Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Goblin
Label: Import
Release: 2015
Runtime: 43:41
Rating: 4.5/5
Goblin, the cult Italian symphonic prog rockers who made their name with the prog masterpiece »Roller« (1976) and the soundtracks to the horror flicks »Profondo Rosso« (1975) and »Suspiria« (1977), are back with a new album, »Four of a Kind«. That’s a pretty big surprise for anyone who had quietly written them off after all the ups and downs, shaky lineups and splintering into various bands carrying the Goblin name. Right now there are no fewer than four Goblin factions: the “main” Goblin led by guitarist Massimo Morante, Goblin Rebirth, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, and Cherry Five.
This year the two busiest versions are the “main” Goblin, led by Morante and keyboardist Maurizio Guarini, who surprised everyone with new music in the shape of »Four of a Kind«, and Goblin Rebirth, where bassist Fabio Pignatelli and drummer Agostino Marangolo call the shots (both of them are also members of Morante’s Goblin). The latter recently recorded the album »Goblin Rebirth«, which was announced and recorded two years ago but only saw the light of day this year.
2015 is clearly going to be marked by both of these new Goblin releases, which will make anyone pining for quality Italian symphonic prog rock with a darker, ambient edge very happy. On »Four of a Kind«, Goblin prove at every turn that they haven’t lost their love for the dark, spine-chilling atmosphere that runs through symphonically structured instrumental compositions full of classic rhythmic finesse, the kind that will have every fan of the Italian prog tradition grinning from ear to ear.
A band that’s often overlooked these days, and best known for its horror scores under the baton of the cult Italian director Dario Argento, has decided for the first time since 2006, when »Back to the Goblin 2005« came out, to record a record that draws on the glorious symphonic prog rock tradition of »Roller« rather than serving as a film soundtrack, as was the case with most of their output. The only member of the »Roller« lineup missing from »Four of a Kind« is keyboard wizard Claudio Simonetti, so it’s hardly surprising to hear plenty of sonic kinship between the two albums.
The gates of hell swing wide open right on the cataclysmic »Uneven Times«, where furious guitar cannonades, fat bass lines and mysterious-sounding mini moog passages rule the roost. Some sections, where guitar phrases and keyboard curtains flow into each other dramatically, bring King Crimson to mind a little, something that was typical of Goblin in the seventies too. The witty saxophone improvisation from guest Antonio Marangolo only adds to that rich feel. The creepy atmosphere carries on with the phantasmagorical »In The Name of Goblin«, where guitar master Morante really shines with his melancholic variations, while the mysterious, sinister mood is driven mostly by Guarini’s sprawling keyboard textures.
»Mousse Roll« is an even more colorful and unusual experiment, where individual keyboard effects, while weaving a frightening atmosphere, sound like crying, or like mournful vocal harmonies, even though the whole album is instrumental. »Bon Ton« features somewhat more electronic-tinged synth textures and furious bass lines which, together with cleverly timed drum transitions, create a jazz fusion-based rhythmic interplay, while the epic guitar passages are a real treat for all the prog gourmets and guitar-hero lovers out there. »Kingdom«, dominated by mournful synth sounds and a deeply melancholic offering of guitar variations, contains an almost iconoclastic motif that sounds tailor-made for some horror movie. »Dark Blue(s)«, as its title already tells you, has a voluptuous blues guitar improvisation and massive layers of Hammond organ, with Morante’s soloing this time sounding quite a bit like David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) or Andy Latimer (Camel).
»Love & Hate« once again recalls classic King Crimson, with Mellotron curtains, mathematically timed shifts in meter and a few guitar variations playing a key role in that feeling, while some pastoral passages are slightly reminiscent of classic Genesis. After a dark opening section, a purely ethereal-romantic-nostalgic atmosphere takes over, guaranteeing nirvana for every prog dreamer. The closing triumph is the phenomenal »008«, packed with all those ominous Goblin ingredients that earned the Italian masters of darkness their cult status back in the seventies. A mysterious, tense mood, in which it’s easy to picture the living dead rising from their graves and heading out on a “night hunt”, is slowly built up by combative guitar passages, broken rhythms and witty keyboard harmonies, along with a string of very interesting solo detours.
»Four of a Kind« is a classic Goblin album that keeps the glorious »Roller« legacy alive and carries it forward, so you can safely rank it right up there with the highlights of their long and turbulent career. It took a whole eight years to get a new Goblin record, and the wait, long as it was, paid off in the end. Anyone who missed the greatness of the old prog rock school from across our western border among this year’s new releases is going to be pleasantly surprised and thoroughly happy when they press play. After all these years, Goblin remain uncompromising gravediggers and sworn subjects of the goblin king and goblin queen.
Lineup
Massimo Morante – electric and acoustic guitar, bouzouki
Fabio Pignatelli – bass guitar, keyboards
Maurizio Guarini – keyboards
Agostino Marangolo – drums, keyboards
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Antonio Marangolo – saxophone (1)
Production
Goblin
Tracklist
1. Uneven Times (7:32)
2. In the Name of Goblin (4:48)
3. Mousse Roll (5:07)
4. Bon Ton (4:38)
5. Kingdom (5:37)
6. Dark Blue(s) (5:05)
7. Love & Hate (5:30)
8. 008 (5:24)
