New Trolls / Ibis (& related) ~ Italy

UT (1972)

---May 2005

The New Trolls were sort of a what’s happenin’ now kind of group, so after their Hendrix meets classical meets Italian pop Concerto Grosso I album, they embarked on probably their most progressive effort with UT. And the album itself is as diverse as their career. For example, starting with track 4, we get the whiny pop track ‘Storia di una Foglia’ followed by the stunningly beautiful and ultimately freaked out guitar space jam of ‘Nato Adesso’. This is then followed by 'C'e Troppa Guerra’ which starts exactly like something found on Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album, only to be further funneled up and down the Osanna rollercoaster. And so it goes from more proggy parts to the ooey/gooey end piece. Did I mention the album starts in a classical music vein? These guys make early Styx look focused. Or even Mr. Bungle. 'Nato Adesso' and 'C'e Troppa Guerra’ are monster tracks though.

---8/5/23

Last night's listen concludes that pretty much sticks the landing. I tend to favor more of the romantic songwriting than I did in the past, but the rating and viewpoints remain the same.

Ownership: 1972 Cetra (LP). Gatefold; 2004 Arcangelo (CD). Papersleeve

1992 (acquired); 5//05 (review); 2010; 8/5/23 (update)

Tempi Dispari (1974)

---Mar 2005

The New Trolls are heavy duty into their jazz rock / fusion phase here. Way more so than on the previous Atomic System album. Some of it is smoky jazz, with atmospheric saxophone. Others contain ripping acoustic bass, drum solos and wailing sax. There isn’t much here that tells of its Italian origin, it could be from anywhere, and is fairly typical sounding for the time. Side 2 is the more interesting of the two sides. Here it’s more of a cosmic space rock meets jazz fusion. Driven by a pretty neat bass guitar sequence, plenty of acid guitar, sax, and organ solos are laid on top for a feel closer to what Miles Davis was doing during this period.

---7/3/23

Yep, that was a good listen. This is the one New Trolls album that belongs to the jazz collection versus ...welll everything else I guess. With the New Trolls, one never knows what they're going to hear. They never had an identity one could latch on to. For those who like variety, New Trolls are your band.

Ownership: 1982 Magma Japan (LP). Gatefold.

2000 (acquired); 3//05 (review); 7/3/23 (update)

New Trolls Atomic System (1973)

I've spoken about the New Trolls' lack of identity in the past on Searching for a Land, and the New Trolls Atomic System (nee NT Atomic System) continues along this path to underscore the problem. The group is so confused at this state, they can't even articulate their band name properly to the label, so much so they were forced to put a sticker on the LP so that it was absolutely clear. Really I think the buying populace could have figured it out. I mean I think most folks can handle ELP without spelling out Emerson, Lake and Palmer right? In order to ensure everyone stays confused, the band released the album as Night On The Bare Mountain in Germany (uh, guys, it's Night on Bald Mountain in any case...). And sure why not? How about calling it To Believe Again - Later I Saw - Hibernation in France. These latter two releases included the aforementioned classical composer's track 'Una Notte Sul Monte Calvo', while leaving off the English language 'Butterfly'. And then finally, they decided to release all the tracks on the same album for the Italian market 3 years later - with the title Una Notte Sul Monte Calvo. Mannn, this band is CONFUSED!

Ah yes, the music. Well it's nice to see the New Trolls [N.T.] [Atomic System] hearkening back to their progressive rock past. The album opens in killer fashion with 'La nuova predica di Padre O'Brien' and continues down this path for the majority of the album. My recollection was something more akin to a strong opening and it more or less falls off a cliff from there. Not so. For certain, the Italian prog style's gymnastics are mostly front loaded, but a careful listen demonstrates the band is clearly operating in similar territory to their peers during this era. There's some singer-songwriter characteristics, but again, that is an ingredient of the classic sound and should not be dismissed. Add me to the chorus that states 'Butterfly' is the weakest track - and it's never a good idea to finish in lackluster fashion, as that is the lasting impression. This track appears to be made for the export market (and yet, somehow it fell off all the export releases - jeesh!), and is incongruous with the preceding material. And it closes with the greatest sin of all... a drum solo.

Ownership: 1973 Magma (LP). Triple FOC

1998 (acquired); 9/21/18 (review)

Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio - Canti D'Innocenza Canti D'Esperienza (1973)

The big ? on the front cover has many different meanings, but there is no doubt that at this time the New Trolls were at a crossroads when it came to musical direction. Were they a hard rock band? Prog? Pop? Fusion? Searching for a Land tried everything whereas UT focused more on progressive hard rock, and is arguably their finest work. While Canti D'Innocenza, Canti D'Esperienza is nowadays referred to as Ibis version 0.5, the truth is they were the New Trolls in disguise. This particular album picks up where UT left off, and plays to their hard rock side with plenty of theme and meter changes to demonstrate their progressive pedigree. This isn't the Yes worship of Ibis' Sun Supreme. There's some acoustic interludes, and plenty of high pitched vocal wailing in Italian, all trademarks of the genre. I also hear a bit of a psychedelic throwback sound, perhaps like Garybaldi's Nuda. Really an excellent album that I think carries the New Trolls moniker baggage despite their attempts to disassociate. Best to approach this album as its own thing, and you'll walk away more impressed.

