THE GOOD MAN (2024)

Review index:
No. 01 - ROCK PROGRESSIF ITALIEN (France)
No. 02 - MAT2020 (Italy)
No. 03 - PROG ROGUE (Canada)
No. 04 - MLWZ (Poland)
No. 05 - STONE PROG (Germany)
No. 06 - ARTISTS & BANDS (Italy)
No. 07 - LAZLAND (U.K.)
No. 08 - BABYBLAUE-SEITEN (Germany)
No. 09 - NEW UNDERGROUND MUSIC (The Netherlands)
No. 10 - SEA OF TRANQUILLITY (U.S.A.)
No. 11 - COSMOS MUSIC (France)
No. 12 - METAL.IT (Italy)
No. 13 - PROGRESSOR (Uzbekistan/U.K.)
No. 14 - PROG CRITIQUE (France)
No. 15 - MUSIC WAVES (France)
No. 16 - EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE (U.S.A.)
No. 17 - PROG RADIO (U.S.A.)
No. 18 - METAL HAMMER - Polish edition (Poland)
No. 19 - LASER CD (U.S.A.)
No. 20 - LOS ENDOS (Turkey)
No. 21 - PROG (U.K.)
No. 22 - MUSICALNEWS.COM (Italy)
No. 23 - BETREUTES PROGGEN (Germany)
No. 24 - TOTUM REVOLUTUM (Spain)
No. 25 - MUSIC IN BELGIUM (Belgium)
No. 26 - AREA ROCK (Italia)
No. 27 - MELLOTRON WEB (Argentina)
No. 28 - SAITEN KULT (Germany)
No. 29 - PROGARCHIVES #1 (U.S.A.)
No. 30 - MUSICBOARD (U.S.A.)
No. 31 - ROCK IMPRESSIONS (Italy)
No. 32 - VIA NOCTURNA (Portugal)
No. 33 - PROG ITALIA (Italy)
No. 34 - THE PROGRESSIVE SUBWAY (U.S.A.)
No. 35 - ECLIPSED #1(Germany)
No. 36 - TEMPI DURI (Italy)
No. 37 - ROCK HARD ITALY (Italy)
No. 38 - PROGARCHIVES #2 (U.S.A.)
No. 39 - BACKGROUND MAGAZINE (The Netherlands)
No. 40 - BACKGROUND MAGAZINE (The Netherlands) - interview
No. 41 - MUSICMAP (Italy)
No. 42 - VIA NOCTURNA (Portugal) - interview
No. 43 - PROFIL PROG (Canada)
No. 44 - PROG (U.K.) - interview
No. 45 - MUSIKREVIEWS (Germany)
No. 46 - DPRP (The Netherlands)
No. 47 - PROGWERELD (The Netherlands)
No. 48 - PROGARCHIVES #3 (U.S.A.)
No. 49 - ROCK HARD ITALY (Italy) - interview
No. 50 - POWERMETAL (Germany)
No. 51 - HIGHLANDS MAGAZINE (France)
No. 52 - MUSIC STREET JOURNAL (U.S.A.)
No. 53 - EMPIRE MUSIC (Germany)
No. 54 - ECLIPSED #2 (Germany)
No. 55 - EXPOSE' (U.S.A.)
No. 56 - ROCK TIMES (Germany)
No. 57 - THE PROG SPACE (U.S.A.)
No. 58 - ITALIA DI METALLO (Italia)

No. 01
ROCK PROGRESSIF ITALIEN (review)
https://shorturl.at/7itjj
by Louis de Ny

Depuis Waterline en 2007, Alex Carpani a fait un bon bout de chemin que ce soit sous son nom (Alex Capani Band) ou encore avec Aerostation, ce qui fait au total sept albums au compteur. The Good Man est donc le huitième et il pourrait bien marquer un tournant dans la carrière discographique de son créateur.
L'album est découpé en deux parties représentant chacune une suite complète d'une demi-heure, "Amnesiac" et "Good and evil". A noter que les morceaux formant chacune des suites sont réellement enchaînés sans blanc, ce qui évidemment rajoute beaucoup à la dimension monumentale de chaque opus. A noter également que neuf pistes sur dix huit sont des instrumentaux, ce qui donne une indication forte de la direction musicale qu'a voulu Alex Carpani pour son œuvre.
Quand "Amnesiac" décrit en neuf tableaux une expérience d’amnésie profonde vécue sur une journée avec pour finir un retour à la lumière, "Good and evil" évoque les expériences sensorielles vécues  provoquées par les ondes et les fréquences, positives et négatives, provenant des profondeurs du temps et de l’espace.
Une fois encore Alex Carpani fait preuve de modernité et produit une musique qui alterne les parties de rock énergique avec d'autres qui jouent beaucoup plus sur les ambiances avec l'apport de la mezzo soprano Valentina Vanini. Ces dernières sont sans doute celles aussi où le savoir-faire de compositeur d'Alex Carpani se fait le mieux sentir.  
Avec cet album, Carpani amalgame différents styles qu'il a pratiqué tout au long de sa carrière, que ce soit le rock progressif, l'ambient, la musique électronique, le prog métal et bien sûr le rock symphonique.En fait, il apparaît qu'il s'est enfin complètement débarrasser des influences prog qui marquaient ses précédents albums, que ce soit Genesis, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd ou  encore VDGG (David Jackson est d'ailleurs présent sur plusieurs de ses disques). Là, il me fait plus penser par moments à ce qu'a produit Andy Jackson avec une nette dimension cinématographique en plus. A cet égard, les séquences durant lesquelles Valentina Vanini intervient pourraient assez facilement rappelé le Goblin de Non Ho Sonno. 
Si je dois donner une préférence entre les deux suites, et même si "Amnesiac" présente dix dernières minutes somptueuses, j'opte quand même pour "Good and evil" qui me semble imparable et tenir la distance tout au long de ses neuf parties toutes plus passionnantes et catchy les unes que les autres. Une suite qui constituerait une superbe B.O. au passage.
Au début de cette chronique, j'indiquais que cette nouvelle sortie marquait sûrement un tournant dans la carrière discographique d'Alex Carpani. Je le confirme. Cet album dépasse de la tête et des épaules tous ses précédents disques qui étaient déjà de grande qualité. Mais The Good Man me semble être ce qu'Alex Carpani a fait de plus ambitieux mais aussi de plus personnel (dans le sens artistique du terme) à ce jour. Cet album mérite d’être défendu sur scène dans une version symphonique. 
Nul doute que The Good Man va compter dans le best of des meilleurs albums de RPI pour 2024. 

Les musiciens : Alex Carpani (chant et chœurs, claviers, drum machines, basse synthé, guitares virtuelles), Bruno Farinelli (batterie), Giambattista Giorgi (basse), Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitares), Alessio Alberghini (saxo soprano), Valentina Vanini (chant féminin). mezzosoprano
 
La tracklist : 
 
Suite "Amnesiac"
01- Amnesiac part 1: On A Train
02- Amnesiac part 2: The Perfect Chaos
03- Amnesiac part 3: Flashbacks
04- Amnesiac part 4: The Edge Of My Mind
05- Amnesiac part 5: Diamond In The Rough
06- Amnesiac part 6: Past Life
07- Amnesiac part 7: Heart Calling
08- Amnesiac part 8: As Light Returns
09- Amnesiac part 9: End Of The Day 

Suite "Good And Evil"
10- Good And Evil part 1: Lost Frequencies
11- Good And Evil part 2: The Flow
12- Good And Evil part 3: P.T.S.D.
13- Good And Evil part 4: Stillness And Ecstasy
14- Good And Evil part 5: Flirting With Darkness
15- Good And Evil part 6: Mystical
16- Good And Evil part 7: Leaving The Path
17- Good And Evil part 8: Masquerade
18- Good And Evil part 9: Everything Falls Into Place

Sortie le 6 décembre 2024
Label : Artist Records
Distribution : Pick-Up Records

No. 02
MAT2020 (review)
https://mat2020.blogspot.com/
by Alberto Sgarlato

Questo 2024 “tutto d’oro” per il rock progressivo italiano, sia in termini di quantità, sia di qualità delle uscite, va degnamente verso la sua conclusione con l’uscita dell’ottavo album per Alex Carpani (se contiamo nella discografia anche l’unico titolo a nome del progetto Aerostation).
Il tastierista e cantante italo-francese, nato in Svizzera e da lungo tempo ormai residente a Bologna (città che lo vede impegnato, oltre che nella musica, in molteplici progetti culturali ben radicati sul territorio), ci aveva abituato in passato a dischi caratterizzati da un denso numero di collaborazioni, sia estere (David Cross, Theo Travis, David Jackson, solo per citare alcuni esempi), sia legate al panorama progressivo italiano (Lanzetti, Tagliapietra, Vairetti).
Deciso cambio di rotta, questa volta: infatti, in questo suo ottavo album, dal titolo “The Good Man”, non troviamo grandi interventi di ospiti esterni ma, al contrario, una formazione ben consolidata. Il leader e compositore con le sue tastiere simula anche chitarre, bassi e partiture orchestrali grazie all’ausilio dei sempre più efficaci e fedeli VST (Virtual Studio Technologies, strumenti “virtuali” caricati sul computer sotto forma di immense “librerie” di suoni e pilotati attraverso l’esecuzione sulla tastiera).
Accanto a lui troviamo, in ordine alfabetico: Alessio Alberghini (sax soprano), Emiliano Fantuzzi (chitarre), Bruno Farinelli (batteria), Giambattista Giorgi (basso) e la cantante mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini.
E poi troviamo un batterista decisamente molto noto nel circuito musicale (non solo progressivo) italiano: è Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, che però in questo album non suona ma cura l’elegante e raffinata veste grafica.
Veniamo a “The Good Man”… Come lo si potrebbe definire? Con un termine un po’ azzardato si potrebbe coniare la qualifica di “doppio concept album”. L’opera infatti è strutturata come due lunghe suites distinte, della durata di 28 minuti ciascuna, che viaggiano su binari paralleli, diventando così ciascuna una piccola “opera rock” a sé stante. Tuttavia, nei due “concept”, si possono percepire dei punti di contatto comuni a fare da legante.
Infatti, se il primo titolo, “Amnesiac”, esplora quel senso di vuoto, di disorientamento, di smarrimento legato alla perdita di memoria, il secondo titolo esplora altre forme di vuoto, disorientamento, smarrimento: quelle di chi si trova al cospetto della contrapposizione tra bene e male. “Good and evil” è, appunto, il titolo di questa seconda suite.
Il male è spesso frutto dell’obnubilazione della memoria, “Chi non conosce la storia è destinato a ripeterla”, diceva il filosofo Santayana; “Una generazione senza storia non ha passato né futuro”, diceva lo scrittore Robert A. Heinlein. E in questi scenari così apocalittici dentro e attorno la mente umana, “il buon uomo” si ritrova a essere, nelle parole di Carpani, “una barchetta di carta alla deriva”.
Come due veri e propri “concept album” racchiusi in un solo disco, le due suites possono essere ascoltate come se fossero ciascuna formata da nove brevi brani indipendenti e collegati, per un totale quindi di 18 titoli.
“Amnesiac” parte con l’incedere di un treno (il titolo è appunto “On a train”) che genera un’atmosfera inquietante, basata su effetti sonori e rumorismo; questa introduzione deflagra poi in “Perfect chaos”, brano dal riff e dalla struttura orientali al metal-prog, che si apre in belle parti vocali fortemente melodiche e dal sapore epico; un ritorno alle rarefazioni dell’intro e alle atmosfere basate su effetti e rumori in “Flashbacks”, brano che lentamente cresce, sorretto da un bell’arpeggio chitarristico, nel quale si possono apprezzare anche le doti vocali della mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini. Piccoli tocchi di percussioni sintetiche dai suoni industriali ci introducono in “The edge of my mind”, altro brano che attraverso un percorso di “stratificazione” cresce da un inizio quasi ambient fino a una serie di evoluzioni energiche e corpose. E qui il Minimoog di Carpani la fa da padrone con i suoi poderosi interventi solisti, ben sorretti da un gran lavoro di un Hammond dal sapore hard-rock, di una chitarra pesantemente distorta e della ineccepibile sezione ritmica.
“Diamond in the rough” inizia come una ballad di neo-prog dalla vena quasi cantautorale, ma anche in questo caso cresce verso un epico ritornello cantabile. Il tutto ci conduce ad aperture strumentali a base di riff corposi e Minimoog incandescente. “Past life” si apre con un gran lavoro di orchestra d’archi (i famosi “virtual instruments” di cui parlavamo all’inizio). L’entrata della voce femminile conferisce al tutto un “mood” da colonna sonora di un vero epic movie. “Heart calling” si apre ancora con i vocalizzi lirici, mentre le orchestrazioni aprono poi la strada al sax e da parte loro i due esponenti della sezione ritmica, l’Hammond e la chitarra riportano nuovamente tutto su territori più hard. “As light returns” è una parentesi di world music elettronica tra Peter Gabriel e gli Shadowfax, con il sax soprano in bella evidenza, loop percussivi e tappeti orchestrali, il tutto squarciato da uno struggente assolo di chitarra. La suite termina con “End of the day”, sorretta dai temi arpeggiati del sintetizzatore, che infine lasciano spazio alla voce femminile e alle orchestrazioni di gusto elettronico/sinfonico.
La seconda suite, “Good and Evil”, si apre con l’effetto vecchia radio di “Lost frequencies” per poi iniziare a prendere forma in modo vero e proprio con “The flow”, elegante traccia tra new-prog, post-rock e indie-rock dall’approccio diretto e incisivo. “PTSD” vede uno splendido arrangiamento di voci maschili e femminili che si intrecciano su partiture orchestrali, per poi virare nuovamente verso lidi più hard rock. “Stillness and ecstasy” è un ritorno a quei momenti “da colonna sonora”, con loop ritmici, archi, voce femminile e sax in bella evidenza. “Flirting with darkness” è uno dei momenti più “cattivelli” del disco, che farà scrollare la testa a più di un headbanger! Anche quando il “pienone” si attenua, lasciando spazio solo a sintetizzatori acidi e alla cassa che “pesta” in 4/4 il brano non perde un’oncia della sua tensione emotiva. Belli i cambi di tempo da momenti estremamente “quadrati” ad altri dispari.
“Mystical” contiene un campionamento del discorso di insediamento del Papa attualmente in carica, Francesco I, contestualizzato in uno dei momenti più corposamente sinfonici dell’intero album.
Organi liturgici, voci liriche, cori ecclesiastici, ottoni squillanti, tappeti di archi… Non manca proprio nulla.
“Leaving the path” è un trait-d’union tra i temi più “hard” e quelli più avvolgenti e melodici dell’album. “Masquerade” ci riporta a quel gusto “etnico” che a tratti fa capolino nell’intera opera. E ci congediamo con “Everything falls into place”, pronta a infondere il giusto “tiro” che ci si aspetta da un gran finale.

Concludendo: Alex Carpani è un compositore “a tutto tondo” difficilmente catalogabile ed archiviabile. Nella sua cifra stilistica confluiscono suggestioni che spaziano dal progressive rock alle espressioni più moderne del vasto universo metal, dall’elettronica alla fusion, dalla world music alla musica accademica, sia essa più sinfonica o più cameristica. E proprio in questo sta la sua forza.

No. 03
PROG ROGUE (review)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=529637419890095&set=a.107767852077056&locale=it_IT
by Thomas Szirmay

It's about time to review this interesting musician, after all I own three albums already, but I never got to review any of them until Alex sent me a request to listen to his latest offering. How can I refuse such a kind wish? Born in lovely Montreux, Switzerland and currently residing in the equally stunning city of Bologna with its endless porticoes and colonnades, Alex is a gifted keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, and while his backlog is chock full of quality tracks, this new album is an absolute stunner, which should catapult him into the higher echelons of 2024 prog releases, perhaps even among my top 5! Ably assisted by a muscular rhythm section composed of drummer Bruno Farinelli (a true revelation on all the tracks), longtime bassist Giambattista Giorgi as well as slick guitarist Emiliano Fantuzzi. Throw in Alessio Alberghini’s swirly saxophones, but the major jaw drop comes with the inclusion throughout the 2 long suites of mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini, that raising the already celestial roof on the overall dense symphonics with some stellar vocalizing, very reminiscent of Pauline Lucas’ soprano wailing on King Crimson’s Formentera Lady. Two extended suites each roughly 30 minutes long and containing 9 parts, completely stamps this work with composing credibility, where reflective arrangements cleverly interweave in telling its stories, with no diluted moments to be heard anywhere.

