Triade ~ Italy

1998: La Storia di Sabazio (1973)

---March 2005

Funny, as I hear this album again, it’s clear that when the Japanese want to emulate Italian groups from the 70’s, this is what they sound like! Mahoujin, Social Tension, Ars Nova, even Pochakaite Malko borrow heavily from this album. Triade themselves are clearly influenced by ELP, but with the usual overblown style the Italians are famous for. Though not as insanely bombastic as Metamorfosi on Inferno. Now that’s side 1. For side 2, more of the same, but they change gears on ‘Espressione’ towards a more mellow sound dominated by piano and acoustic guitar. Reminds me a bit of Latte E Miele’s Papillon or even some of Gli Alluminogeni’s more lucid moments. This is pretty easy to digest, standard issue Italian prog. Not sure why it gets dogged, other than it’s not Semiramis or Museo Rosenbach (they can’t all be). And standard issue from the 1972-1974 era means 4 stars around here.

---12/22/25

And that was my last listen, which was pre-UMR. My Japanese reference, of course, related more to the composition style. Not the sound, as Triade is every bit the era of 1973. Hammond organ and that fuzzy production that make Italian albums so endearing. The first side is all instrumental whereas the flip has vocals.

Ownership: 

1983 Nexus / King (LP). Gatefold.

2004 Strange Days / Warner (CD). Gatefold papersleeve. Also have the Disc Union storage box with this album cover.

6//96 (LP acquired); 6//99; 3//05 (CD acquired / review); 12/22/25 (update / new entry)