Ownership: 1973 Cetra (LP). Textured gatefold with booklet attached. 

1991 (acquired); 1/18/07; 5/25/18 (review)

Ibis (1975)

I find it humorous that I have somehow cobbled four versions of this album. I didn't even own it at all a few years ago, and that's primarily because I didn't like it much. I still wouldn't claim it to be some great Italian prog masterpiece, but it works well as a hard rock / progressive crossover album. I've come to grips with it on its own terms. The New Trolls never had any identity, and neither did their offshoots, which includes Ibis. Their debut Sun Supreme is a classic album in the Yes mold. Their self-titled second (yes, please be as confusing as possible guys) is nothing of the sort. It could have been a New Trolls album, or a completely new outfit. Most of the album is solid, with a couple of blues / boogie clunkers. The one highlight is the lengthy 'Narratio'.

Ownership: 1975 Polydor (LP)

2009 (acquired); 12/10/16 (review); 10/12/21

Searching for a Land (1972)

The biggest challenge facing the New Trolls, at least for contemporary fans, is that they had (have?) absolutely no identity. And no album in their discography underscores this fact more than Searching for a Land - a title which be can interpreted figuratively. As such, when I first bought the LP 25 years ago, I hated it and promptly sold back into the marketplace. As is often the case, I decided to buy the CD again, and reevaluate properly - and hopefully more objective this go round.

And so yes, I can hear the merits of the album in a different light. Album #1 is a folk / psych / prog amalgamation. Not too distant from what was happening in the UK during that era, as one might find on the Transatlantic label for example. Singing in English was a highly unusual move for Italians back then, and unfortunately it loses something in translation. The vocals are oddly affected, though I find them interesting all the same. Album #2 is a live recording that brings out the band's inner Deep Purple. The phony piped in audience noise is ridiculous, as if they recorded the album in front of a bunch of 13 year old girls - and they were Frank Sinatra. Ha! All the same, the New Trolls were accomplished musicians and the album has a kinetic energy that is infectious, even if it's entirely unoriginal.

The band would go on from here to release their most progressive album in UT, before splintering/devolving into various fusion and/or pop rock incarnations. As I said in the prelude: The New Trolls never had an identity for anyone to relate with. And thus they haven't aged well.

Former ownership: 1972 Cetra (2xLP). Gatefold

1991 (acquired); 11/12/16 (review); 12/29/23

Ibis - Sun Supreme (1974)

Ibis were made up of ex-New Trolls members (and a former drummer from Atomic Rooster - and whose name is not Carl Palmer) and this was their debut album (though technically the first album was under the name Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio). It was far more geared towards symphonic progressive rock, heavily influenced by Yes, especially when compared against their second, more straightforward, hard rock influenced album.

There really aren't any highlight tracks for Sun Supreme. Honestly, I'm amazed this album gets the praise it does, especially since it walks right into the usual "prog is pretentious" argument (an argument that I absolutely disagree with, even here at its most obvious). And yet this album - of all albums - somehow gets a pass from the critics. For starters this has nothing to do with the Italian progressive rock movement (indigenous melodies are missing; English vocals). Not that one should get automatic demerits for that, but it is worth mentioning given the time and place. What we have with Sun Supreme is a huge heaping mess of Yes. And I mean mess as in Tales From Topographic Ocean Yes (disclaimer: I really like Tales From Topographic Ocean  - but not necessarily going to fawn over a copycat attempt that falls short). From the song titles to the "higher key" religious aspects (oh hello Satguru Maharaji and his followers: Did you like this album dedicated to you? How come nothing like this from the home country, anyway?). I should offer minuses too, since 'Divinity Part 2' is nothing but a very long, and very dull, drum solo. That's 7 minutes of boredom right there.

So it seems I'm really down on Sun Supreme then? Well, no, that's not true. I do like it - as I do appreciate a good Yes imitation (heck I even adore Druid's Towards the Sun and early Starcastle). It's hardly a style that is easy to emulate, and it's good entertainment taken on its own if you can ignore the influences. I'm loathe to use terms like overrated, since albums like this are barely rated in the first place (it's not like the New York Times were pushing this down everyone's throat as the next big thing). But I have to say that I disagree with those that claim this is a classic work. It's not a classic by my estimation. Unless you want a somewhat tepid response to Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans. It screams New Trolls cash-in. Probably because that is exactly what it is. Buy it only if you can't get enough of that sound. And perhaps I fall into that category. I can't help it.

Ownership: 1974 Polydor (LP). Textured sleeve. 

1991 (acquired); 9/20/10 (review)

Also own and need to review: Concerto Grosso

9/20/10 (new entry)