“Amnesiac” kicks off with a hypnotic train ride, zipping gently through the countryside before screeching into the furious chaos of a large city, a harrowing adventure that can easily make one lose their mind! Feeling alone in the company of thousands of faceless people is expressed by the booming ‘Perfect Chaos’ section, a thrilling maelstrom of sound and fury. A momentary lapse of purpose is depicted on the floating and vaporous ‘Flashbacks’, perhaps a desperate attempt at calming a hurrying heart and an edgy mind. This part really opens up the throttle as both Carpani’s synths and Farinelli’s concussive assault seek to emulate some form of wake -up call, a return to a physical realm of touch and sensibility, as the grinding chain-saw electric guitar riffs slam hard, especially in the chicanes. Palpitations are brought under control, as ‘Diamond in the Rough’ reestablishes a proper lung full of air, decorated with a powerful melody and a convincing vocal from Alex. The luxurious symphonics enter the arrangement with neo-classical leanings, a reflection on the ‘Past Life’ with a crushingly gorgeous aria from Valentina Vanini, whose controlled wail is to expire for, a larger-than-life instant of serene intensity that is simply overwhelming, blending into a distant horizon of revelation, perhaps even liberation, as the ‘heart calls’ out for a ‘returning light’. The final two sections are profoundly inspiring, infusing a calm bass groove and an uplifting saxophone, caressed by choir mellotron and Vanini’s supremely well-placed howl. When Fantuzzi adds a spiraling guitar solo, there is definitely an illumination at the limit of the cerebral tunnel, as ‘End of the Day’ seals the crimson waxed seal on the deal. I am such a sucker for operatic voices, as Vanini adds a dimension of power and genuine emotion that verges on an epiphany of sorts. Clarity succeeds in reestablishing a firm contact with reality, a magnificent salvation of spirit and sound.

As tremendous as the first suite is, “Good & Evil” is an even loftier one, as it segues nicely into a contemplative space of ‘vanishing frequencies’, desperately twirling the knob to find ‘the Flow’, which enters the frazzled fray with a deliberate bass thump and an athletic drum attack that hits into overdrive, crashing cymbals symbolizing a new path, as the synths twists and turn in a frenzy. Alex’s vaporous vocal is chilling as if singing in an oval channel, heading towards a ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’, perfectly expressed by Valentina’s wailing and Fantuzzi riffing, Farinelli bashing, Giorgi brooding and Carpani carving with no holding back. A highlight moment of symptomatic musical nightmare. Thankfully the soothing saxophone appears on ‘Stillness and Ecstasy’, a balm of comfort once again elevated by Vanini’s courageous defiance, if only for a brief respite. Needless to state, the continuous sonic contrasts are energetically intriguing, as the ebb and flow are beguiling with a load of detail that ‘flirts with darkness’, infusing trembling electronics into the mix. Farinelli really sweats up a storm, egged on by a strong bass alliance. Vibrant symphonic prog at its finest. At nearly 6 minutes, ‘Mystical’ is not only the longest snippet but also perhaps the spiritual apotheosis on this album, what with the mythical infusion of glorious church organ (to go with the papal announcements), a lovely wink to Rick Wakeman’s first solos album as an homage. The operatic voice raises this piece to celestial heights, a serpentine vortex of impeccable notes that seek to fascinate and imagine beyond the dreary routine of everyday life. Vannini segues into a desire to leave the path, a clever return of a previous melodic line and vocal, looking for a more familiar direction. ‘Masquerade’ just keeps on giving, a façade of the continuing battle between good and evil, burping bass and a slithering, shimmering guitar adornment that Hackett would surely approve. Rather unsurprisingly, ‘Everything falls into Place’ becomes the immaculate finale where all the preceding emotions are reassembled into a compact and explosive consecration that leaves nothing to chance. The peaceful innocence of children playing, laughing and smiling, before putting this marvelous story to bed, a warm blanket, a soft pillow and a kiss on the forehead.

When the entire package is also adorned with an attractive cover and sterling production, one cannot help to immediately be slain by the incredible music within the grooves, my first audition blowing me sideways with repeated gasps, grunting with unabashed pleasure, entertained and pleased, unable to resist the immaculate charm of the proposed work.

No. 04
MLWZ (review)
https://mlwz.pl/recenzje/plyty/27307-carpani-alex-the-good-man
by Artur Chachlowski

Are you already waiting for presents, dear children?... This album can be placed under your pillows from Santa Claus (official store premiere: December 6 this year). And I will say right away that if you have really been polite (like the title character) and you are given this Santa gift, a smile will surely appear on your happy faces. Because "The Good Man" is an album – I'm not afraid of this word – outstanding!
Alex Carpani is an Italian-French composer, keyboardist, singer, producer and musicologist who lives and works in Bologna. Born in Montreux (Switzerland), as a child of a Bolognese and a French mother, he began his education at a boarding school founded and run by his parents. He came into contact with music at a very young age, studying organ and piano, as well as solfège, music theory and composition. He obtained a diploma from the University of Bologna, writing his master's thesis on the music of Nino Rota. He specialized in music informatics and sound engineering, attending several highly specialized courses.
He has composed many instrumental works, from new age, electronic music, symphonic music, music combined with poetry, maintained in the style of drum'n'bass, electro-jazz and music for theatre performances and documentaries. He has participated in many national and international competitions, taking top places in the rankings. He has been awarded, among others, at the international "Clio Genius" competition, as well as at several national composition competitions.
Since the mid-2000s, he has devoted himself to rock music, releasing 6 albums (four of them: "Waterline" (2008), "4 Destinies" (2015), "L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi" (2021) and "Microcosm" (2022) we reviewed on our small-lexicon pages). These albums met with a positive response from audiences and critics, which opened the way for him to collaborate, both in the studio and live, with many prestigious musicians, such as David Jackson of Van der Graaf Generator, David Cross of King Crimson, Theo Travis (Soft Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Paul Whitehead (graphic designer of early Genesis albums), Jon Davison from Yes, Aldo Tagliapietra from Le Orme, Bernardo Lanzetti (former vocalist of Acqua Fragile and PFM) or Lino Vairetti from the group Osanna. With his band, he has given concerts in dozens of countries on three continents, performing in the most important halls and festivals of international progressive rock.
Together with Gigi Cavalli, Cocchi formed the band Aerostation, with which he released an album for the Aereostella/Immaginifica label in 2018, and then toured with them in Italy and abroad, supporting the legend of Italian progressive rock, the band PFM.
In addition to his musical activities, he was the artistic director of the theater and various cultural festivals in Bologna for almost twenty years. He is passionate about photography and is also the author of theatre plays (Naufragio da un sogno, 2005; "I Due Passi", 2019) and speaks three languages. He is passionate about space, astronautics and modern and contemporary art. Indeed: a one-man band.
His latest album is titled "The Good Man", will be released on December 6 and will be distributed in physical copies (digipak CD with a 20-page booklet) by Pick-Up Records and on major digital platforms.
The album consists of two compositions, about 28 minutes each, each divided into 9 parts, so a total of 18 tracks are indexed. But we should not approach this release as a set of shorter excerpts. The pillars of the album are two long suites - "Amnesiac" and "Good And Evil".And that's how you should listen to this album. It represents the styles and genres in which Alex Carpani, as a musician, has expressed himself over the years: rock, prog, prog metal, symphonic rock, symphonic music, electronics, ambient, opera music... We could probably go on and on, because both these and other genres clearly stand out from Carpani's latest production. A peculiar novelty is the use of the mezzo-soprano (Valentina Vanini) on such a scale, which plays an important, quite prominent role in both suites. This is one of the reasons why it seems that the music on "The Good Man" for a long time contains lyrical, almost cinematic atmospheres. Let us emphasize what a wonderful atmosphere: epic, dignified and sounding in a noble way.
What is this album about? The title "Good Man" is like a tiny and fragile paper boat that floats on the surface of the water, trying not to sink in the endless ocean, between storms and gigantic waves, never reaching its goal and never reaching a peaceful harbor. It is like a metaphor for human life, the constant toil, troubles and adversities that we encounter in achieving everyday goals.
The first suite ("Amnesiac") describes experiencing deep amnesia over the course of a single day: waking up in an unknown place, a chaotic race to escape danger, flashbacks of events that did not take place or not, a world that seems to be a whirlpool of madness, the search for one's own identity, memories of past lives, and then, in the finale, a return to the real world and the well-deserved end of an incredible day.
The second suite ("Good And Evil") talks about human experiences eternally suspended between good and evil: the waves that come from the depths of time, the control of people's minds who function like automatons without any rebellion, experiences that evoke a sense of guilt, the peace that precedes ecstasy, the subtle charm of darkness, mystical phenomena experienced on opiates - all these things reach a kind of balance at the end of the main character's day and return to their place. Does rebellion make sense? Do we not all have as much good as evil in us?...
Carpani talks about such topics with the help of her music. I assure you that the wide spectrum of emotions related to the matters described above has been described by the author in a very thoughtful way. No wonder that listening to this album, each of the two suites separately, becomes a unique experience, after which we are no longer the same. We have the feeling that thanks to these sounds we are experiencing something extraordinary, and even, perhaps, becoming different people. Let's hope it's a little better than we were before communing with this music.
Finally, the music payroll, or a kind of who is who on the album "The Good Man". Alex Carpani sings and operates synthesizers, a virtual orchestra, a drum machine, a bass synthesizer and a guitar synthesizer, and is accompanied by: Bruno Farinelli – drums, Giambattista Giorgi – bass, Emiliano Fantuzzi – guitars, Alessio Alberghini – soprano saxophone and the aforementioned Valentina Vanini – mezzo-soprano voice. She does an amazing job on this album.
I recommend this album. It makes an electrifying impression. As it was said in the introduction: I have the impression that we are dealing with an outstanding album. Start writing letters to Santa Claus now.

No. 05
STONE PROG (review)
https://stone-prog.de/2024/11/22/review-alex-carpani-the-good-man-2024/
by Gunter Dreßler

If you are somewhat curious about the progressive rock scene, you will always come across new records that are surprisingly good, but that hardly anyone knows about and that are unjustifiably lost in the large mass of new releases. To make sure that doesn't happen with this great album here, we would like to make our contribution with these lines. Our curiosity was aroused by the fact that this album consists of two songs. Two suites, each a good 28 minutes long, each divided into nine parts.
ALEX CARPANI is no stranger to this country. Most recently, we were able to see him live in Reichenbach this spring as a headliner at the Art Rock Festival, where he gave an exclusive concert. Here he was accompanied on stage by two world stars of prog: THEO TRAVIS and DAVID JACKSON on saxophones. The jack-of-all-trades, who lives in Bologna, is a trained musician. He composes, plays keyboard, sings, produces and is a music teacher. ALEX CARPANI has also won various prizes at composition competitions. And when we listen to "The Good Man" (his seventh solo studio album since 2007), we are not surprised.
So the album consists of two long suites and represents an uninterrupted story, an experience lived through the folds and fragilities of the human mind, through the infinite nuances of our emotions and feelings. The first suite "Amnesiac" describes in 9 parts the experience of deep amnesia that one experiences over the course of a day: waking up in an unknown place, the chaotic race to escape danger, flashbacks of events that have already taken place, the world that seems to have been sucked into a vortex of madness, the search for one's own identity, Memories of past lives and then finally the return of light and memory and the end of an incredible day. The whole thing is built very fluently, so well that you don't even notice individual 9 parts. Starting with a delicate sound mix of cello and moving train, "Perfect Chaos" follows one of the leitmotifs, which is reminiscent of King Crimson. The following motifs alternate, merge harmoniously into each other. Loud and quiet follow one another, instrumental music and sung parts alternate, providing variety and a high entertainment factor for the experienced listener. The opening motifs come back, the suite ends with the cello-train sound mix again. What? That was already 28 minutes? Then it must be an outstanding piece of music.
The second suite "Good And Evil" again describes in 9 parts an experience that hovers eternally between good and evil: waves and frequencies that come from the depths of time and space, the stream of people who advance like automatons without rebelling, a post-traumatic experience that awakens feelings of guilt, the silence that precedes ecstasy, the subtle charm of darkness, a mystical experience, a party without inhibiting brakes, all things finally return to their place. Musically, the whole thing is similarly structured, catchy rock flanked by saxophone and a mezzo-soprano vocalise, which you like or dislike; perhaps this musical device is used a little too often. According to our opinion, "Good And Evil" falls a bit short of "Amnesiac" in terms of quality, but maybe that's just a matter of taste.
ALEX CARPANI describes the album as "a bit like a small paper boat floating in the ocean of life between storms and gigantic waves, trying not to sink without ever knowing its final destination". It will be released on December 6, 2024 on his label "Independent Records" as a CD with a 20-page booklet and digitally via "Distrokid". The artwork is also worth seeing, created by Gigi Cavalli Cocci. You can try out videos on youtube. But organize the album and listen to the two suites in their entirety. It's worth it.

Wertung:
Album: A Good Man 8.5 | 10
Suite 1 “Amnesia” 9 | 10
Suite 2 “Good And Evil” 8 | 10

Credits:
ALEX CARPANI | Komposition, Text, Arrangement, Produktion, Gesang, Keyboard, Effekte

BRUNO FARINELLI | Schlagzeug
GIAMBATTISTA GIORGI | Bass
EMILIANO FANTUZZI | Gitarren
ALESSIO ALBERGHINI | Sopransaxofon
VALENTINA VANINI | Mezzosopran

No. 06
ARTISTS & BANDS (review)
https://www.artistsandbands.org/ver2/recensioni/recensioni-album/11742-alex-carpani-the-good-man
by Gianluca Livi

Il nuovo album di Alex Carpani esprime un'accentuata stratificazione sonora qualificandosi tout court quale sintesi musicale di un percorso artistico forgiato da 6 precedenti uscite discografiche e da una attività live, tuttora in corso, piuttosto corposa.
Soccorre, al riguardo, il diretto interessato, secondo il quale, questa nuova fatica "sintetizza e rappresenta il mio stile e i generi nei quali mi sono espresso negli anni: il rock, il prog, il prog-metal, il rock sinfonico, la musica sinfonica, l’elettronica, l’ambient".
Composto da due lunghe suite di poco meno di 30 minuti ciascuna, entrambe suddivise in 9 parti, "The Good Man" si qualifica quale opera ambiziosa, assai stratificata, ove, effettivamente, il percorso sonoro si snoda attraverso differenti realtà musicali, sempre contestualizzate.
Che si tratti delle vorticose propensioni espresse in "Perfect Chaos" o degli eterei riscontri di "Flashbacks", passando per gli evidenti richiami a vocazione classica di "Past Life" e per il pur lambito riscontro prog-metal che tipizza "Flirting With Darkness", l'intera opera si manifesta quale piena espressione di un universo così talmente sfaccettato, da abbracciare il concetto di "multiverso sonoro", nel quale il prog funge da indiscutibile collante a presa immediata.
Tale diversità è anche testimoniata dalla presenza di ambiti trasversali, ma amabilmente incastrati, come gli incubi ambient di "On A Train", la rilassatezza magnetica di "Stillness and Ecstasy" e la sontuosità di "Mystical" (gli ultimi due pezzi, peraltro, sono sublimati rispettivamente dalla presenza di un sax assai suadente e di un organo a canne di stampo magniloquente).
Questo album si lascia alle spalle certi manierismi tipici del prog settantiano, specie a vocazione barocca e romantica, per guardare coraggiosamente al presente, grazie ad una forma mentis incredibilmente e aperta.

