Italian outfit provide us with a strong showing with a nice range of influences
Capside are the latest Italian band to be reviewed here in 2023, and it is fair to say that the progressive music scene in the country continues to be in very rude health. They hail from Sardinia, and Ladyesis is their third recorded work following Capsidea in 2009 and Tous Les Heros in 2018.
The band consist of Martino Faedda on guitar, who contacted me regarding the album, Valentina Casu on vocals, Manolo Ciuti bass, Roberto Casada on drums, and Giovanni Casada playing keyboards. You can find out more at their Bandcamp page at https://capside1.bandcamp.com/music and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CapsideSardinia
The work is performed in the native Italian, so here I will provide the English translation of the title and some thoughts on the music.
Di Notte (At Night) is Ladyesis part one. From the off, you notice the uniqueness of the voice of Casu. The track is a light nicely blended pop/prog keyboard-led affair with absolutely crystal-clear production.
Dea translates into English as Goddess. Lengthier at over six minutes, there is some lovely guitar work on this alongside a noticeable bass riff and some nice jazz-infused drumming. I have embedded the video below, and you will, I think, notice what I meant by my comments about Casu above. She is a real find for me this year, a quite lovely vocal performance. There are some heavier passages in this track which appeals to the classic Italian rock music fan in me. Grandiose and quirky as well, I like this. The band can certainly play, and the quiet keyboards at the end are a particular joy.
A Mio Figlio is “To My Son” and is a fine piece about how having a son changes your perception of yourself and the world around you. I still have wonderful memories of the birth of our son, Ioan, almost 22 years ago now. I have embedded the band’s video of this piece below. The video and song perfectly capture the joy and innocence of childhood and the pride of parenthood, and I love the touch of the toys time capsule being dug up years later. A Mio Figlio is a track I feel deserves very wide airplay.
I love the title of the next track, Filastrocca di Periferia – Suburban Nursery Rhyme. The guitar from the off is wonderful and this track is one for fans of the post-Gabriel and pre-Hackett departing period of Genesis. Casu provides a wall of sound on her own, and there is a refreshing brightness to the music on this piece which, as I write my review having read some particularly gloomy news stories, has cheered me up no end, a vital service of music in these challenging times.
Termiti is Termites, those invasive critters. I love the bass grooves, perfectly complimented by the drums, which dominate on this playful piece which is a jazzy treat. Casada provides some strong organ and synths, and Faedda gives us some very nice guitar licks.
Un Altro Lunedi is translated as Another Monday, which for the author of this website is a double-edged sword. It is back to workday (groan) but also the main evening I upload reviews to this website of mine (cheer). There is a delicious blues sensibility about the guitar and keys which present themselves to us, joined by more of that stunning bass fretwork. Musically, I think this track will appeal to fans of acts such as Dire Straits (before they became a stadium act) and indeed latter-day solo Knopfler, but with the attraction of a thoughtful female narrative to the proceedings. As with the best of the blues, the track is rooted in real-life experience, getting up for another round of the weekly grind, but with an innate joy of the fact of living. I really like this track, which I have embedded below.
The second part of Ladyesis follows. After the pensive opening notes, the track explodes joyously into the pop/prog blend we heard on the first part. As the song develops, there are some wonderful riffs from all musicians on a gorgeous extended jam. Light and refreshing, this is a thoroughly enjoyable instrumental piece. The closing notes remind one strongly of the Overture section of Tommy.
Azazel is the final track on the album, and I believe this refers to a demon in Enochian prophecy in the Old Testament. Certainly, the opening chords are dark, especially the dystopian bass, and this provides a very strong contrast to the music which preceded this song. Two minutes in, there is an upping of the tempo as a battle is taught and fought. Faedda provides another very good guitar solo and once more as the track enters its closing passage, you are struck by how well they all play together. A very strong close.
Ladyesis is a very good album, which has some interesting contrasts in moods, and is a delight to listen to. It comes highly recommended.