The debut album of Euthymia, L' Ultima Illusione (The Last Illusion ), is a
rock opera that combines the best progressive rock traditions with the
theatrical and literaly dimension.
Pink Floyd, The Trip, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Arti & Mestieri, King Crimson and
Kansas echoes turn back to an arcane and mysterious story, with a marked
Shakespearian suggestion.
The band's formation - the classical ensemble voice, keyboard, bass and drums
–evokes Seventies progressive Italian and foreign sound , without losing sight
about present and new technologies. L' Ultima Illusione is in fact a triumph of
Mini Moog and synthesizers, recited parts and vocal harmonies, tempo
changes, swirling bass and drums lines and a veil of electronics in order to mix
and enrich the whole.
The album contains an instrumental overture – where the tems within the
opera found space - and six acts (illusion, fear, despair, rejection, betrayal,
death), which represents the relative state of progress of the story.
Illusion: in this first part of the story, the young protagonist lives
illusion of believing his love steady, honest and unassailable.
Fear: the previous certainties and positivities are beginning to crack. The protagonist
meets a lonely stranger who slips in the boy a shadow of doubt,
by showing that all he believes is really nothing but a lie.
Despair: the central act of the “ultima illusione” is the most dynamic, both in terms of
text and music. The unknown demon enchants the hero with
tricks, visions and miracles trying to conquer his will by deception.
Rejection: the temptation becomes stronger, apparently irresistible. The boy chooses
instead to remain firm on his position, showing off the purity of his love which
bounds him to his girlfriend and deceiving himself through the faith in their shared feelings.
Betrayal: This section of the opera is focused on the figure of the girl, who,
in the silence of his bedroom, is visited by the tempter demon and succumbs to his flatteries
bartering his boyfriend's soul with riches and treasures .
Death: the final act opens with the boy's defeat, betrayed by the girl he loved and
victim of his own blind determination.
The cover plays a key role in the work. The artist from Turin
Fernanda Tartaglino, following the focal points of the story and moods of the
characters, succeeded in the difficult goal of impressing onto canvas her
visionary idea of desperation by jointing the three fundamental levels where
the structure of “L’ ultima illusione”is built to: music, literature and theater.
Alan Brunetta batteria, musiche, arrangiamenti -
Umberto Poli testi -
Dario Mecca Aleina tastiere, musiche, arrangiamenti, produzione -
Simone Bellavia basso -
Chiara Raggi voce -
Sax Nicosia voce recitante
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