No. 07
LAZLAND (review)
https://lazland.org/album-reviews-2024-part-the-second/alex-carpani-the-good-man
by Steve Lazenby

Italy has produced so many fine progressive artists over the past decades, and it remains an extremely important artistic hub for our music.
In modern times, I believe that no serious conversation about Italian intelligent rock music can be held without considering Alex Carpani, whose debut album, Waterline, was extremely well received in 2007, and it has simply gotten better since. Since reviewing his Microcosm in 2022, I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring this talented artist’s music further, and you can do so by visiting https://alexcarpani.bandcamp.com/music . Come 2024, he brings us The Good Man, an album which really should be reaching critics “best of” lists come the next few weeks.
It is released on December 6th via his own label, Independent Artists Records, and you can purchase it at https://www.pickuprecords.it/the-good-man-iar-04-2999999107327.html
For this album, Carpani provides lead & backing vocals, and plays keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, virtual guitars, and his collaborators are Bruno Farinelli on drums; Giambattista Giorgi playing bass; Emiliano Fantuzzi on guitars; Alessio Alberghini with soprano sax; and Valentina Vanini, the stunning mezzosoprano voice.
There are two epic suites, Amnesiac first, then Good & Evil, each divided into nine segments and is a fascinating experience in storytelling, lived through the folds and fragilities of the human mind, the strength of our passions and that need to be, to live, and believe in something, no matter what. I relate to this extremely strongly. The Good Man is a tiny paper boat that floats, trying not to sink, in an endless ocean, between storms and huge waves, without ever knowing its destination. How fascinating is that?
I think this work is nothing short of essential, and it is one of those albums which demands to be heard as a whole, to have the listener immerse him or herself in this sea of sound and quality. So, let’s attempt to bring you a cogent and coherent summary.
Amnesiac describes the experience of deep amnesia over the course of a day, and the fear and chaos which accompanies it. Indeed, the opening instrumental, On A Train, is a disturbing listen. You are on it, but not on it, not sure if it is a real memory, and experience through the speakers that this is not a pleasant thing, the screeching guitar solo at the death leading perfectly into the dystopia of Perfect Chaos, which has some stunning vocals and a wall of sound. We have a video for this, and it is embedded below. The protagonist is lost in haze and thoughts.
Throughout the album, Carpani provides us with just about the perfect blend of post rock, symphonic, and pastoral music. When there is anger, as in The Edge of My Mind, it is real, not perceived, the crunching riffs and thumping rhythm section pumping it out to the words, and then contrast this to the raw beauty of Diamond in the Rough which follows immediately, the reassuring words that the world should not be allowed to bring the queen of this sleepy town down, and this reasserts itself with the lush light of sound, with the gorgeous voice of Vanini crying her soul out against the soundscapes created by Carpani on Past Life.
Heart Calling has some sumptuous mellotron, probably the best use of that favourite instrument of mine I have heard this year, as the hail of noise calls out, the main theme of the nightmare of amnesia reasserting itself strongly.
The final two parts of the suite are gorgeous instrumentals, As Light Returns at The End of the Day, the nightmare finally over, memory returning, and, as you might expect, the pastoral warmth is so strong, some gorgeous orchestration, Alberghini supreme on the sax, and the return of that lush female choral voice taking you to another emotional level altogether, and featuring some fine solo guitar work as well. The futuristic sonic effects at the final 90 seconds are interesting before leading into the return of the train, this time remembered.
The second suite describes an experience eternally poised between good and evil, waves and frequencies from the depths of time and space, and, with all the noise we presently hear regarding AI (this being the phrase of choice in virtually every single corporate advert you see or hear at present, all, naturally extolling its virtues), interestingly the flow of people who like automatons advancing without rebelling.
It opens with the short introduction, Lost Frequencies, a latter Floydian buildup to the main proceedings, segueing into the march of The Flow, a bright song with the protagonist in a happy place following his instincts and the stars in search of love, some of this decidedly playful.
P.T.S.D. examines the guilt and trauma of the past, carrying the weight of battles seen, that soprano voice returning to instant impact on a triumphant orchestral beginning which then expands into a far darker set of guitar and voice led riffs, this bringing to life the battles being waged within.
Stillness and Ecstasy is simply beautiful, a spacey delight with the sax leading a gorgeous charge in your senses accompanied by that voice again, the whole piece expanding in a glorious symphonic noise.
We have a video for part five, Flirting With Darkness. It’s a terrific rocker, detailing the conflict within, but still wishing to find that love. There is some fine mellotron and organ work amongst the riffs, with some brilliant drums work by Farinelli. This is a track which ought to be a hit single.
Mystical is, to me, the centrepiece instrumentally of the entire album, around which everything else circles with its speeches, dramatic organ, the best you will have heard since a certain Mr Wakeman tinkled the ivories in Switzerland back in the day, leading the way for a rip-roaring journey interspersed with some utterly beautiful choral voice and soundscapes. Superb, and a very strong contender for my instrumental track of the year, and this is a crowded field, I might add. Everything that is good about this composer and musician is encapsulated in this magical six minutes of music.
As this wonder segues into Leaving Our Path, the racing riffs and words take us to the ghosts of the night and whispers of the past haunting us continually in a short, pacy piece of music leading into the instrumental, and penultimate piece, Masquerade, a decidedly mystical song, the soprano guiding us with some juicy grooves.
We close with Everything Falls Into Place, the protagonist safe in his lover’s arms, everything now back in place at the close of the journey, children in the background, with just over three minutes of rock music bringing everything musically to a satisfying conclusion.
It all sounds so incredible and lush. The beauty of the short Flashbacks on the first suite, for example, genuinely taking you to an inner world surrounded by the experience of the song, so we must give a shout out to the knobs man, Daniele Bagnoli at Bagnoli Bros Studio. Sonically perfect, sir.
Now, I know it’s Christmas just around the corner, and you have probably all spent a lot on CDs all year round, but The Good Man is, I must tell you, another of those essential purchases. It is simply wonderful. Tell you what? Have a word with the “significant other”, or the kids, mum/dad, nieces/nephews, Santa himself, and get it on the prezzie list! You will not regret it.

No. 08
BABYBLAUE-SEITEN (review)
https://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/album_21937.html#oben
by Siggy Zielinski

It is not without reason that Alex Carpani's job description reads like the good basis for impressive symphonic prog: "vocals, keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, virtual guitars". On his seventh album "The Good Man" there are two multi-part long tracks on the ears, each lasting almost half an hour. The stylistic versatility is indicated by a participating soprano saxophonist and a lady in her role as mezzo-soprano.
"The Good Man" is a conceptual work about states, weaknesses, emotions and needs that drive or hinder a person. A human being is comparable to a paper boat exposed to the roaring waves of fate.
Fittingly, the first long track (here called Suite) "Amnesiac" deals with memory loss for one day, so that the character sung about in the piece has to go through a desperate search for identity in the seemingly chaotic world. For a chaotic search for identity, the music nevertheless seems well organized.
The theme of the second long track "Good And Evil" is the battle between good and evil mentioned in the title as well as the mystical experiences of all kinds, the post-traumatic experiences and the attraction of darkness. This suite also includes excursions into organ music and the world of floating mystical sounds. I think the artist also used the speaking voice of a pope.
Stylistically, the versatile symphonic prog moves between the outgoing prog metal/hard rock parts, the epic vocal themes, the jazzy passages, the radio play-like, electronic and cinematic moments of relaxation, the symphonic arranged fragments, the modern and alternative prog borrowings, the operatic singing, the spherical art rock excursions and the ideas based on good old retro prog. Overall, there is rather little singing. The ambitious composer usually relies on the power and charisma of instrumental music, or on the wordless women's singing.
It's best to order it right away, because the album is good.

No. 09
NEW UNDERGROUND MUSIC (review)
https://carrysnewundergroundmusic.blogspot.com/2024/12/review-alex-carpani-good-man.html
by Carry Munter

ENG
Alex Carpani from Bologna, Italy, is a composer, singer, keyboards player and producer who has been releasing his music since 2007 and is also the co-founder of the band Aerostation, which he formed together with drummer Gigi Cavalli Cocchi and released the debut album "Aerostation" on October 5, 2018.
Alex has released the following albums: "Waterline" (September 18, 2007 CD), "The Sanctuary" (October 24, 2010 CD and digital album), "4 Destinies" (March 31, 2014 CD and digital album), "So Close. So Far." (March 4, 2016 CD and digital album), "L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi" (July 24, 2020 CD and digital album) and on April 29, 2022 the album "Microcosm" was released through his label Independent Artist Records as a limited edition CD and as a digital album.
On December 6, Independent Artist Records will release his album "The Good Man" as a digipak CD, including a 20-page booklet and the album will also be released as a digital download via Distrokid.
The album contains 2 suites ("Amnesiac" and "Good & Evil") both divided into 9 parts, so in fact the CD consists of 18 songs; "Amnesiac Part 2 Perfect Chaos" and "Good And Evil Part 5 Flirting With Darkness" have been released as singles.
The musicians playing on this album are: Alex Carpani - vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, drum machine, bass synthesizer, virtual orchestra and virtual guitar; Bruno Parinelli - drums; Giambattista Giorgi - bass guitar; Emiliano Fantuzzi - lead guitar; Alessio Alberghini - soprano saxophone; Valentina Vanini - mezzosoprano vocals.
The album starts with "Amnesiac" with part 1 "On A Train", in which Alex Carpani performs a beautiful electronic piece of music at a slow rhythm, with heavy sounds evoking a dark atmosphere; it is followed by part 2 "Perfect Chaos", a great melodic rock song with a medium tempo and an infectious rhythm (listen to this song via the youtube link below the review); then comes part 3 "Flashbacks", a short song with spoken lyrics and an average tempo; apart 4 "The Edge Of My Mind" has a nice quiet starting that gets more speedy after a short time and starts swinging; part 5 "Diamond In The Rough" is a beautiful song with a not too high tempo and a catchy rhythm, which gets a little more speed halfway through; part 6 "Past Life" is a symphonic song with an average tempo, which slows down after about a minute and is accompanied by heavenly vocals; part 7 "Heart Calling" starts with heavenly sounds and then changes after a short time into an uptempo symphonic piece of music, which swings like a train; part 8 "As Light Returns" is a great instrumental symphonic song with an average tempo and a catchy rhythm; part 9 "End Of The Day" is a swinging song with an average tempo and heavenly vocal sounds.
The first part of "Good & Evil" is called "Last Frequencies" and it features a short slow electronic song with spoken lyrics; part 2 "The Flow" is a beautiful melodic pop song with a medium tempo and a recurring rhythm; part 3 "P.T.S.D." is a beautiful song with changing tempos and a catchy rhythm; part 4 "Stillness & Ecstasy" is a beautiful song with an average tempo and heavenly vocals; part 5 "Flirting With Darkness" is a fine solid swinging melodic rock song with a danceable recurring rhythm; part 6
"Mystical" starts with spoken text and after a short time it turns into a piece that has ecclesiastical influences and turns this temporarily changes into a swinging song, played more slowly and heavenly, with vocals added; part 7 "Leaving The Path" is a wonderful melodic song with a catchy danceable rhythm; part 8 "Masquerade" is a delightful song with an average tempo, which also contains heavenly vocals and a danceable rhythm; part 9 "Everything Falls Into Place" is a fantastic swinging song with a recurring rhythm, which encourages dancing and ends in rest.
"The Good Man" by Alex Carpani is full of delightful melodic/symphonic songs, which I enjoyed immensely from start to finish and I strongly recommend this masterful disc to every lover of this genre.
4,5/5 stars

No. 10
SEA OF TRANQUILITY (review)
https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=25040
by Aaron Steelman

The sixth studio release from the Italian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Alex Carpani is a winner. It is made up of two lengthy (28 minute plus) concept suites, each with nine parts. The first suite deals with a day in the life of an amnesiac. The second describes the decisions and events, past and present, people have to grapple with to live an honest and satisfying life.
I won’t go into the individual tracks for each of the suites because they are meant to be listened to as a whole, and that is how I approached the album. While nine of the 18 total tracks are listed as instrumentals, the total instrumental time is much greater, as Carpani’s sometimes soaring vocals are sparse. And what music it is: great symphonic prog that draws from the 70s and features more modern takes on the genre also.
English is not Carpani’s native language, but you wouldn’t know it from the lyrics. Although there aren’t many of them, they are evocative. Combined with the music, one gets the sense of the concepts he aims to present, and the story arcs are well structured.
Carpani has a knack for attracting gifted guest musicians for his albums. On his last release, Microcosm, David Cross (formerly of King Crimson) played violin, David Jackson (formerly of Van der Graaf Generator) played saxophone and flute, and Jon Davison (currently of Yes) provided vocals, for instance. This time around, Carpani is joined by Bruno Farinelli (drums), Giambattista Giorgi (bass), Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitars), Alessio Alberghini (soprano sax), and Valentina Vanini (mezzo-soprano voice).
The Good Man will be released on December 6th. I recommend checking it out, as well as the rest of Carpani’s catalog.

Track Listing

Amnesiac (28:42)
1. On A Train (2:09) instrumental
2. The Perfect Chaos (4:41)
3. Flashbacks (1:30) instrumental
4. The Edge Of My Mind (3:56)
5. Diamond In The Rough (1:55)
6. Past Life (3:12) instrumental
7. Heart Calling (2:51)
8. As Light Returns (4:03) instrumental
9. End Of The Day (4:21) instrumental

Good And Evil (28:25)
10. Lost Frequencies (1:17) instrumental
11. The Flow (3:54)
12. P.T.S.D. (3:33)
13. Stillness and Ecstasy (2:33) instrumental
14. Flirting With Darkness (3:40)
15. Mystical (5:51) instrumental
16. Leaving The Path (1:52)
17. Masquerade (2:42) instrumental
18. Everything Falls Into Place (3:09)
Added: December 1st 2024 Reviewer: Aaron Steelman Score: 4,5/5 stars

No. 11
COSMOS MUSIC (review)
https://cosmosmusic.fr/produit/carpani-alex-the-good-man/
by Aaron Steelman

D’entrée, on découvre que le septième album de Alex Carpani est le plus ambitieux de sa discographie, entamée en 2007 avec Waterline. 
The Good Man est constitué de deux longs morceaux divisés en plusieurs parties enchaînées, d’une durée de près d’une demi-heure chacun. La polyvalence stylistique est notamment indiquée par la participation d’un saxophoniste soprano et d’une divine mezzo soprano. The Good Man est une œuvre conceptuelle évoquant les conditions, les faiblesses, les émotions et les besoins qui animent une personne ou l’entravent. Une personne peut être comparée à un bateau en papier exposé aux vagues déchaînées du destin. Dans cette optique, la première suite, « Amnesiac », évoque la perte de mémoire pendant une journée du personnage principal de l’album, le conduisant à rechercher désespérément son identité dans un monde apparemment chaotique. Le thème du deuxième morceau, « Good And Evil », est la bataille entre le bien et le mal mentionnée dans le titre, ainsi que les expériences mystiques de toutes sortes, les expériences post-traumatiques et l’attrait de l’obscurité.
Tout cela est mis en musique avec brio, donnant vie à un prog symphonique bouillonnant d’une grande richesse. 
The Good Man est non seulement une superbe réussite mais également l’oeuvre la plus personnelle de Alex Carpani, celle en tout cas où il a réussi à amalgamer toutes ses influences (Genesis, Peter Gabriel et Pink Floyd en tête).
Voici un album ambitieux, mélodique et extrêmement vivant qui, par sa créativité (symphonisme, néo prog, musique électronique, AOR, Ambient, prog metal, etc.) donne son plein sens au terme progressif ! Magnifique, que dire d’autre ?!

No. 12
METAL.IT (review)
https://metal.it/album.aspx/51744/31644/carpani-alex-the-good-man/
by Gabriele Marangoni

Alex Carpani ritorna con un gran bel disco composto da due suite, la prima che “descrive un’amnesia profonda vissuta nell’arco di una giornata” e la seconda relativa a “un’esperienza in eterno bilico tra il bene e il male”.
Senza addentrarmi troppo nell’affascinante concept ideato dal tastierista, vi basti sapere che la musica contenuta in “The Good Man” è davvero buona, e passa dall’heavy prog dai tratti crimsonici di “The Perfect Chaos” al neo-prog più ricercato di Marillion e simili (“As Light Returns”, “End Of The Day”). “The Edge Of My Mind” si muove tra Anathema e Porcupine Tree, mentre lo spettro di Steven Wilson aleggia sulle ottime “The Flow”, “Flirting With Darkness” e “Everything Falls Into Place”.
In “Mystical” emerge il virtuoso di stampo prog, mentre gli episodi cinematografici sono quelli più sorprendenti, con evidenti omaggi al genio di Ennio Morricone in “Past Life”, “P.T.S.D.” e “Masquerade”, e con un deciso picco di intensità nell’accattivante “Stillness And Ecstasy”.

Un album proprio ispirato.

No. 13
PROGRESSOR.NET (review)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1157897496336063&set=pb.100063474700198.-2207520000&locale=it_IT
by Olav Martin Bjørnsen

Italian artist Alex Carpani is out with the album "The Good Man", and progressive rock is the style explored on this production. In this case we get a varied and dynamic journey through the progressive rock universe, explored in two multiple part epic length compositions. Melodic, elegant and accessible landscapes is the defining element here, with the compositions exploring a number of different modes and moods along the way.
Borderline cinematic and ambient excursions and more flamboyant runs through the symphonic progressive rock universe are both present, with the odd side step into more sacral music and a tad of jazz along the way too. But more profound are all the parts that revolve around distinctly melodic, firm and elegant ventures into what one might describe as melodic progressive rock, of the kind that German band Sylvan explored in such an enthralling manner some years back.
Occasionally with a quirkier or harder edge applied, with a couple of the parts bordering a hard progressive rock expression.
An album to seek out by those with a desire for a compelling, dynamic and varied journey through an accessible and compelling variety of melodic progressive rock.

