Friday, September 26, 2008

La compagnia dell'anello: Terra di Thule (Il cerchio, 1983)

Strating from the Seventies, the expression musica alternativa spread in the neofascist political areas to indicate every kind of music born and addressed into their circuit. Paduan band La compagnia dell'anello (The Fellowship of the Ring) are one of the most prominent and longest-lived in the movement.
Their first album was released only in 1982, but the band had already a long career of concerts and direct participation to the most extremist fringes of Movimento Sociale Italiano.

Despite their political stance, "Terra di Tule" isn't much dissimilar to other prog-folk albums of the Seventies, both from a musical and from a literary point of view. Most of the songs focus on medioeval-like musical and lyric themes and many of them strongly remind of Angelo Branduardi's work.
A strongly traditionalist, conservative and antimaterialist view can be guessed only looking closely to the lyrics of songs such as "Il contadino, il monaco, il guerriero", which reflect the fascination for a society based on pecking orders and honour bonds.

Many tracks show evident Irish influences, and some of them may remind Ireland-addicted band Modena City Ramblers even from a lyrical point of view. "Sulla strada" narrates an imaginary travel around Europe and its most inspiring places. "Pensando a un amico" recalls the post-Sessantotto years with a nostalgic aftertaste which surprisingly reminds of left-wing singer/songwriter Francesco Guccini.
The only song which is incontrovertibly soaked with neofascist ideals is the accordion-driven "Il domani appartiene a noi" (Tomorrow belongs to us), which was chosen as a hymn by the Azione Giovani movement.

Though not one of the best Italian folk-rock albums from a strictly musical point of view, "Terra di Thule" deserves some curiosity as a historical document.


Tracklist:
  1. La terra di Thule
  2. Pensando ad un amico
  3. Nascita
  4. Il costume del cervo bianco
  5. Il domani appartiene a noi
  6. Ninna nanna
  7. Fiaba
  8. Il contadino, il monaco, il guerriero
  9. Sulla strada
Download (192/128 kbps)