CICCADA – Harvest (2021, CD Bad Elephant Music)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Bad Elephant Music

Format: CD, Album, comes in a six-panel Digipak with lyric booklet

Release Date: 23 April 2021

Ciccada is a Progressive Rock combo, hailing from Greece, their music is a fine blend of Rock, Jazz, Folk, and Classical, inspired and influenced by the magnificent British Prog scene of the 70s. Since 2010 they have released 2 LP albums and 1 12” EP (“A Child In The Mirror”, LP Fading Records, 2010 / “The Finest Of Miracles”, LP Missing Vinyl, 2015 / “Tales”, 12” EP Missing Vinyl, 2016). The pandemic year of 2021, matches Ciccada’s collaboration with one of the best Britain’s underground labels that specialize in Progressive Rock, Bad Elephant Records! Their new album is called “Harvest”, it is scheduled for a CD release initially, but a vinyl LP will follow shortly, probably. For the “Harvest” album, Ciccada consists of Dimi Spela on vocals, Evangelia Kozoni on vocals, Yorgos Mouhos on 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitar, vocals, Nicolas Nikolopoulos on flute, clarinet, tenor & baritone saxophones, recorder, piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, synthesizers, harpsichord, Clavinet, glockenspiel, backing vocals, Marietta Tsakmakli on soprano, alto and baritone saxophones, backing vocals, Aggelos Malisovas on fretted and fretless basses and Yiannis Iliakis on drums, percussion, backing vocals. All songs were written and arranged by Yorgos Mouhos and Nicolas Nikolopoulos. The fantastic artwork is taken by the painting “Viña” (2010) by Pablo Solari, design by Jon Toussas (Graphic no Jutsu). The band uses the same successful formula that used on their previous recordings, this means well-written and composed musical patterns, with a simple complexity in sound, perfectly orchestrated, and excellently executed! Of course, all 6 compositions here, clock-ticking from 4:41 to 12:39 min, are showing wonderful and well-tight musicianship, which is really hard for modern PROG bands to achieve nowadays (as far as I know), but Ciccada are not only doing this, but they also are “teaching” how to do it! The album takes off with the instrumental “Eniania (Keepers Of The Midnight Harvest)” and by the very first notes and the importation of keys, guitar, percussion, flute, the situation becomes clear enough and leaves nothing to fantasy. This is good old-fashioned British Progressive Rock that is dangerously (good for us!) flirting with the Canterbury scene of the early 70s but surprisingly enough is presented here with a remarkable fresh modernized air! Somehow, on “Eniania” the Sax with the way that is played connects the past with the future while the tremendous middle section of the track is making a huge dive into that early Vertigo stuff, the 1970 debut of Gentle Giant comes to mind… A magical flute sound with a colorful Medieval touch is the driving force on “Open Wings”, soft and beautiful female “folkie” vocals and a pinch of Jethro Tull set the scene for a modernized 70s British Prog track, a rather complicated composition that shines all over! “Butterfly” starts in a dramatically soft dreamy way that slowly becomes heavily Progressive with numerous rhythm n’ mood variations and male vocals, a track that reminds bands with famous theme variations inside the same track, like Caravan or Camel. “Butterfly” is one of those compositions that act as a “progressive bridge” connecting the early 70s with the nowadays Prog sound! On “No Man’s Land” we meet a splendid complexity of Sounds influenced by the Golden Age of the Brit Prog scene, a fine blend of Gryphon, Caravan, Curved Air, and Mellow Candle! The next one is a very different track (comparing to the others on the album), it’s called “Who’s To Decide” and it has a strange ‘fusion’ feel with a kind of a Prog-Funky approach, a bizarre Gong middle section, an intense early 70s Soft Machine touch with some of the heaviest guitars in this album. I love this track! Eventually, the album closes with the epic “Queen Of Wishes”, a long composition (12:39), Progressive Rock at its best that shows high levels of musicianship, it’s a Prog-Suite with multiple changes in rhythm, style, and attitude! A track that can easily stand next to “Lady Fantasy” or “Nine Feet Underground”! “Harvest” is an eclectic mix of High-Quality Progressive-Rock intrigued compositions and it’s not only recommended for the Prog fans but to every person who admires good music! “Harvest” will help you to reminisce the Past, to enjoy the Present, and definitely to have something to expect for the Future! And of course, “Harvest” is a first-class chance to meet Ciccada, Greece’s modern Prog Harvesters! TimeLord Michalis