No. 14
PROG CRITIQUE (review)
https://progcritique.com/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Gabriel

Un album qui fera surement son entrée dans mon top 12 de 2024, c’est ‘The Good Man’ d’Alex Carpani, un claviériste, multi-instrumentiste et compositeur particulièrement performant. Deux longues suites épiques de plus de 28 minutes chacune (Amnesiac & Good and Evil), divisées respectivement en neuf parties, nous entrainent dans une histoire où Alex exprime ‘son vécue à travers les replis et les fragilités de l’esprit humain, la force de ses passions et ce besoin d’être, de vivre et de croire en quelque chose, quoi qu’il arrive’.
Un album conceptuel où chaque morceau est soigneusement pensé et qui n’a aucun mal à proposer, avec une musique coulant naturellement, une heure d’écoute tout simplement captivante. Côté genres musicaux, Alex Carpani nous offre, dans une belle cohésion, une palette élargie de musique progressive et symphonique. Il suffit d’écouter, dans la première suite ‘Amnesiac‘, l’instrumental d’ouverture « On A Train » suivi de « Perfect Chaos » au chant puissant et refrain percutant, pour se faire une idée du niveau qualitatif des compositions.
‘The Good Man’ est un album qui demande à être entendu dans son intégralité, pour s’immerger pleinement dans son univers et en apprécier toute la richesse, mais loin d’être rébarbative cette écoute est favorisée par l’alternance de pièces atmosphériques et de titres plus dynamiques.
Alex Carpani nous offre une œuvre ambitieuse où chaque composition nous invite à voyager sur une musique de qualité parfaitement interprétée. ‘The Good Man’ un album qui grandit à chaque écoute, et semble être fait sur mesure pour satisfaire tous les amateurs de bon rock progressif.

An album that will surely make its way into my top 12 of 2024 is ' The Good Man ' by Alex Carpani , a particularly capable keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Two long epic suites of more than 28 minutes each ( Amnesiac & Good and Evil ), divided into nine parts respectively, take us into a story where Alex expresses ' his experience through the folds and fragilities of the human spirit, the strength of his passions and this need to be, to live and to believe in something, no matter what'.
A conceptual album where each piece is carefully thought out and which has no trouble offering, with naturally flowing music, an hour of simply captivating listening. In terms of musical genres, Alex Carpani offers us, in a beautiful cohesion, a broad palette of progressive and symphonic music. You just have to listen, in the first suite ' Amnesiac ', to the opening instrumental " On A Train " followed by " Perfect Chaos " with its powerful vocals and punchy chorus, to get an idea of ​​the quality level of the compositions.
' The Good Man ' is an album that demands to be heard in its entirety, to fully immerse oneself in its universe and appreciate all its richness, but far from being boring, this listening is favored by the alternation of atmospheric pieces and more dynamic titles.
Alex Carpani offers us an ambitious work where each composition invites us to travel on a perfectly interpreted quality music. ' The Good Man ' an album that grows with each listening, and seems to be tailor-made to satisfy all lovers of good progressive rock.

4,5/5 stars

No. 15
MUSIC WAVES (review)
https://musicwaves.fr/frmReview.aspx?ID=21855&REF=ALEX-CARPANI_The-Good-Man
by Adrian Stork

"Pour son septième album solo, Alex Carpani nous offre une pièce maîtresse progressive aux confins des genres." 5/5

Alex Carpani, le claviériste italo-suisse que l'on ne présente plus, s'était un peu perdu sur "L'Orizzonte Degli Eventi" qui mélangeait guitares virtuelles et progressif pas assez inspiré. Il a su rebondir deux ans plus tard en avec "Microcosm" plus aventureux que son prédécesseur. Le voici de retour en 2024 avec un nouveau concept illustré par une pochette sur laquelle un octopode géant s'empare goulûment d'une goélette tandis que des avions militaires zèbrent un ciel inquiétant.
L'album est composé de deux grosses pistes intitulées 'Amnesiac' et 'Good And Evil' qui dépassent toutes deux les 28 minutes, chacune d'elles étant divisée en neuf tableaux. Un pari où chaque seconde se doit d’être passionnante, et heureusement celles-ci le sont ! Alex Carpani a su digérer ses influences progressives pour les intégrer dans un melting pot de genres : des séquences hard rock, jazz ('As Light Return', 'Stillmess And Ecstasy', 'Masquerade"), pop et symphoniques ('Part Life') se relancent sans cesse la balle. "The Good Man" oscille entre le souffle chaud des guitares volcaniques et la bise des claviers dans une mer sonore agitée, en particulier sur 'The Edge Of My Mind'. Et lorsque sur 'Mystical' l'orgue s'embarque dans une fugue improvisée lancé par de rigoureux chants grégoriens et relayée par les coups de boutoir de la batterie, nous pouvons nous dire qu'Alex Carpani n'a pas lésiné sur les moyens pour nous envoûter.
Le chant volontaire et généreux d'Alex Carpani est toujours aussi poignant et rappelle parfois celui de Frank Bornemann dans Eloy, l'accent italien en plus. L'artiste n'intervient qu'à des moments-clés de son intrigue sonore, évitant de surcharger ses compositions de paroles et laissant la musique s'exprimer. Il est toutefois secondé de Valentina Vanini, chanteuse mezzo-soprano dont les envolées enchanteresses ouvrent une dimension symphonique voire opératique et renouent avec la grâce de l'émotion pure exprimée notamment dans le domaine du prog par une Annie Haslam (Renaissance).
Sur son septième album, Alex Carpani nous régale en nous proposant avec succès un voyage au long cours ouvert à tous les vents. Il s'agit à ce jour du magnum opus d'un vrai passionné du rock progressif, s"affirmant comme l'un des étendards modernes les plus passionnants du genre.

GROUPES PROCHES:
ELP, PINK FLOYD, CHAOS VENTURE, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, KEITH EMERSON BAND, GENESIS, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, TONY BANKS, THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD 

LISTE DES PISTES:
01. Amnesiac: On A Train - 2:10
02. Amnesiac: Perfect Chaos - 4:41
03. Amnesiac: Flashbacks - - 1:30
04. Amnesiac: The Edge Of My Mind - 3:57
05. Amnesiac: Diamond In The Rough - - 1:55
06. Amnesiac: Past Life - 4:21
07. Amnesiac: Heart Calling - 2:51
08. Amnesiac: As Light Returns - 3:42
09. Amnesiac: End Of The Day - 4:41
10. Good And Evil: Lost Frequencies - 0:57
11. Good And Evil: The Flow - 4:13
12. Good And Evil: P.T.S.D. - 3:52
13. Good And Evil: Stillness And Ecstasy - 2:15
14. Good And Evil: Flirting With Darkness - 4:11
15. Good And Evil: Mystical - 5:39
16. Good And Evil: Leaving The Path - - 1:32
17. Good And Evil: Masquerade - 2:42
18. Good And Evil: Everything Falls Into Place - 3:09

FORMATION:
Alessio Alberghini: Saxophone
Alex Carpani: Chant / Guitares / Claviers
Bruno Farinelli: Batterie
Emiliano Fantuzzi: Guitares
Giambattista Giorgi: Basse

No. 16
EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE (review)
https://annecarlini.com/ex_cd.php?id=5909
by Russell A. Trunk

Title - The Good Man
Artist - Alex Caprani

For those unaware, Alex Carpani is an Italian-French composer, keyboardist, singer, producer, musicologist and artistic director. He graduated in DAMS (musicology) at the University of Bologna with a thesis on the music of Nino Rota in Fellini’s films that won the 1st prize of the Fellini Foundation.
He graduated at CET (a famous Italian music school) in composition and arrangement of music for films with Stelvio Cipriani, after having won a European Union scholarship that allowed him to attend the school. He has written and self-produced a great amount of instrumental music for more than 15 years: new age, electronic music, symphonic music, music mixed with poetry, drum’n’bass, electro-jazz, music for theatre shows and documentaries.
Since 2007 he has dedicated himself to rock, releasing 8 rock albums with Italian and foreign labels which had positive feedback with both audience and critics, allowing him to collaborate, in studio and live, with some well known musicians of the national and international scene, such as David Jackson of Van der Graaf Generator, David Cross of King Crimson, Theo Travis of Soft Machine, Jon Davison of Yes, Paul Whitehead, graphic designer of early Genesis, Aldo Tagliapietra of Le Orme, Bernardo Lanzetti of Acqua Fragile and PFM.
He has performed more than 140 concerts in 21 countries of 3 continents with his band, appearing in the most important live clubs and festivals of the international progressive rock field. He has founded the band Aerostation with Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (former drummer of Ligabue, Clan Destino, C.S.I.) releasing in 2018 the homonym debut album with Aerostella/Immaginifica label, performing concerts in Italy and abroad and opening for PFM at major events as well. Aerostation’s new album Rethink will be released in 2025.
His brand new solo album is entitled The Good Man and was released this past December 6th, 2024, via his own label Independent Artist Records, and I will allow Alex himself to explain what it is all about: “Musically, TGM is, perhaps, the album of my discography that most of all summarizes and represents my style and the genres in which I have expressed myself over the years: rock, prog, prog-metal, symphonic rock, symphonic music, electronic, ambient. The line-up also includes a mezzo-soprano singer, because the music has at times lyrical, almost cinematic characters.”
“The album consists of 2 suites of about 28 minutes each, each divided into 9 parts, so there are 18 tracks in all. The good man is a bit like a tiny paper boat floating, trying not to sink, in the ocean of life, between storms and gigantic waves, without ever knowing its final destination.”

1. Amnesiac (full version) [28:42]
2. Good And Evil (full version) [28:24]
3. Amnesiac part 1 On A Train [2:09]
4. Amnesiac part 2 Perfect Chaos [4:41]
5. Amnesiac part 3 Flashbacks [1:30]
6. Amnesiac part 4 The Edge Of My Mind [3:56]
7. Amnesiac part 5 Diamond In The Rough [1:55]
8. Amnesiac part 6 Past Life [3:12]
9. Amnesiac part 7 Heart Calling [2:51]
10. Amnesiac part 8 As Light Returns [4:02]
11. Amnesiac part 9 End Of The Day [4:20]
12. Good And Evil part 1 Lost Frequencies [1:07]
13. Good And Evil part 2 The Flow [3:53]
14. Good And Evil part 3 P.T.S.D. [3:32]
15. Good And Evil part 4 Stillness And Ecstasy [2:33]
16. Good And Evil part 5 Flirting With Darkness [3:39]
17. Good And Evil part 6 Mystical [5:51]
18. Good And Evil part 7 Leaving The Path [1:52]
19. Good And Evil part 8 Masquerade [2:42]
20. Good And Evil part 9 Everything Falls Into Place [3:09]

The album opens on the two full-length tracks at nearly half an hour each, the esoterically-sculpted Amnesiac (full version) and the jagged, static-charged, at first, latterly sweeping and prog-tastic Good And Evil, but then brings us their internal breakdowns: these open on the Eastern-imbibed, fuzzy ambiance of Amnesiac part 1 On A Train, the fervently driven part 2 Perfect Chaos, the atmospheric part 3, the all-embracing musical magnitude of part 4 The Edge Of My Mind, and then we get the veritably translucent part 5 Diamond In The Rough, the sweepingly orchestral prog of part 6 Past Life, the work rounding out on the ethereal part 7 Heart Calling, the prog-Celt vibed part 8 As Light Returns, closing on the AOR of part 9 End Of The Day.
The second work opens on the musical static nuances of Good And Evil part 1 Lost Frequencies and the free flowing melodies that drives part 2 The Flow, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the hauntingly effervescent part 3 P.T.S.D., the impassioned sternness, initially, completely transcendent the next of part 4 Stillness And Ecstasy, the propellent rocker part 5 Flirting With Darkness, the work rounding out on the papal chanting, accompanied dutiful by the organ of part 6 Mystical, the powerful part 7 Leaving The Path, coming to a close on the mid-tempo, smoothly cultured jazz-prog of part 8 Masquerade and the drum led rock of part 9 Everything Falls Into Place.
The brand new album will be distributed for physical copies (digipak CD with 20-page booklet) by Pick-Up Records and on major digital platforms through Distrokid.

No. 17
PROG RADIO (review)
https://www.progradio.com/reviews/the-good-man
by Kevin Carmony

The Good Man
Alex Carpani
Italy

Although this album wasn’t given a full review, it has been carefully listened to and evaluated by Prog Radio and given a Star rating.
You can enjoy tracks from this album in rotation at Prog Radio. (The higher the Star rating, the more tracks we will be playing and with more frequency.)
Look for songs from this and other new albums to be featured in our "What's New Proggy Cats?" broadcast. You're also welcome to request songs by this artist and album on Prog Radio.
5/5

No. 18
METAL HAMMER - POLAND (review)
https://www.metalmind.com.pl/
by Artur Chachlowski



No. 19
LASER CD (review)
https://www.lasercd.com/cd/good-man
by Ken Golden

"Its about time to review this interesting musician, after all I own three albums already, but I never got to review any of them until Alex sent me a request to listen to his latest offering. How can I refuse such a kind wish? Born in lovely Montreux, Switzerland and currently residing in the equally stunning city of Bologna with its endless porticoes and colonnades, Alex is a gifted keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, and while his backlog is chock full of quality tracks, this new album is an absolute stunner, which should catapult him into the higher echelons of 2024 prog releases, perhaps even among my top 5! Ably assisted by a muscular rhythm section composed of drummer Bruno Farinelli (a true revelation on all the tracks), longtime bassist Giambattista Giorgi as well as slick guitarist Emiliano Fantuzzi. Throw in Alessio Alberghini's swirly saxophones, but the major jaw drop comes with the inclusion throughout the 2 long suites of mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini, that raising the already celestial roof on the overall dense symphonics with some stellar vocalizing, very reminiscent of Pauline Lucas' soprano wailing on King Crimson's Formentera Lady. Two extended suites each roughly 30 minutes long and containing 9 parts, completely stamps this work with composing credibility, where reflective arrangements cleverly interweave in telling its stories, with no diluted moments to be heard anywhere.

"Amnesiac" kicks off with a hypnotic train ride, zipping gently through the countryside before screeching into the furious chaos of a large city, a harrowing adventure that can easily make one lose their mind! Feeling alone in the company of thousands of faceless people is expressed by the booming 'Perfect Chaos' section, a thrilling maelstrom of sound and fury. A momentary lapse of purpose is depicted on the floating and vaporous 'Flashbacks', perhaps a desperate attempt at calming a hurrying heart and an edgy mind. This part really opens up the throttle as both Carpani's synths and Farinelli's concussive assault seek to emulate some form of wake -up call, a return to a physical realm of touch and sensibility, as the grinding chain-saw electric guitar riffs slam hard, especially in the chicanes. Palpitations are brought under control, as 'Diamond in the Rough' reestablishes a proper lung full of air, decorated with a powerful melody and a convincing vocal from Alex. The luxurious symphonics enter the arrangement with neo-classical leanings, a reflection on the 'Past Life' with a crushingly gorgeous aria from Valentina Vanini, whose controlled wail is to expire for, a larger-than-life instant of serene intensity that is simply overwhelming, blending into a distant horizon of revelation, perhaps even liberation, as the 'heart calls' out for a 'returning light'. The final two sections are profoundly inspiring, infusing a calm bass groove and an uplifting saxophone, caressed by choir mellotron and Vanini's supremely well-placed howl. When Fantuzzi adds a spiraling guitar solo, there is definitely an illumination at the limit of the cerebral tunnel, as 'End of the Day' seals the crimson waxed seal on the deal. I am such a sucker for operatic voices, as Vanini adds a dimension of power and genuine emotion that verges on an epiphany of sorts. Clarity succeeds in reestablishing a firm contact with reality, a magnificent salvation of spirit and sound.

