Imagine you're listening to some of your favorite tunes or albums the way they did sound were originally rehearsed to get approval and make it to the recording studio. What? You think the polished sound you get in the final product is what the band storms in to jam to a new melody? OK, thing again, or recall some demo takes added as bonus goodies in some of your beloved special CD editions. The beauty of music, for many, is widely spread the time the sound is raw, pure and un-overdubbed. That's why enough 'private' recordings attract the interest of major labels in order for the deal to be inked, anyway, but - and most of all - that's what naked beauty probably stands for: purity and implicit splendor.

Quite a dramatic description, huh? Nah, it's just that T CLEMENTE BAND's CD made me go back to the 'neighborhood' roots of Rock 'n' Roll, where a good riff and harmony solo was enough to set an amateur outfit's ass on fire in order to work hard and come up with a collection of songs making them kings for a day. T CLEMENTE BAND holds Teddy as the mainman and - possibly - basic composer and truth is they've laid down some pretty good-looking music over here, just plugging in and playing. With a style ranging from Prog/Pomp Rock to AOR/melodic Rock and guitar-oriented metallic Hard Rock, T CLEMENTE BAND show inspiration and true passion is the 'key' fact to create a personal style in a band, even if Rock music in general sees more than 50 years in general gathering a typhoon of artists and styles.

Yes, OK, some references are possible to be brought to mind but as long as that's an easy way for the band's style to be described that's fine for me! The total result in "Illusions" is a set of songs with melodic yet powerful guitars that are built in inspiring tempos and some great backing keyboards transmitting rocking, traveling/wandering, poetic or I-don't-know-what-else vibes to the listener, dressed in some fine lyrics themes about life, human rights, children, our world, world leaders etc. The music is quite hardhittin' at times, while more lunar moments are equally present. The solo work is good - could be more accurate, though - and the vocals of Thom Duell end up being quite unique with a harsh yet familiar tone.