I love the power trios of the 60’s and 70’s. There’s something exquisite about the tightness of bands like CREAM, Robin Trower, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Everyone pulling their weight, no fluff, just an internal cohesiveness that coursed like blood and liquor. My opinion isn’t unique. An entire generation cherished these bands, and several after that. Today, their legacy lives on through their influence on the rock and metal scenes. RAINBOW BRIDGE, a rock trio out of Italy, emulates this era and these bands. On July 27, 2025, they release their latest full-length album, Soundtrack of a Silent Land, via Argonauta Records.  

RAINBOW BRIDGE has been around since about 2006 and has a shedload of releases to their credit. In their words, their newest album “is an imaginary soundtrack. We tried to draw landscapes where it was not necessary to insert words or sung parts, a long journey through deserts, wastelands almost devoid of life or simply places where the passage of time is marked by music, sometimes quiet, often rough and fast but always intense.”

Fair enough. I’ve listened to the album multiple times in multiple settings, and their description pretty much captures it. There is also an analog, freestyle vibe that characterizes the eight tracks. The sense is there from the very opening which features a Navajo song recorded in September 2023 at Monument Valley, US. The band notes it “is a bit of symbol of this new record which wants to be free, joyful and spiritual.” The album also closes with more of the song. But that jam feel also comes through the fact that the album was recorded “completely live with one or at most two takes.”

It's hard to select standout tracks as each composition has multiple movements, shifting across a wide and varied landscape. I mean, five of the tracks are north of seven minutes which affords a lot of real estate to go exploring. And that they do. With that said, I favored “Goats Everywhere!” which is the shortest and most focused track on the album. Also, goats. This is a metal ‘zine and we have a bias toward goats. I also enjoyed the almost title track, “A Silent Land,” especially the second half when the band gets down and dirty. There were several tracks I could have done without. “Shoreline” is an acoustic number that just feels languid and soft; “Sunrise Moon” is very similar in tempo and lack of vertebrae. Both are simply too mellow for my sensibilities.

On balance, though, Soundtrack of a Silent Land is a well-crafted piece of Stoner Psych Rock. It might be too peaceful for fans for extreme metal, but the artistry has to be respected. I get the feeling the band was going for something out of the ordinary with this album. I don’t have a good sense of their full discography, so I can’t say for sure. If exploratory jam tracks are your thing, this is a good album to check out.