As tremendous as the first suite is, "Good & Evil" is an even loftier one, as it segues nicely into a contemplative space of 'vanishing frequencies', desperately twirling the knob to find 'the Flow', which enters the frazzled fray with a deliberate bass thump and an athletic drum attack that hits into overdrive, crashing cymbals symbolizing a new path, as the synths twists and turn in a frenzy. Alex's vaporous vocal is chilling as if singing in an oval channel, heading towards a 'post-traumatic stress disorder', perfectly expressed by Valentina's wailing and Fantuzzi riffing, Farinelli bashing, Giorgi brooding and Carpani carving with no holding back. A highlight moment of symptomatic musical nightmare. Thankfully the soothing saxophone appears on 'Stillness and Ecstasy', a balm of comfort once again elevated by Vanini's courageous defiance, if only for a brief respite. Needless to state, the continuous sonic contrasts are energetically intriguing, as the ebb and flow are beguiling with a load of detail that 'flirts with darkness', infusing trembling electronics into the mix. Farinelli really sweats up a storm, egged on by a strong bass alliance. Vibrant symphonic prog at its finest. At nearly 6 minutes, 'Mystical' is not only the longest snippet but also perhaps the spiritual apotheosis on this album, what with the mythical infusion of glorious church organ (to go with the papal announcements), a lovely wink to Rick Wakeman's first solos album as an homage. The operatic voice raises this piece to celestial heights, a serpentine vortex of impeccable notes that seek to fascinate and imagine beyond the dreary routine of everyday life. Vannini segues into a desire to leave the path, a clever return of a previous melodic line and vocal, looking for a more familiar direction. 'Masquerade' just keeps on giving, a façade of the continuing battle between good and evil, burping bass and a slithering, shimmering guitar adornment that Hackett would surely approve. Rather unsurprisingly, 'Everything falls into Place' becomes the immaculate finale where all the preceding emotions are reassembled into a compact and explosive consecration that leaves nothing to chance. The peaceful innocence of children playing, laughing and smiling, before putting this marvelous story to bed, a warm blanket, a soft pillow and a kiss on the forehead.

When the entire package is also adorned with an attractive cover and sterling production, one cannot help to immediately be slain by the incredible music within the grooves, my first audition blowing me sideways with repeated gasps, grunting with unabashed pleasure, entertained and pleased, unable to resist the immaculate charm of the proposed work." - ProgArchives

No. 20
LOS ENDOS (review)
https://los-endos.com/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Ken Golden

THE GOOD MAN
İtalyan Neo-Prog sanatçısı Alex Carpani, merakla beklenen yeni albümü The Good Man'i 6 Aralık 2024'te müzikseverlerle buluşturmaya hazırlanıyor. Carpani'nin bağımsız plak şirketi Independent Artist Records etiketiyle çıkacak albüm, Pick-Up Records aracılığıyla fiziksel formatta (20 sayfalık kitapçığa sahip digipak CD) dağıtılacak. Albüm aynı zamanda dijital platformlarda Distrokid üzerinden yayınlanacak.
The Good Man, her biri yaklaşık 28 dakikalık iki süitten oluşuyor ve her suit 9 parçaya ayrılmış durumda. Bu da albümde toplam 18 parça bulunduğunu gösteriyor. Carpani, albümün yıllar boyunca ifade ettiği tarzları sentezleyerek, rock, prog, prog-metal, senfonik rock, elektronik ve ambient türlerini bir araya getirdiğini belirtiyor. Ayrıca, albümde yer alan mezzo-soprano bir şarkıcı, müziğe zaman zaman sinematik, lirik bir karakter kazandırıyor.
Carpani, The Good Man albümünde, yaşamın okyanusunda fırtınalar ve dev dalgalar arasında yüzen, nereye varacağını bilmeyen küçük bir kağıt gemi metaforuyla "iyi adam"ın hayat yolculuğunu anlatıyor.

No. 21
PROG U.K. (review)
https://www.loudersound.com/prog
by JMB

Engrossing existential voyage from art/prog rock maestro

The follow-up to 2022's Microcosm, The Good Man finds Italian composer Alex Carpani fusing intricate arrangements and metaphysical contemplations into a captivating journey.
While Carpani insists the album "represents an uninterrupted story", it's broken into two halves-hour suites, Amnesiac and Good And Evil, each with distinctive personalities. spacey opening song Amnesiac evokes the abstract sound collages of Lunatic Soul before the singalong hooks, hypnotic guitar riffs, vibrant synths, and soothing saxophones of Perfect Chaos and Heart Calling conjure Transatlantic and Eloy. Coupled with ethereal chants and celestial detours across Past Life and End Of The Day, it's a beautifully profound and adventurous sequence.
Good And Evil is the more traditionally 'froggy' of the two halves, with the aggressive P.T.S.D. and the catchy-yet-chaotic Everything Falls Into Place offering more variety and instrumental sophistication.
Some of The Good Man could be more concise and less repetitious - particularly the prolonged Flashbacks - but it's an otherwise absorbing and meaningful listen.

No. 22
MUSICALNEWS.COM (review)
https://www.musicalnews.com/2024/12/31/the-good-man-il-nuovo-album-del-prog-rocker-alex-carpani/
by Giancarlo Passarella

Edito da Pick Up Records, viene definito dallo stesso artista come la summa dei vari campi in cui recentemente è cresciuta la sua voglia di creare: rock, prog, prog-metal, rock sinfonico, musica sinfonica, elettronica, ambient.. Ricordo quando siamo stati media partner del Verona Prog Festival 2009 ed ad Alex Carpani fu data l’oppotunità di aprire la serata con The Strawbs.
Da un punto di vista biografico, Alex Enrico Carpani è nato (da padre italiano e madre francese) a Montreux il 7 Gennaio 1970, ma da anni è residente a Bologna.
Il nuovo album è composto da 2 suite di circa 28 minuti ciascuna, divise in 9 parti, per 18 tracce in totale. Musicalmente è forse l’album della discografia di Alex Carpani che più di tutti riassume e rappresenta il suo attuale stile. La line-up del disco comprende anche una cantante mezzosoprano perché la musica ha a tratti dei caratteri lirici, quasi cinematografici. 
The Good Man è un po’ come una minuscola barchetta di carta che galleggia, cercando di non affondare nell’oceano della vita, tra tempeste e onde gigantesche, senza mai conoscere la sua destinazione finale.
Il primo singolo dell’album (Amnesiac part 2 Perfect Chaos) è stato inserito dalla rivista inglese PROG tra le 6 migliori Tracks Of The Week di Ottobre.  

No. 23
BETREUTES PROGGEN (review)
https://www.betreutesproggen.de/2024/12/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Juergen Meurer

(57:03, CD, digital, Independent Artist Record, 06.12.2024) Der italienische Musiker Alex Carpani startete seine Solokarriere 2007 mit der Veröffentlichung seines Albums „Waterline“, auf dem kein Geringerer als der frühere Le Orme Sänger Aldo Tagliapietra für die Gesangsparts zuständig ist. Hier wie auch auf folgenden Alben ist er von namhaften Gästen umgeben wie beispielsweise Ettore Salati (The Watch), Tony Spada (Holding Pattern), Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (u.a. Mangala Vallis), David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), David Cross (King Crimson), um nur einige zu nennen.
Das neue Album besteht aus den beiden Longtracks ‚Amnesiac‘ und ‚Good and Evil‘, die es beide auf Laufzeiten von über 28 Minuten bringen. Dass der Player 18 Tracks anzeigt, liegt daran, dass beide Stücke jeweils in neun Abschnitte unterteilt wurden. Schaut man sich das feine Booklet an, fällt auf, dass recht wenig Text abgedruckt ist. Der Protagonist hat also in puncto Gesang gar nicht so viel zu tun, wobei das durchaus mehr hätte sein dürfen, denn der in Englisch vorgetragene Gesang geht durchaus in Ordnung. Doch es gibt noch einen weiteren Faktor, und da ist es schade, dass dieser nicht noch häufiger ins Spiel gebracht wurde, denn die Stimme von Mezzosopranistin Valentina Vanini ist allerfeinst und wird hier gewinnbringend eingesetzt. Als ein gutes Beispiel hierfür sei ‚Past Life‘ vom ersten Song genannt, ein wunderbarer Track, bei dem sie die orchestrale Keyboard-Begleitung perfekt ergänzt. Und auch das nachfolgende flotte ‚Heart Calling‘ und das instrumentale ‚As Light Returns‘ wiederum mit der Sopranstimme und schönem Saxophon fügen sich nahtlos ein, wobei hier auch die im typisch hymnischen Neo Prog Stil gespielte E-Gitarre zu überzeugen weiß. Schließlich taucht etwas elektronische Spielerei auf und der erste Longtrack ist damit abgeschlossen.
Es folgt mit ‚Good and Evil’ der zweite neun-teilige Longtrack, der zunächst auch mit ruhigen Synthesizern und ein paar Spielereien beginnt, ein fließender Übergang also. Der Song ‚The Flow‘ fällt dann etwas temporeicher aus, ohne allerdings wirklich heavy zu sein. ‚Masquerade‘ kommt mit starker Kirchenorgel, hat kurz auch ein bisschen was von ‚Toccata‘, während ‚Everything Falls Into Place‘ wieder das Tempo anzieht und auf peppige Weise das Album beendet.
Es bleibt nach dem ersten Durchlauf gar nicht mal so viel hängen, nur das Gefühl, dass man gerade ein sehr feines Album gehört hat, das sicherlich noch einige Hördurchgänge verdient hat. Und so lernt man im Laufe der Zeit auch die vielen kleinen Details kennen. Was sollte man als Anspieltipp empfehlen? Schwierige Frage, aber zwei Songs sollte man gehört haben, nämlich ‚Amnesiac‘ und ‚Good and Evil‘. Bewertung: 11/15 Punkten

Besetzung:
Alex Carpani – lead and backing vocals / keyboards / virtual orchestra / drum machine / synth bass / virtual guitar / compositions / production / orchestrations / arrangements
Bruno Farinelli – drums Giambattista Giorgi – bass
Emiliano Fantuzzi – electric guitars
Alessio Alberghini – soprano sax
Valentina Vanini – mezzosoprano voice

[English]
(57:03, CD, digital, Independent Artist Record, 06.12.2024)
The Italian musician Alex Carpani started his solo career in 2007 with the release of his album "Waterline", on which none other than the former Le Orme singer Aldo Tagliapietra is responsible for the vocal parts. Here, as well as on the following albums, he is surrounded by well-known guests such as Ettore Salati (The Watch), Tony Spada (Holding Pattern), Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (Mangala Vallis, among others), David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), David Cross (King Crimson), to name just a few.
The new album consists of the two long tracks 'Amnesiac' and 'Good and Evil', both of which have running times of over 28 minutes. The fact that the player shows 18 tracks is due to the fact that both tracks have been divided into nine sections each. If you look at the fine booklet, you will notice that there is very little text printed. So the protagonist doesn't have that much to do in terms of singing, although that could have been more, because the singing performed in English is quite okay.
But there is another factor, and it is a pity that it has not been brought into play even more often, because the voice of mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini is very fine and is used profitably here. A good example of this is 'Past Life' from the first song, a wonderful track where she perfectly complements the orchestral keyboard accompaniment. And also the following brisk 'Heart Calling' and the instrumental 'As Light Returns' again with the soprano voice and beautiful saxophone fit in seamlessly, whereby the electric guitar played in the typical anthemic Neo Prog style also knows how to convince. Finally, some electronic gimmicks appear and the first long track is completed.
This is followed by 'Good and Evil', the second nine-part long track, which initially begins with quiet synthesizers and a few gimmicks, so it's a smooth transition. The song 'The Flow' is a bit more fast-paced, but without being really heavy. 'Masquerade' comes with a strong church organ, has a bit of 'Toccata' for a short time, while 'Everything Falls Into Place' picks up the tempo again and ends the album in an upbeat way.

After the first run, not much sticks, just the feeling that you have just listened to a very fine album, which certainly deserves a few more listens. And so you get to know the many small details over time. What should you recommend as a listening tip? Difficult question, but two songs should be heard, namely 'Amnesiac' and 'Good and Evil'.
Rating: 11/15 points

Line-up:
Besetzung:
Alex Carpani – lead and backing vocals / keyboards / virtual orchestra / drum machine / synth bass / virtual guitar / compositions / production / orchestrations / arrangements
Bruno Marinelli – drums
Giambattista Giorgi – bass
Emiliano Fantuzzi – electric guitars
Alessio Alberghini – soprano sax
Valentina Vanini – mezzosoprano voice

No. 24
TOTUM REVOLUTUM (review)
https://totumrevolutumpress.com/novetats-del-mes-de-desembre/
by David Sàez & Josep Maria Llovera

El musicòleg italià ens ofereix dues maneres d’escoltar el seu nou àlbum: O bé en dues peces de 28 minuts pels amats del prog; o bé les mateixes composicions dividides en diferents talls (val a dir que a certes plataformes estan mal titulats) per si no estem avesats a fer escoltes llargues.
Sigui com sigui, el fet és que hi ha un excel·lent treball d’un neo prog que modela el leitmotiv en ocasions, que conté els ambients atmosfèrics típics d’obres conceptuals i que utilitza els contrastos entre la contundència rockera i la delicadesa d’un saxo tenor. Tot guarnit amb una producció moderna i impecable.

No. 25
MUSIC IN BELGIUM (review)
https://musicinbelgium.net/reviews/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Philippe Thirionet

Le compositeur/producteur/chanteur/claviériste italien Alex Carpani en est aujourd’hui à son sixième album, tous produits par IAR (Independant Artist Records), avec ici près de 18 compositions réparties en deux grands épiques (plus de 28 minutes chacun). ’Amnesiac’ le premier épique de l’album, et qui se décompose en 9 chansons, brasse en fait de nombreux courants musicaux avec forcément une présence conséquente des claviers. L’on pourrait considérer les compositions de l’artiste italien comme progressive, à travers un rendu musical fluide et mélodique où effectivement, l’on décèle de beaux soli aux synthés. S’occupant de l’écriture et de la composition, Alex Carpani prend aussi un charge de nombreux instruments ainsi que le chant cependant, il est ici épaulé par cinq musiciens, pour assurer entre-autre le travail au saxophone. Car pour pouvoir assurer la conception d’une musique multiple-colorations allant du rock progressif au rock symphonique, en passant par le jazz-rock, il faut savoir s’épauler d’une équipe efficace. Sachez que les deux épiques sont disponibles sur la chaîne YouTube, de mon côté, je vais vous proposer quelques extraits, le Bancamp en fin de chronique vous permettant de tout découvrir. Le choix des extraits n’est pas ici facile, toutes les parties sont intéressantes à écouter, vu la richesse de la musique proposée !

L’on voyage littéralement à travers les courants musicaux, telle une conception transversale de la musique, allant de la pop au rock et finalement concevoir un néo-prog contemporain et accessible au grand public ! Comme le démontre cet autre extrait du second épique ’Good And Evil’ 

Sans plus attendre, je vous propose ci-dessous, le lien Bandcamp de cet excellent album progressif !
https://alexcarpani.bandcamp.com/album/the-good-man
Reconnaissons la véritable prouesse de cet artiste, à concevoir deux magnifiques épiques progressifs où, l’on traverse les courants musicaux de bien belle manière, touchant le rock symphonique ou encore le jazz-rock. Notons encore ce confort d’écoute, grâce à une musique le plus souvent fluide, et donc accessible. Un bien beau recueil !

NB : l’artiste italien s’est produit sur scène avec des pointures comme David Jackson, Theo Travis, David Cross…

Pays: IT IAR: Independant Artist Records Sortie: 2024/12/06
https://www.facebook.com/AlexCarpaniOfficialPage

4,5/5

No. 26
AREA ROCK (review)
https://www.arearock.it/2025/01/02/il-nuovo-disco-di-alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by staff

Il nuovo disco di Alex Carpani “The Good Man”

Passata l’ubriacatura delle feste di fine anno, all’inizio del nuovo eccoci finalmente riprendere il nostro consueto tran tran anche se, stavolta, dobbiamo correre per recuperare un po’ tutto il lavoro in sospeso che ci siam lasciati dietro. E così, in un mare di posta, è facile imbattersi in dischi usciti da un po’ proprio come quello di Alex Carpani di cui più di una volta ne abbiamo parlato sia qui, sul nostro sito, sia nelle nostre scorribande radiofoniche.
E così di fatto questa nuova produzione di Carpani dal titolo emblematico “The Good Man”, ci riporta come pubblicazione un po’ indietro nel tempo perché ha lo stile dei vecchi lp progressive di una volta; infatti ci troviamo qui con due suite di circa ventotto minuti ciascuna, suddivise in nove parti, per complessive diciotto tracce totali.
Il disco è la sintesi un progressive che viaggia anche sugli stili del neo progressive, del jazz rock e del rock ma che ha nella spina dorsale quel progressive rock a cui Alex ci ha da sempre abituato.
Stavolta Alex è riuscito però a regalarci un viaggio sonoro a tutto tondo dove la musica diventa l’essenza dell’espressività di un artista completo ed unico nel nostro panorama rock, un artista che cresce ad ogni pubblicazione e che con questo “The Good Man” conferma le sue grandi dote di compositore  oltre che di musicista.

