in style, fast, pressing, with drum breaks that mark the perimeter of the voice. Beautiful guitar solo here too, and the piano and keyboard solo in unison. The closing is much softer with the wind instruments and a melody that then veers towards modern jazz, bass and wind instruments, keyboards and drums. A great piece.

Sandrina closes the album with acoustic guitar and vocals, a short, almost theatrical song, a beautiful vocal performance, and a lovely retro atmosphere.

An album that will certainly appeal to a wide range of fans, from Italian prog to singer-songwriters, from hard rock lovers to those who prefer sophisticated music that's not predictable, not repetitive, and above all, not banal, but always keeps taste and refinement at its core.

A beautiful album that I recommend without a doubt.

The Tracks
1. Nightmare (4:55)
2. Mary Reilly (7:18)
3. Dreaming (6:57)
4. Nubiano (5:40)
5. Ancora l'ombra (9:12)
6. Sandrina (1:33)
Running Time: 35:35

The Line-Up
- Luciano Regoli / vocals
- Nanni Civitenga / bass
- Walter Martino / drums
- Damaso Grassi / flute, tenor sax
- Stefano Piermarioli / keyboards
- Manlio Zacchia / bass, double bass