From Bandcamp, “MYSTERIA NOCTIS was born from an idea by Alessio Negretti, Alberto Negretti and Giacomo Piccinini, later joined by Mattia Di Lorenzo and Gioele D’Adda. The five musicians offer a virtuosic and melodic Progressive Rock, heavily influenced by metal and infused with classical and jazz music in order to create a modern and eclectic style inspired by the great musical decades of the ‘70s-‘80s.” The album has ten songs, and “Ombre del Passato” is first. The opening tones are gentle and somber, and sung in Italian. Electronic elements are added as there is a steady increase in sonority until they reach their peak, then they retreat once again.

“Anatema” has more of that spirit of the 80’s, with a jovial jaunt, but somber tones hang on a bit as well. More electronic tones come into play, and they are a bit on the dark side, as well as some harsh vocals. “Ritorno” has another dose of energy and a solid display of musicianship to boot. It flows like the stages of water, with a noticeable ebb and flow. “Valzer d Inverno” begins with piano notes that transition to keyboards, and you can hear some meter shifting when the distorted guitars arrive, but again, there is a constant push and pull, back and forth to the music. “II Processo” feature some light symphonic elements mixed in with more somber tones, but I can do without the rapped section.

“La Villa” has some sweeping piano notes, and I wonder why these weren’t used before. The song is much more firm and structured, and again, I get a taste of some 80’s nostalgia, but not quite as much as I had hoped for. “L Ultima Porta” has that programmed electronic drum beat in the beginning, but the chorus is well packed with vocal harmonies and a distinctive richness. “L Processo” closes the album, and it’s another somber offering…there are just too many of these songs on the album. Progressive Music can be, well, strange, and as a fan, you have to learn to take the good with the odd. This music falls under the latter category for me. Much of it is just too somber for me, and its accessibility is questionable as well. The band are fine musicians, I just have trouble coming up with an audience for this. But, I recommend you try the album for yourself.