No. 27
MELLOTRON WEB (review)
https://www.mellotronweb.com.ar/
by Andrés Pablo Valle

Uno de los lanzamientos más ambiciosos e impactantes del año es The Good Man, último trabajo del talentoso músico ítalo-francés Alex Carpani. A lo largo de dos extensas suites de algo más de 28 minutos cada una, llamadas "Amnesiac" y "Good and Evil", este disco conceptual ofrece pasajes de gran intensidad a la vez que hermosísimos instantes con arreglos imaginativos y variados, incorporando elementos de la música clásica y la usual instrumentación del rock progresivo. El resultado lo transforma en uno de los mejores álbumes progresivos editados en 2024.

La gacetilla de The Good Man expresa lo siguiente:
El álbum se compone de dos largas suites y representa una historia ininterrumpida, una experiencia vivida en medio de los pliegues y fragilidades de la mente humana, a través de los infinitos matices de nuestras emociones y sentimientos. Constantemente en equilibrio y a merced de nuestros límites y debilidades, nuestras vidas se alimentan de la fuerza de las pasiones y de la incesante necesidad de vivir, conocer y creer en algo. El hombre de bien no es más que un minúsculo barco de papel que flota, intentando no hundirse, en un océano sin límites, entre tormentas y olas gigantescas, sin saber nunca su destino.

Acerca de "Amnesiac", la primera parte del álbum, Carpani afirma:
La primera suite describe en 9 partes la experiencia de una amnesia profunda vivida a lo largo de un día: el despertar en un lugar desconocido, la caótica carrera para escapar del peligro, los flashbacks de acontecimientos ya ocurridos, el mundo que parece ser absorbido por un vortice de locura, la búsqueda de la propia identidad, los recuerdos de vidas pasadas y, finalmente, el retorno de la luz y la memoria y el final de un día increíble. Y sobre "Good and Evil": La segunda suite describe en 9 partes una experiencia eternamente oscilante entre el bien y el mal: ondas y frecuencias que vienen de las profundidades del tiempo y del espacio, el flujo de personas que como autómatas avanzan sin rebelarse, una experiencia postraumática que despierta sentimientos de culpa, la quietud que precede al éxtasis, el sutil encanto de la oscuridad, una vivencia mística, Una fiesta sin frenos inhibidores, todas las cosas volviendo finalmente a su lugar.

Alex Carpani es un compositor, tecladista, cantante, productor, musicólogo y director artístico nacido en Montreux, Suiza, que vive y trabaja en Bolonia. Su discografía cuenta con varios álbumes lanzados desde 2007, con el trabajo Waterline, pasando por The Sanctuary (2010), 4 Destinies (2014), So Close, So Far (2016), L'orizzonte Degli Eventi (2020), Microcosm (2022) y el mencionado The Good Man. Por otra parte, es miembro de la banda Aerostation, con quienes editó el álbum debut homónimo en 2018, abriendo para PFM en varias ocasiones. El nuevo disco de la banda saldrá en 2025.

Foto: Giorgio Luppi

No. 28
SAITEN KULT (review)
https://www.saitenkult.de/2025/01/10/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Michael Haifl

Alex Carpani has been releasing his works for 17 years and with his first two studio albums ́Waterline ́ (2007) and ́The Sanctuary ́ (2010) immediately the first highlights.

Since then, he has not only often gathered his band around him, but has also been able to inspire some famous musicians for his projects. The multi-instrumentalist is currently supported by guitarist Emiliano Fantuzzi, bassist Giambattista Giorgi, drummer Bruno Farinelli, saxophonist Alessio Alberghinis and mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini. On his seventh studio album, Alex Carpani also takes over the vocals.
The Good Man ́ (2024) tells an uninterrupted story across two suites, about the human experience, our emotions and feelings, our strengths and weaknesses.
The first suite ́Amnesiac ́ describes the experiences of deep amnesia for almost half an hour, including the search for the past and one's own identity. The second suite ́Good And Evil ́ again describes the experiences between good and evil for almost half an hour, without breaking out of the familiar system or society.
In ́Amnesiac ́, the protagonist rushes through the big city without knowing a person. With a racing heart, he wanders through the city, waiting for a wake-up call that will bring him back to his old reality. ́Good And Evil ́ is even more terrifying, between nightmare, heavenly redemption, resistance, innocence and screaming.

From a purely musical point of view, no one has to look expectantly to GENESIS or ELP in this first-class production, the Italian-French musician Alex Carpani is naturally much closer to the symphonic Italo Prog and the unaffected Neo Prog. The present conceptual brilliance and the perfect musicality speak a clear language anyway.

(8.5 points) 

No. 29
PROGARCHIVES (review)
https://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=3128117
by Stoneburner (Renzo Gellona)

***** The Good Carpani

Few artists in the progressive rock realm consistently balance technical with emotional depth, but Alex Carpani has once again proven himself capable of delivering on both fronts with The Good Man.
This 2024 release not only cements his legacy but also serves as a significant artistic statement, exploring themes of morality, identity, and the complexities of human nature. The band is in top form throughout the album.
The interplay between guitars, keyboards, and rhythm section is seamless, creating lush, dynamic soundscapes. Fans of classic prog influences like Genesis or Camel will find plenty to admire, yet The Good Man never feels derivative. Instead, it builds on these inspirations to craft something distinctly Carpani's own.
The production on The Good Man is stellar, with a crystal-clear mix that highlights every instrument. The layered arrangements are rich yet never overwhelming, giving listeners space to appreciate the nuances.
The album's emotional weight is enhanced by its atmospheric textures, drawing the listener deeper into its introspective world.
With The Good Man, Alex Carpani has delivered one of the standout progressive rock releases of 2024. Its combination of conceptual depth, masterful musicianship, and heartfelt emotion makes it an essential listen for both long-time fans and newcomers to his work. This is a record that rewards repeated listens, offering new insights and layers of meaning with each spin.
In a year of really mediocre releases this record really shines like a light in the dark. It seems the ears of the reviewers are joined by the mediocrity and self satisfaction. But not this time?

No. 30
MUSICBOARD (review)
https://musicboard.app/album/the-good-man/alex-carpani/reviews?order_by=helpful
by Tim

Awesome prog album to help end the year of 2024

Until now, I'd never heard of Alex Carpani, but after discovering this album, I can't wait to get more familiar with his music. This is a great concept album featuring two 30-minute tracks, each divided into nine segments. You'll notice a wide range of influences throughout-there are jazzy moments, mellotron passages, heavier sections, and some really cool modern synth sounds. This album even made it into ProgArchives' top 100 for 2024 releases. If you're a fan of prog, this is definitely worth checking out.

4/5 stars

No. 31
ROCK IMPRESSIONS (review)
http://www.rock-impressions.com/carpani5.htm
by Giancarlo Bolther

Abbiamo già incontrato Carpani, un artista dalla forte personalità, che nel contesto musicale attuale riesce ancora a fare ricerca muovendosi in un contesto rock che possiamo definire “tradizionale” nel senso di musica suonata da veri musicisti, oggi si ha l’illusione di poter fare musica anche senza possedere reali doti, ci sono diavolerie elettroniche, AI e altro che possono sistemare, aggiustare, perfino creare. Mentre il mondo sembra spingere con urgenza verso il metaverso, basta pensare al fatto che ci sono persone che investono in bitcoin, soldi virtuali, cioè sul nulla, ma un nulla che genera nuovi ricchi, ci sono artisti che credono ancora nella musica suonata su veri strumenti, composta con fatica e dedizione, sperimentando suoni e usando la tecnologia come alleato e non facendosi dominare da essa.

Forse sono concetti troppo alti per questa recensione, ma l’impressione che ho ascoltando il lavoro di Alex è questo, c’è ancora qualcuno che fa musica che possiamo definire “umana”. The Good Man mi evoca questi pensieri, è un album davvero ricco, costituito da due suites, entrambe divise in nove parti, Amnesiac e Good And Evil due composizioni complesse e ricche di atmosfere diverse, siamo nell’ambito di un prog post moderno di alto spessore, non tanto per la proposta di soluzioni tecniche intricate, ma per la costruzione di strutture musicali che sembrano scatole cinesi, come un labirinto musicale pieno di porte e ad ogni nuova “stanza” una scoperta. Mi ha colto un po’ di sorpresa l’inserzione di una delle frasi più celebri di Woytila, uno dei papi più amati e al tempo stesso più controversi dell’ultimo secolo. Sicuramente il concept sottostante merita di essere approfondito, ma anche volendo soffermarsi solo sugli aspetti musicali la carne al fuoco è davvero molta.

Un plauso va anche all’artwork che impreziosisce il disco. Tanta ricchezza è offerta raramente e noi la possiamo trovare racchiusa in questo splendido album. Un disco che si ascolta e riascolta con gran piacere.
GB

No. 32
VIA NOCTURNA (review)
https://vianocturna2000.blogspot.com/2025/01/review-good-man-alex-carpani.html
by Pedro Carvalho

Alex Carpani, mestre contemporâneo do rock progressivo, brinda-nos com The Good Man, uma obra que se desdobra em duas suítes majestosas: Amnesiac e Good And Evil. Cada uma, com cerca de 28 minutos, conduz o ouvinte por uma viagem introspetiva através das complexidades da mente humana e das eternas batalhas entre luz e sombra. Em Amnesiac a música evolui de forma cinematográfica, com passagens orquestrais que evocam a confusão e a eventual iluminação do protagonista. Já em Good And Evil, Carpani explora a dualidade moral, equilibrando delicadamente elementos de serenidade e tumulto. A mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini oferece uma performance arrebatadora, especialmente em momentos de vocalizos que elevam as peças a patamares sublimes. O saxofone soprano de Alessio Alberghini assume um papel de destaque, tecendo melodias que ora confortam, ora inquietam, reforçando a atmosfera onírica da suíte. A faixa Mystical, por exemplo, destaca-se não só pela sua extensão, mas também pela profundidade espiritual que transmite. Aqui, diálogos pontuais em italiano adicionam uma camada de misticismo, enquanto o órgão de igreja e os arranjos corais remetem para uma experiência quase litúrgica, e onde a presença contínua do saxofone contribui para enriquecer a textura sonora. Alex Carpani demonstra, mais uma vez, ser um visionário do género, capaz de conjugar complexidade musical com uma narrativa emocional profunda. Por isso, The Good Man é uma obra-prima que exige uma escuta atenta e repetida, revelando novas camadas a cada audição. [94%]
 
Highlights
Perfect Chaos, The Edge Of My Mind, Past Life, As Light Returns, The Flow, Stillness And Ecstasy, Flirting With Darkness, Mystical, Leaving The Path
 
Tracklist
Amnesiac
1. On A Train
2. Perfect Chaos
3. Flashbacks
4. The Edge Of My Mind
5. Diamond In The Rough
6. Past Life
7. Heart Calling
8. As Light Returns
9. End Of The Day
 
Good and Evil
1. Lost Frequencies
2. The Flow
3. P.T.S.D.
4. Stillness And Ecstasy
5. Flirting With Darkness
6. Mystical
7. Leaving The Path
8. Masquerade
9. Everything Falls Into Place
 
Line-up
Alex Carpani – vocais, teclados, drum machine, baixo sintetizado, guitarras virtuais
Bruno Farinelli – bateria
Giambattista Giorgi – baixo
Emiliano Fantuzzi – guitarras
 
Convidados
Alessio Alberghini – sax soprano
Valentina Vanini - mezzosoprano
 
Internet
Bandcamp   
Website   
Facebook   
Youtube   
 
Edição
Independent Artist Records

No. 33
PROG ITALIA (interview)
https://sprea.it/abbonamenti/1718-prog
by Antonio Di Sarno

L'ARTE SENZA CONFINI

Un viaggio nell'universo creativo di Alex Carpani, che esplora musica, teatro e arte visiva senza barriere stilistiche. Tra progetti solisti, collaborazioni e sperimentazioni, emerge la ricerca costante di autenticità
e connessione emotiva con il pubblico. THE GOOD MAN è il suo nuovo album.
Compositore, musicista e sperimentatore, Alex Carpani ci guida attraverso la sua carriera, dai progetti più personali alle collaborazioni internazionali. Un dialogo che svela l'intensità della creazione artistica, la passione per la musica e l'importanza di fondere linguaggi espressivi diversi.

I tuoi primi album erano più strumentali e mettevano in evidenza le tue doti di tastierista. Cosa ti ha convinto a pensare anche per testi e canzoni? Da cosa nasce il tuo amore per le tastiere e chi sono, se ci sono, i tuoi eroi in tal senso?

È vero. I primi tre album (WATERLINE, 2007 - THE SANCTUARY, 2010 - 4 DESTINIES, 2014) avevano una netta predominanza della musica sul cantato e, in generale, uno stile piuttosto virtuosistico e tecnico. Dal quarto album (SO CLOSE. SO FAR, 2016) ho cambiato profondamente l'approccio perché ho sentito l'esigenza di cambiare stile e di modernizzare tutto: il sound, la produzione musicale, le strutture musicali (più vicine alla forma canzone), le melodie vocali più orecchiabili, riconoscibili e diffuse. Mi sono lasciato alle spalle quella patina vintage anni Settanta che non ho mai rinnegato, ma che non rappresentava più l'attualità per me. Avevo bisogno, insomma, di cambiare vestito. E l'ho fatto. Il mio amore per le tastiere nasce durante l'infanzia: l'incontro con Keith Emerson, quando avevo sette | etichetta a posteriori, una volta che il anni, la musica di allora che ascoltava mio fratello maggiore (ELP, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes ecc.) e che mi entra va in testa, anche se non ne ero ancora consapevole; poi l'incontro con l'organo elettronico, quando mia mamma iniziò a prendere lezioni e io mi avvicinai un po' per caso e un po' per gio- co allo strumento. Da quel momento non ho più smesso... tastiere sempre, tastiere da tutte le parti.

Fai parte di un genere che si autodefinisce progressivo. Chi sono i musicisti oggi che ritieni all'altezza dei gloriosi maestri degli anni Settanta?

Il rock degli anni Settanta, che allora si chiamava semplicemente "pop", è diventato successivamente "rock progressivo" perché gli è stata data questa genere era ormai storicizzato, dopo essere stato spazzato via dall'ondata del punk e della new wave tra la fine degli anni Settanta e l'inizio degli anni Ottanta. Questo fa capire quanta ac- qua sia passata sotto i ponti musical- mente, quanto sia difficile fare delle comparazioni tra la musica di allora e quella di oggi che, in qualche modo, vorremmo accostare a quella stagione. Credo che sia un'operazione inutile perché, se un artista di oggi asso- miglia troppo a quelli di allora, non sarà che un clone o comunque un artista derivativo. Se parliamo di talento e bravura, invece, c'erano dei musicisti strepitosi allora e ce ne sono altrettanti adesso, di questo sono convinto. La differenza è che oggi non ce ne accorgiamo perché questo tipo di musicista preparato, talentuoso, rigoroso, eclettico, fantasioso, di grande spessore, insomma non lo troviamo nel mainstream, quindi se ne accorgono solo gli ascoltatori più attenti e preparati che seguono i generi meno commerciali, mentre all'epoca il mainstream era questo. Gli Yes riempivano gli stadi in America, gli ELP li riempivano qui in Italia.

Come nasce il nuovo album?

THE GOOD MAN nasce dal desiderio di fare un disco senza pormi nessun limite di stili, generi e durata dei brani; anzi, i brani non ci sono proprio, perché sono due suite di 28 minuti l'una, divise in parti, ma senza soluzione di continuità. Musicalmente l'album contiene veramente ogni colore della mia tavolozza espressiva, di ciò che ho espresso in tutti questi anni: c'è il prog, la musica sinfonica, l'hard rock, il rock sinfonico, l'ambient e la musica elettronica, oltre a quella che gli anglosassoni chiamano la "cinematic music". È una narrazione musicale che traccia un arco molto ampio, quasi un'opera rock. Tocca molte corde emozionali e in certi momenti è addirittura lirico, e in questo senso la presenza di una cantante mezzosoprano nella line-up non è casuale. È un album che, devo ammettere, non mi stanco di riascoltare perché esprime me stesso, mi rappresenta, mi appaga. È diverso dai precedenti... è arrivato dopo tutti gli altri e non poteva che essere così, una sorta di punto d'arrivo. Ha richiesto molto lavoro, soprattutto per la produzione, che ho curato personalmente, come ormai faccio dal 2016. lo scrivo le parti di tutti gli strumenti nei miei dischi, anche della batteria quindi c'è un lavoro molto impegnativo che riguarda la traduzione di quelle parti in ciò che sarà poi il risultato finale, per ogni strumento. Devo dire, però, che avendo avuto la fortuna di lavorare con musicisti eccezionali, le cose sono andate bene e il risultato finale è proprio quello che mi aspettavo. Anche la grafica THE GOOD MAN è importante e, infatti, mi sono affidato all’amico-collega-socio Gigi Cavalli cocchi, che ha creato un altro mondo, questa volta a livello visivo, che si è sposato benissimo con l’estetica e il mood musicale generale.

