Milan, Italy – Italy's Fading Records/AltrOck will be releasing the highly anticipated second album by the Milan-based band Not a Good Sign, who acquired a worldwide following thanks to their catchy, dynamic, dystopian versions of prog-rock merged with pure rock. The new album is titled “From a Distance,” and in these tracks many will recognize the 'old school' Prog from the '70s, but in a modern key, with a pinch of hard-rock and psych. Resonant vocal melodies and lyrics complete the gloomy but colorful imagery of the band.
Says Not a Good Sign, “For every band, a second record is a great achievement and at the same time an occasion to focus on past experience and visions. We expect we'll satisfy all the people who enjoyed our first work and we hope to gain new fans, even amongst people who don’t like progressive rock.”
Not a Good Sign are proud and full of hope. Their second release, “From a Distance”, follows up where their 2013 self-titled debut album left off. Released, like their first work, by Fading Records/AltrOck, one of the best known and most appreciated Italian record labels, priding itself on the innovative quality of its products, “From a Distance” starts from the best parts of its predecessor and presents new developments and solutions. The Milan-based band, created in 2011 by Paolo “Ske” Botta and Francesco Zago (Yugen) along with producer Marcello Marinone, has a renewed line-up. During the February 28th album presentation, Not a Good Sign introduced to the fans their new guitarist Gian Marco Trevisan, replacing founding member Zago who left the band after the recording of “From a Distance.”
Not a Good Sign began as a project by AltrOck and some members of bands signed to the label. Marcello Marinone, Paolo “Ske” Botta and Francesco Zago, after a successful collaboration in Yugen and Ske, propose a new blend of their musical attitudes. The result is an ominous, fascinating sound melting vintage keyboards, powerful guitars and voice, besides ethereal and autumn nuances, supported by a compelling rhythmic drive. In 2011 Botta and Zago began to write the music, and Zago provided the lyrics too. Soon G. Guidi Colombi and Alessio Calandriello, from La Coscienza di Zeno, joined the band.The drummer Martino Malacrida completed the line-up in 2012. Alessandro Cassani joined the band in 2013 after the release of the first album.
Different from the classics in the progressive genre, “From a Distance” doesn't feature long suites, being instead limited to ten songs of medium length in which various souls merge – from the most melodic to the hardest. One of the aspects that makes Not a Good Sign stand out is their new interpretation of the progressive rock musical language, often labelled as unable to renovate itself. “We are unable to consider Not a Good Sign simply a creature of its time: our music features too many references to the 1970s – the golden age of progressive. At the same time, there are a lot of much more recent references, particularly for what concerns the production; some of them even stray from rock. Our originality is in a honest approach, derived on one side from the present days on the other from the memory of an unforgettable period in music history.”
The five-piece is supported by Maestro Maurizio Fasoli (Yugen) on the piano, Eleonora Grampa on oboe and English horn, Jacopo Costa on glockenspiel and vibraphone, and Gian Marco Trevisan on guitar. “The band, on 'From a Distance', is more mature, more aware, and its vision is clearer and easier to understand. There is a deeper melodic research that highlights the shadow play. The guest musicians and their instruments enrich the band’s sound and occasionally take center stage.” Not a Good Sign also filmed a clip for “Flying Over Cities”, a video highlighting and strengthening the contrast between the dystopian lyrics and the musical dynamism.
After the February 28th showcase, the band will perform on the following dates:
March 1st – Arlecchino Club (Vedano Olona – Varese); March 2nd – Live Unplugged Radio Lombardia; March 13th – Floyd (Legnano – Milan); March 27th – Musicolepsia (Melegnano – Milan); May 29th – live unplugged Radio Cernusco Stereo; August 20th – Crescendo Festival (St. Palais sur Mer, France).
“From a Distance” studio personnel:
Paolo “Ske” Botta, keyboards
Alessio Calandriello, vocals
Alessandro Cassani, bass
Martino Malacrida, drums
Francesco Zago, guitars
Guests:
Maurizio Fasoli (Yugen), grand piano
Eleonora Grampa, English horn/oboe
Jacopo Costa, vibraphone/glockenspiel
Live 2015 line-up:
Paolo “Ske” Botta, keyboards
Alessio Calandriello, vocals
Alessandro Cassani, bass
Martino Malacrida, drums
Gian Marco Trevisan, guitars
To purchase Not a Good Sign's “From a Distance” CD: http://altrock.highsite.it/?wpsc-product=from-a-distance
For more information: www.notagoodsign.org
Fading Records/AltrOck: www.altrock.it
Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com
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