Repsel | From Dawn To Dusk
Label: Independent/Bandcamp
Release Year: 2015
Country: Italy
Genre: Classic Progressive Rock
Band Members
Martea Iacoponi – Voice and Violin
Giorgio Napoleone – Guitar
Alessandro Maffei – Guitar
Francesco Proietti– Keyboard Piano
Roberto Battilocchi -Bass
Daniele Michelacchi – Drum
Contact Links
Repsel Official Bandcamp Store
Repsel Official Myspace Profile
Repsel Official Youtube Channel
If you still like a little old school vintage 1960’s to 1970’s progressive rock, yet with a 1990’s sensibility you need to look no further than Italy’s own Repsel. Their 2015 album From Dawn To Dusk carries all the hallmarks of classic progressive rock with heavy rock and alternative tendencies.
There is something to be said when a band takes vintage influences like Jefferson Airplane mixed with King Crimson with a little 1990’s alternative action such as The Breeders and Cranberries.
Repsel combines much of these elements without the recording or music sounding cheesy or outdated. There seems to be a fresh hook or melody around every harmonic corner on From Dawn To Dusk . Martea Iacoponi’s vocals are with such clarity and grace that she has a very uncanny ability to keep the listener in continuous enthrallment. This also followed in tow by the rest of her band mates.
Pandora begins as a haunting melody of rhythmic guitar distortion combined with a accent piano. This is followed by a straight up hard progressive rock signature. At the 2:22 mark the track takes some wicked guitar and keyboard interchange progressions. These are almost fuzzy psychedelic fuzzy progressions. Martea’s vocals are overdubbed in a brilliant lead to backing vocal. The vocals seem to have both a mezzo soprano to soprano exchange.
I’ll Erase One Everyday starts with a guitar driven fury with a keyboard atmospheric effect. The lead vocal takes on a more isolated effect off the instrumental section. At the 1:25 mark the vocal takes a fuzzy effect as if recorded through a megaphone. I’ll Erase One Everyday is a straight away hard driven progressive classic track. The track at times takes a bluesy progression without the heavy blues atmosphere. There is a nice plush violin towards the 3:30 mark that gives the track a classical element. The keyboard progression towards the end has a Jordan Rudess style of influence to it.
Make Up starts out with a mellow piano that gets a little brooding and haunting. The vocals play off the piano in a consistent progression. At the :50 mark the violin takes this another direction before the track takes on a lot of vocal harmonies. Make Up contains some raunchy rhythm sections with the guitar and general back up rhythm of the drums and bass.
Everything Has Changed pounds straight away with a power driven progression that has a Celtic world vibe with the violin. About the :53 mark the track takes various interchanges and time signatures as well as some good solid breaks to place the vocal front and center. On top of the stronger vocals there are some nice backing vocal exchanges. The violin and piano serve the backing rhythmic progression quite solid. The drums really carry this one towards the middle to end.
Break Into Pieces starts off with a great vocal rock oriented passage. There are good solid harmonies as well as proper instrumental breaks in the background. The band does have a uncanny ability to track lead to backing vocals that come from all directions of the listener’s audio channels in their minds. This also contains some good guitar part harmonies playing off one another.
From Dawn To Dusk begins with a Floydian keyboard passage with a great electric acoustical vibe. There is a nice rhythmic progression playing off the lead guitar. The distorted vocal effects on this one give a very plush 1990’s alternative signature. The guitar progressions are almost of a deliberate abstract feel to them. Once again the band relies a lot on harmony whether it is lead or melodic harmony. This also playing in sync with some very heavy rhythmic guitar progressions. The band definitely finds a identity by this track.
Two Minds begins with a thunderous fury of straight up progression. This is definitely the heaviest track on the album. This contains some heavy bass drum with heavy snare drums as a total backbone. There are some great breaks that stay on point with the integrity of the composition. The vocals have more attitude in them now as well. At the 2:40 mark the track takes different directions with various signatures.
This album is definitely not for everyone. Repsel seem to have this directed towards the progressive rock purist. What From Dawn To Dusk does provide is two different avenues that the band can go in. They can play towards a progressive rock audience and even a classic hard rock audience. This album has two separate personalities in one identity. This is original to say the least. I give this one a 4/5.