Due suite di quasi mezz'ora ciascuna. La prima affronta la ricerca della propria identità attraverso ricordi, veri o presunti che essi siano. In che modo sei stato ispirato dagli eventi della tua vita e quanto di questo percorso è opera di fantasia?

È tutto immaginario. Potrebbe capitare realmente a chiunque ma, per fortuna, non è capitato a me. Non dev'essere piacevole svegliarsi in un posto e non sapere dove ci si trova, come si è finiti e soprattutto doversi domandare: "Chi sono io? Come mi chiamo?". THE GOOD MAN, il buon uomo o l'uomo qualunque, se vuoi, il poveraccio, insomma, che cerca di barcamenarsi tra le mille difficoltà e peripezie della vita, senza mai sapere se ce la farà o no, è un po' la sintesi metaforica della vita di molti di noi, che viviamo in questa epoca, in questi tempi molto difficili. Siamo tutti barchette fragili in balia delle onde che non riescono a controllare la rotta e a vedere cosa ci aspetta dopo l'orizzonte.

Nel testo sembri anche intendere che l'uomo buono è tale per natura, che tale bontà, però, è merce rara (Diamonds In The Rough).
Pessimista?

Sì, in Diamonds In The Rough mi riferisco proprio a quelle persone che sono dei diamanti grezzi, appunto, merce rara, non perché siano eccezionali o dotate di chissà quali abilità o poteri, ma per la loro purezza, la loro innocenza che le rende creature fragili, ma bellissime. Sono un po’ come delle coppe di cristallo, che possono brillare e scintillare, racchiudendo in sé qualcosa di speciale e allo stesso tempo possono infrangersi in mille pezzi se qualcosa le urta. Diciamo che più che pessimismo è rassegnazione. La purezza, la gentilezza e l'innocenza sono statisticamente un'eccezione oggi.

L'eterna lotta tra bene e male è il tema della seconda suite. In cosa consiste per te?

Non mi aspettavo di toccare la filosofia in un'intervista che riguarda l'uscita di un album, ma ti ringrazio per avermela fatta perché, invece, c'entra eccome con l'album. Il male credo che possa esistere in maniera assoluta o relativa. Mi spiego meglio: chi nella propria vita ha sempre fatto del male senza avere una coscienza e senza provare pietà e rispetto per la vita e la sensibilità altrui, sicuramente ha in sé un male assoluto. Chi invece è continuamente tentato dal male e deve scegliere tra il male e il bene, tra una cosa che potrebbe portare a lui vantaggi e ad altri sofferenze, tra il sacrificio e il duro lavoro per ottenere qualcosa e una scorciatoia molto più comoda che, però, infrangerebbe tante regole e principi etici e morali; beh, quel tipo di persona che, per fortuna, è la maggioranza delle persone, è insidiato da un male relativo, da un male che lo mette alla prova ogni volta. Da qui Good And Evil, appunto, la scelta tra il Bene e il Male, a cui non ho voluto dare alcuna connotazione religiosa, concentrandomi invece sulla nostra coscienza, che forse è il vero ago della bilancia che ci fa pendere verso il male o verso il bene.

In realtà, la seconda suite sembra anche una storia d'amore, soprattutto quando nella parte cinque "trovi il tuo amore, guidato dalle stelle".

Sì, la storia umana è fatta soprattutto di passioni, e l'amore, il sentimento più potente e misterioso, non poteva mancare. Dopo tutto, il nostro pover'uomo avrà pure il diritto di innamorarsi dopo tutte quelle peripezie. E per amare occorre essere vivi, coscienti e consapevoli, facendo scelte (anche qui) e rischiando, quindi il fatto che il protagonista incontri l'amore e lo difenda significa che è vivo, che ce l'ha fatta, che il destino non gli ha compromesso l'esistenza.

Dalla biografia vedo che hai in cantiere un altro disco a nome Aerostation. Da cosa nasce questa voglia di lavorare all'interno di un gruppo e in che modo il tuo approccio cambia rispetto ai dischi solisti? Ho l'impressione che i tuoi dischi siano, comunque, dei lavori di gruppo, o no?

Aerostation è un progetto di gruppo, sì, anche se ristretto, perché siamo io e Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, con un musicista aggiunto al basso (Jacopo Rossi). La dinamica collettiva ti aiuta a pensare e lavorare da un'altra prospettiva: non sei più soltanto tu a decidere cosa fare e come, ma c'è una fusione di idee, di iniziative, di azioni, e questo aspetto a me mancava perché non ho mai militato in un gruppo. Fin da ragazzo ho scritto musica, la mia musica, perché sono un compositore, quindi un artista solitario, da un certo punto di vista. Nei miei dischi solisti il lavoro è di gruppo, nel senso che è la somma dell'opera di tutti, naturalmente, ma partendo da un copione scritto da me e da una regia che curo dall'inizio alla fine. Come dicevo prima, scrivo tutte le parti musicali, non mi limito ad abbozzare i pezzi, per poi finalizzarli in sala prove o direttamente in studio con altri musicisti. Qui si ritorna alla definizione di compositore: scrivo la musica che, poi, sarà eseguita anche da altri musicisti.

Sempre nelle tue note biografiche, vedo che hai curato alcune rappresentazioni teatrali. Questi lavori hanno una componente musicale e hai mai pensato di ricavarne un disco?

In realtà ho scritto negli anni due copioni che, però, non sono stati ancora messi in scena. Piuttosto, mi occupo di teatro da vent'anni, perché sono il direttore artistico di uno vicino a Bologna, dove ogni anno programmiamo la stagione con artisti e spettacoli di livello nazionale. Ecco, questo ha a che fare con la mia musica in un certo senso, non per le musiche di scena, di cui non mi occupo, ma perché il teatro è un grande stimolo per me è una forma d'arte, specialmente oggi, dove si mescolano linguaggi espressivi anche molto diversi tra loro, come la recitazione, la musica, le luci, le scenografie, le videoproiezioni. Tutto questo mi dà spunti, idee, mi fa riflettere.

Per te esiste un'arte migliore delle altre? Cioè, pensi che la musica sia equiparabile alla poesia o alle arti figurative, scultoree, ecc.? Ho visto che nella tua sterminata produzione DIY (Do It Yourself) hai realizzato numerose opere collaborando o facendoti ispirare da poeti e scrittori contemporanei.

Non c'è una gerarchia nelle arti. Una volta, forse, era così, e c'erano arti considerate maggiori e altre considerate minori. Nel Novecento e ancora di più nel nuovo millennio, le arti e i linguaggi si sono mescolati e sono sempre più in sinergia, per non dire in osmosi. Sono nate anche nuove forme d'arte che prima non esistevano (pensiamo, per esempio, a quelle digitali). Il bello del nostro tempo è, appunto, che la globalizzazione delle nostre vite, delle nostre connessioni, delle nostre distanze, del nostro modo di fruire i contenuti e di produrli anche, ha reso tutto multiforme, multimediale, multisensoriale, multidimensionale. Il "multi"... insomma, lo troviamo un po' dappertutto. In passato ho sperimentato l'interconnessione tra la musica e la poesia in modo, credo, inusuale, perché non accompagnavo con la musica la poesia, né utilizzavo i versi delle poesie per fare delle canzoni, ma musica e parola (la voce del poe ta che leggeva i propri versi) andavano di pari passo, in parallelo. La musica veniva scritta, anche ritmicamente e armonicamente, partendo dalla musicalità del suono della voce e dalla fonetica delle parole; il tutto, insomma, diventava un flusso narrativo-musicale che faceva quasi pensare alla colonna sonora di un film inesistente. Ho realizzato due trilogie: tre album in cui ho lavorato sui versi e sulla voce di Edoardo Sanguineti (1930-2010, uno dei maggiori poeti e intellettuali italiani del XX secolo) e tre album in cui ho affrontato i versi del poeta bolognese Filippo Finardi (1928-2012, poeta e scrittore, spesso associato alla scena letteraria bolognese. È noto per lo stile evocativo e la capacità di combinare elementi di narrazione e riflessione, con un'attenzione particolare alla lingua e alla sua musicalità). Due belle esperienze, devo dire, che forse un giorno riprenderò, anche perché niente di tutto ciò è stato mai pubblicato ufficialmente.

Ti ho visto dal vivo in una sola occasione (5 maggio 2012 alla Casa di Alex di Milano). Cosa significa per te l'esperienza live e quale ritieni sia stato il tuo concerto più bello a livello personale?

Il concerto è un momento fondamentale in cui l'artista entra in contatto visivo e fisico con il pubblico e viceversa. È la materializzazione dell'opera d'arte: artista e spettatore vivono contemporaneamente e insieme, senza più mediazione, la stessa esperienza. Per un musicista, è importante confrontarsi con tutto questo e passare alla fase successiva della propria opera: quella dinamica, imperfetta, mai uguale, dell'esibizione live. Il live non sarà mai uguale al disco, e in questo risiede il suo valore aggiunto, nel bene e nel male. Ricordo con particolare emozione il concerto che feci con la mia band a
San Paolo (Brasile), insieme a David Jackson. A parte tutti gli aneddoti, il contesto e una serie di esperienze che per essere raccontate richiederebbero ore, il concerto in sé fu un'esperienza quasi trascendentale: dal palco gigantesco al pubblico (circa 10.000 persone), alla potenza del suono, fino al successo che abbiamo raccolto. Le persone mi hanno scritto per settimane dopo l'evento. Non so se sia stato il mio concerto migliore a livello musicale, ma di sicuro in quel momento eravamo una macchina perfetta, con un affiatamento incredibile. Credo che questo conti più di tutto.

Se tu potessi scegliere uno solo dei tuoi dischi per farti conoscere, su quale punteresti il dito?

So bene che noi artisti vediamo spesso l'ultima creazione come la migliore, come il figlio prediletto, ma devo essere sincero: THE GOOD MAN senza ombra di dubbio il lavoro che più mi rappresenta, come dicevo all'inizio dell'intervista. Quindi, per farmi conoscere, sceglierei questo.

Parlaci del progetto Borg Symphony realizzata insieme a Paul Whitehead.

Accidenti, cosa sei andato a tirare fuori... Un progetto assurdo, ma importante per me. Diciamo che non ci ho capito molto. Dan Shapiro, produttore di Los Angeles, che pubblicò per la Cypher Arts Records il mio primo album, mi chiese di scrivere della musica per questo progetto, una sorta di collettivo musicale multidisciplinare che narrava le avventure di un cyborg che, in realtà, era Paul Whitehead nascosto dietro una maschera da lui costruita, con luci, parrucche e altri elementi scenici. Scrissi alcune cose elettroniche in poche ore e gliele mandai, pensando che servissero più che altro come colonna sonora di fondo per una performance sperimentale. Invece, poche settimane dopo mi ritrovai l'album pubblicato con la mia musica, senza che ne fossi minimamente consapevole. Non dico che mi abbiano ingannato, anzi, mi ha fatto piacere alla fine. Dico solo che forse loro avevano ben chiaro il percorso che il progetto doveva seguire, mentre io non ne sapevo praticamente nulla. È il bello della musica e delle persone che si incontrano lungo il cammino.

No. 34
THE PROGRESSIVE SUBWAY (review)
https://theprogressivesubway.com/2025/01/18/review-alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Francesco

Style: Progressive rock, symphonic rock (clean vocals) Recommended for fans of: Porcupine Tree, new Opeth, Pink Floyd, Yes Country: Italy Release date: 06 December 2024

There are some albums that loudly demand your attention, and others that quietly, politely ask for it. This one does both, but not always in equal measure. What I’ve got here is an Italian prog rock release of epic proportions: The Good Man by Alex Carpani is just two nearly-thirty-minute tracks (also conveniently split by the artist into nine parts each) that span multiple styles and moods from ambient synth and fusion to the more conventional (is that the right word for it?) riffing found across the prog spectrum. Carpani’s influences reverberate throughout this record with enough clarity to evoke certain familiarity and he manages to keep the sound fresh without ever sounding derivative to the point of unoriginality but sometimes can stumble with keeping the listener engaged with its frequently shifting tone and pace. 
There’s a lot to take in on this release. The shifting moods interplay with the changing soundscapes, from heavy to soft, slow to fast, to create a dynamic that gives the album some movement. The Good Man is an album that doesn’t hide behind flashy technical wizardry, but competent musicianship doesn’t necessitate boastful showmanship, as Alex skilfully balances interesting and intricate riffing with emotional weight in the songwriting. Although the album is two singular tracks, there’s a lot of variation within the individual pieces—the two pieces ebb and flow with grace, like the scenes of a movie, often recalling elements that came before and reworking them into something that fits the later narrative. 

On “Amnesiac”, psychedelic Pink Floyd-esque moments of quiet introspection and experimentation are introduced, where background elements take precedence, and atmospheric keyboard work is complemented with a soprano operatic background vocal while the guitar takes a backseat to sentimental string pads. This is contrasted with loud, exuberant heavy guitar sections à la Haken, verses which come in later on “Heart Calling” (“part 7”). Trading emphasis between steady, double-kick triplets, and off-beat, syncopated staccato riffing over soaring keyboard leads, these kinds of feel changes add a sense of dynamism and help give a long track a feeling of momentum.

On “Good and Evil”, the pace slows down a bit. It’s a little more reserved, with fleeting moments of effervescence – the occasional energetic Steven Wilson-ey, new-Opeth-ish heavy part coming in after long periods of contemplative mulling about. I liked this contrast on “Amnesiac”; I was less fond of it a second time around. It felt more like a continuation of the first track that did little to move the album along than a wholly separate one. The various movements for the most part all kind of lull you into a trance; first slow, then upbeat, then slow again. Although it makes for a very cohesive, very consistent listen, there just wasn’t enough to differentiate from the first 28 minutes to really grab a hold of me. However, there were some interesting moments like “Flirting With Darkness”: an enthusiastic rock break that provides a bit of renewed energy after the aptly named “Stillness and Ecstasy” (emphasis mine) – and “Mystical”, where after a string-backed word from the late Pope John Paul II, we spontaneously break into fugue. As a pipe organ toccata channels Bach, the percussion section thunders in with bass accompaniment, breaking into what could almost be considered neoclassical prog, and delineating this as what I felt was the highlight of the album. The song has several more transitions between slow and fast, deciding on a more upbeat rock sound on the final track “Everything Falls Into Place” with heavily effected reverberant guitar melodies and saxophone, before sliding into more abstract ambient territory for the album finale.

Alex Carpani has been around the block some, he certainly doesn’t need my validation here; I have the utmost respect for what he tried to do with this project and to say I didn’t enjoy it would be unfair as there are certainly moments I keep going back to, and parts of these two tracks that have made my regular rotation. Ultimately, though, The Good Man as a whole failed to resonate with me in a manner that I felt significant. I commend the work of his band and in particular, mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini, whose contributions to this album cannot be overstated. A rather pensive release, with moments of bombast peppered throughout, Alex Carpani has crafted the thinking man’s prog rock album, but its unhurried nature might test the patience of those looking for more urgency and a swifter pace.

Recommended tracks: “Amnesiac Part 2 Perfect Chaos”, “Amnesiac Part 9 End Of The Day”, “Good and Evil Part 5 Flirting With Darkness”, “Good and Evil Part 9 Everything Falls Apart”
You may also like: Wounded Knee, Osanna, Karmamoi
Final verdict: 7/10

No. 35
ECLIPSED (review)
https://www.eclipsed.de/de
by Joe Asmodo

8 points

Related: King Crimson; Steven Wilson; Le Orme

Alex Carpani is no stranger to the prog scene. The award-winning Italian composer, music teacher and multi-instrumentalist released his first solo album "Waterline" in 2007, on which none other than Le Orme frontman Aldo Tagliapietra took part. Collaborations with David Cross (King Crimson) and David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator) followed, among others. Last year, Carpani was one of the headliners at the Reichenbach Artrock Festival.

"The Good Man", his seventh studio work, consists of two suites, each around 28 minutes long and each containing nine sub-chapters. Explaining the topics dealt with in detail would go beyond the scope of this text. So I will just say this: Psychologists and philosophers are particularly addressed here. Since the lyrics are already short, we will only discuss the music below: All in all, Carpani once again offers varied and accessible symphonic prog, to which he occasionally mixes a few drops of hard rock or a pinch of metal. Jazzy passages, electronic atmospheres, spherical moments for dazzling mental cinema and the occasional wordless vocal contributions from mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini ("Past Life", "As Light Returns") lighten the whole thing up wonderfully. The guitar parts by Emiliano Fantuzzi and the saxophone by Alessio Alberghini also make you sit up and take notice. You can tell how fine the compositional art is by the fact that the two epic sound journeys are over as soon as they have begun. You are well entertained, and without any individual parts standing out, you get the unmistakable feeling that there is still a lot to discover here. That's how it should be!

