Vittorio Vandelli was until now mostly known as a member of the Italian medieval formation Ataraxia. But with A day of warm rain in heaven the talented guitarist has now created a nice solo album. The music on his debut is certainly less accessible than most work of Ataraxia, with a higher level of experiment and a darker sound.
Vittorio takes care of all the instruments on this varied album; of course multiple types of electric and acoustic guitar, as well as various electronic means. He is only helped by Ataraxia’s singer Francesca Nicoli, who shows some unexpected diverse aspects of her vocal style, even spoken word. Interesting about the album is that its lyrics are based on the famous romantic poetic work of S.T. Coleridge, named ‘The rhyme of the ancient mariner’.
The styles on this rich album are really varied, from ambient to classical to folk to gothic and back again. Also various opriental elements pop up here and there. On some tracks acoustic instruments dominate like classical guitar, while others are lead by synth layers. I really like the instrumental soundscape ‘Beneath the lightning and the moon’, in which classical guitar is combined with an experimental soundscape with a lot of tension. Also nice is the swirling traditional ‘Singeth a quiet tune’, the dark gothic title track and the classical instrumentals ‘The death-fire danced at night’ and ‘Sails in the sun’.
This album is an intense listening experience full of surprises and a lot of atmosphere, which keeps you busy for some time.