Top track: Past Life

* * * Joe Asmodo

Comments on the record:

“You spontaneously place this album somewhere between Porcupine Tree and small tape. The arrangements are always tasteful, the production has real depth. Even the pieces with wordless vocals fit in well.” MaB

“Atmospheric like a midnight film soundtrack, but also always really on point. The 'Play me the song of death'-like siren song is overused, but stands for many magical passages.” WS

No. 36
TEMPI DURI (review)
https://tempiduri.eu/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Roberto Sky Latini

Alex Carpani è un artista in senso completo, la sua ampia visione musicale ne fa un compositore che non si affida semplicemente al fatto tecnico guardando invece anche all’anima vitale delle atmosfere create, e quindi un musicista che esige da se stesso una impostazione espressiva atta a significare qualcosa di significativo emozionalmente, che siano descrizioni paesaggistiche od onde di suggestione espressionista. Lo si evince dalle diverse forme evidenziate attraverso le varie pubblicazioni precedenti a questa, mai copia l’una dell’altra, ma oggi in maggior forma esplicita ciò avviene in un lavoro che sintetizza bene la sua florida creatività. E in questa alternanza di contenuti il mezzo tecnico non è comunque in secondo piano, essendo esso ormai un fattore sapientemente gestito da Carpani. Non si tratta di evoluzioni virtuose quanto di escrescenze continuamente funzionali fra loro, in grado di seguire un percorso fluido e marcatamente di carattere, con un uso della strumentazione sempre in grado di sottolineare appieno ogni passaggio ed ogni feeling. Il significato lirico pone due tematiche, deducibili anche dai titoli, una riferita ad un ipotetico momento amnesico, ed una che fa riferimenti al bene ed al male.

Abbiamo molti lati diversi che si rifanno a realtà del passato, forse a volte inconsciamente vista la naturalezza di come essi vengono presentati e amalgamati nel contesto. Qui va detto che tale apparente spontaneità potrebbe essere considerata una alta capacità artistica dell’autore di apparire tale, visto che invece Carpani è ben lontano dall’essere un uomo istintivo data la grande conoscenza e sapienza che emerge dalla sua carriera. Per cui si è più propensi a crederlo consapevole delle ispirazioni che possiede. Tra le due stupende suite scritte (circa 28 minuti l’una) si possono azzardare vicinanze ad Emerson, Lake and Palmer; alle colonne sonore di Morricone; alle evanescenze elettroniche di gruppi più moderni; ai sinfonismi stile Yes e alla della musica classica. In realtà è riduttivo nominare solo queste caratteristiche, di certo vi è una ricchezza polivalente. Le sezioni sono incastrate tra loro e passano da un carattere all’altro senza soluzione di continuità, perfettamente allacciate.

Non bisogna farsi ingannare dai sottotitoli dei brani, è impossibile staccare le tracce una dall’altra anche se in alcuni passaggi si vede come finisca nettamente una traccia per passare alla successiva, ma nell’ambito ideativo della fruizione la separazione perde consistenza, perde senso. Abbiamo momenti algidi e tonicità più rock, soavità soffuse ed interlocuzioni accentate. E le parti solo strumentali divengono accentratrici di attenzione tanto quanto le parti cantate, anzi, talvolta le parti senza voce si fanno più interessanti delle altre, ma è difficile trovare un meglio ed un peggio perché è tutto così equilibrato, e al tempo stesso pregnante, da entrare in maniera diretta in chi si ponga all’ascolto.In effetti questa è un’opera che avvolge, ammalia, che riempie ogni spazio sonoro dell’ascoltatore. Non è musica che si cavalca o che semplicemente ti inonda, va più in profondità, penetrando e non lasciando margini di libertà a chi fruisce, anzi pare essa esprimere ciò che l’ascoltatore già possiede in sé, se solo quest’ultimo lasci possibile la sintonizzazione di sé alla musica. Quello che Alex ha scritto funziona come uno spirito che già conosca gli spiriti altrui e sappia condurli ad una spiritualità unica ed universale.

La grammatica di questo linguaggio sonoro è già stato codificato dal panorama musicale storico, ma la sintassi è giocata con abile personalità fondendosi con la personalità del “prossimo”, non in senso commerciale quanto riuscendo ad entrare nella lunghezza d’onda dell’umanità tutta. La comunicabilità si fonda con la bellezza in un unicum funzionante, e la raffinatezza non elimina la forza di un tale tessuto avviluppante, tra pulsioni elettriche e sfaccettature oniriche.Carpani in passato ha già vibrato con il prog tradizionale, poi alcune opere dell’autore hanno voluto essere meno progressive nell’estetica, considerando comunque il prog classico, anni settanta-ottanta, un elemento da cui non prescindere del tutto; ma è proprio la sua mentalità ad essere prog, nel senso più aperto che questo approccio può avere. ‘The Good Man’ è sicuramente un album del tutto interno al genere, ma la luce è così vissuta di chiaro-scuri da non farne mai qualcosa di statico e derivativo. I gusti possono decidere se questo sia il miglior suo full-lenght oppure no, in ogni caso parliamo di un album senza difetti, perfetto nel suo esistere, in grado di essere totalizzante. Impossibile poterne aggiungere o togliere qualcosa; ma del resto questo è un risultato che egli raggiunge spesso, in quanto la sua impostazione, che emerge di solito anche nelle interviste, è quella di voler soppesare, riuscendoci, ogni elemento della composizione.

Nonostante il maestoso valore dell’opera, non si tratta di un disco difficile, ma di un disco denso, che racchiude in sé l’essenza dell’essere umano, e per questo è sostanza musicale vitale e facilmente comprensibile, è insomma compartecipativo. E’ uno di quei momenti che può far nascere una sintonia emotiva tra autore e fruitore.
Roberto Sky Latini

No. 37
ROCK HARD ITALY (review)
https://www.rockharditaly.com/
by the staff

ALEX CARPANI - THE GOOD MAN
8

Compositore, produttore, cantante e polistrumentista, Alex Carpani vive da sempre la propria dimensione artistica in maniera totalizzante, sperimentando ed esplorando in continuazione nuovi orizzonti sonori.
The Good Man è il lavoro più recente del musicista franco/italiano e incarna senza filtri di sorta una visionaria prospettiva che spazia dal progressive al rock classico, passando attraverso azzardate avanguardie, incursioni in generi limitrofi e suggestivi colpi di scena che si sviluppano in continuazione. Grazie anche alla collaborazione di esperti professionisti, l'opera diventa l'occasione per assaporare ai massimi livelli il connubio tra tecnica, qualità interpretative e creatività lasciata libera di esprimersi in maniera fluida e feconda. Sono due, le lunghe suite che compongono il lavoro: Amnesiac e Good And Evil (ciascuna divisa in nove distinti capitoli), nelle quali il genio di Carpani emerge in tutta la sua magniloquenza; ogni singolo passaggio dell'album riesce ad accompagnare l'ascoltatore verso lidi in cui risuonano echi di sonorità raffinate ed eleganti, a costruire architetture che il più delle volte lasciano oggettivamente senza parole in virtù di un'impostazione a dir poco superba.
PAA.GE/ALEXCARPANI/IT

No. 38
PROGARCHIVES (review)
https://www.progarchives.com/album-reviews.asp?id=87708
by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator

5 stars *****

It's about time to review this interesting musician, after all I own three albums already, but I never got to review any of them until Alex sent me a request to listen to his latest offering. How can I refuse such a kind wish? Born in lovely Montreux, Switzerland and currently residing in the equally stunning city of Bologna with its endless porticoes and colonnades, Alex is a gifted keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, and while his backlog is chock full of quality tracks, this new album is an absolute stunner, which should catapult him into the higher echelons of 2024 prog releases, perhaps even among my top 5! Ably assisted by a muscular rhythm section composed of drummer Bruno Farinelli (a true revelation on all the tracks), longtime bassist Giambattista Giorgi as well as slick guitarist Emiliano Fantuzzi. Throw in Alessio Alberghini's swirly saxophones, but the major jaw drop comes with the inclusion throughout the 2 long suites of mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini, that raising the already celestial roof on the overall dense symphonics with some stellar vocalizing, very reminiscent of Pauline Lucas' soprano wailing on King Crimson's Formentera Lady. Two extended suites each roughly 30 minutes long and containing 9 parts, completely stamps this work with composing credibility, where reflective arrangements cleverly interweave in telling its stories, with no diluted moments to be heard anywhere.
"Amnesiac" kicks off with a hypnotic train ride, zipping gently through the countryside before screeching into the furious chaos of a large city, a harrowing adventure that can easily make one lose their mind! Feeling alone in the company of thousands of faceless people is expressed by the booming 'Perfect Chaos' section, a thrilling maelstrom of sound and fury. A momentary lapse of purpose is depicted on the floating and vaporous 'Flashbacks', perhaps a desperate attempt at calming a hurrying heart and an edgy mind. This part really opens up the throttle as both Carpani's synths and Farinelli's concussive assault seek to emulate some form of wake -up call, a return to a physical realm of touch and sensibility, as the grinding chain-saw electric guitar riffs slam hard, especially in the chicanes. Palpitations are brought under control, as 'Diamond in the Rough' reestablishes a proper lung full of air, decorated with a powerful melody and a convincing vocal from Alex. The luxurious symphonics enter the arrangement with neo-classical leanings, a reflection on the 'Past Life' with a crushingly gorgeous aria from Valentina Vanini, whose controlled wail is to expire for, a larger-than-life instant of serene intensity that is simply overwhelming, blending into a distant horizon of revelation, perhaps even liberation, as the 'heart calls' out for a 'returning light'. The final two sections are profoundly inspiring, infusing a calm bass groove and an uplifting saxophone, caressed by choir mellotron and Vanini's supremely well-placed howl. When Fantuzzi adds a spiraling guitar solo, there is definitely an illumination at the limit of the cerebral tunnel, as 'End of the Day' seals the crimson waxed seal on the deal. I am such a sucker for operatic voices, as Vanini adds a dimension of power and genuine emotion that verges on an epiphany of sorts. Clarity succeeds in reestablishing a firm contact with reality, a magnificent salvation of spirit and sound.

As tremendous as the first suite is, "Good & Evil" is an even loftier one, as it segues nicely into a contemplative space of 'vanishing frequencies', desperately twirling the knob to find 'the Flow', which enters the frazzled fray with a deliberate bass thump and an athletic drum attack that hits into overdrive, crashing cymbals symbolizing a new path, as the synths twists and turn in a frenzy. Alex's vaporous vocal is chilling as if singing in an oval channel, heading towards a 'post-traumatic stress disorder', perfectly expressed by Valentina's wailing and Fantuzzi riffing, Farinelli bashing, Giorgi brooding and Carpani carving with no holding back. A highlight moment of symptomatic musical nightmare. Thankfully the soothing saxophone appears on 'Stillness and Ecstasy', a balm of comfort once again elevated by Vanini's courageous defiance, if only for a brief respite. Needless to state, the continuous sonic contrasts are energetically intriguing, as the ebb and flow are beguiling with a load of detail that 'flirts with darkness', infusing trembling electronics into the mix. Farinelli really sweats up a storm, egged on by a strong bass alliance. Vibrant symphonic prog at its finest. At nearly 6 minutes, 'Mystical' is not only the longest snippet but also perhaps the spiritual apotheosis on this album, what with the mythical infusion of glorious church organ (to go with the papal announcements), a lovely wink to Rick Wakeman's first solos album as an homage. The operatic voice raises this piece to celestial heights, a serpentine vortex of impeccable notes that seek to fascinate and imagine beyond the dreary routine of everyday life. Vannini segues into a desire to leave the path, a clever return of a previous melodic line and vocal, looking for a more familiar direction. 'Masquerade' just keeps on giving, a façade of the continuing battle between good and evil, burping bass and a slithering, shimmering guitar adornment that Hackett would surely approve. Rather unsurprisingly, 'Everything falls into Place' becomes the immaculate finale where all the preceding emotions are reassembled into a compact and explosive consecration that leaves nothing to chance. The peaceful innocence of children playing, laughing and smiling, before putting this marvelous story to bed, a warm blanket, a soft pillow and a kiss on the forehead.

When the entire package is also adorned with an attractive cover and sterling production, one cannot help to immediately be slain by the incredible music within the grooves, my first audition blowing me sideways with repeated gasps, grunting with unabashed pleasure, entertained and pleased, unable to resist the immaculate charm of the proposed work.

No. 39
BACKGROUND MAGAZINE (review)
https://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/CDreviews/AlexCarpaniTheGoodMan.html
by Henri Strik

For many of our readers the Italian musician Alex Carpani is a well known name in the progressive rock scene. He started his solo career in 2007 with the release of Waterline. Now 17 years later we can welcome his seventh album. Titled The Good Man. It is an album that might be considered as one of his best works ever. I will try to explain why.

On this release Alex Carpani (vocals, keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, virtual guitars) is assisted by Bruno Farinelli (drums), Giambattista Giorgi (bass), Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitars), Alessio Alberghini (soprano sax) and Valentina Vanini (mezzo soprano voice).

The album consists of the two long epic tracks Amnesiac and Good And Evil. Two suites, each a good 28 minutes long, each divided into nine parts. The two long suites represent an uninterrupted story. An experience lived through the folds and fragility of the human mind, through the infinite nuances of our emotions and feelings. The first suite Amnesiac describes in 9 parts the experience of deep amnesia that one experiences over the course of a day. Such as waking up in an unknown place, the chaotic race to escape danger, flashbacks of events that have already taken place, the world that seems to have been sucked into a vortex of madness, the search for one's own identity, memories of past lives and then finally the return of light and memory and the end of an incredible day. The second suite Good And Evil again describes in 9 parts an experience that hovers forever between good and evil. Here waves and frequencies that come from the depths of time and space. The stream of people who advance like automatons without rebelling, a post-traumatic experience that awakens feelings of guilt, the silence that precedes ecstasy, the subtle charm of darkness, a mystical experience, a party without any brakes, all things finally return to their place. Carpani describes the album himself as follows: "A bit like a small paper boat floating in the ocean of life between storms and gigantic waves, trying not to sink without ever knowing its final destination". Meaning that life is uncertain for everybody. Nobody knows his destiny and anything can happen in our journey through this crazy world.

The soundtrack to this beautiful concept is as beautiful as the concept itself. It's a musical journey which grabs you by the throat right from the start and will only let you lose after the final notes have been played. A musical rollercoaster you have to take yourself to find out that Alex really did compose something out of the ordinary music wise. I was attracted and addicted to the music right away. For me there was no escape possible other than playing this excellent album over and over again.

Everything that you hear on those suites is music of a very high level. Musically the two pieces are structured in a similar way. From catchy rock parts, which you cannot avoid to sing-along with, to great orchestral keyboard parts. Alex is a master in creating great atmospheric and orchestral music. Like on the opening tune On A Train or on Past Life and Lost Frequencies. On the other hand, his excellent synthesizer solos can be enjoyed throughout the entire album as well. Just like the excellent guitar solos. A good example is As Light Returns. The guests on soprano saxophone and mezzo soprano voice are very important on several of the compositions. In a way they make the differences. Listen for example to the earlier mentioned As Light Returns, Masquerade and P.T.S.D. and you will hear what both of them are capable of. But it is most of all Valentina who gives me goosebumps with her incredible vocals every time I hear her sing. Just listen to the songs Flashbacks, Past Life and End Of The Day and you will be as excited as I am.

Mentioning any musical highlights is not easy because the entire album is one musical highlight for me. But I have to mention Mystical in particular because of its amazing Church organ parts. But also, all the songs on which you can hear the amazing voice of Valentina are the absolute musical highlights on this excellent album. But my favourites are without any doubt As Lights Returns, End Of The Day, Mystical and the musical climax Everything Falls Into Place which ends the album in a perfect way.

It's always difficult to compare the musical work of somebody with that of other musicians.. But Steven Wilson came to mind several times. Of course, the musical influences of bands like King Crimson and Genesis are still present. But it is mainly an album with rather modern sounding progressive rock influences,but with influences taken from Symphonic Prog, Prog Metal/Hard Rock, Jazzrock, Fusion, Classical Music and Retroprog.

The Good Man is without further ado an excellent progressive rock album that only deserves the highest rating possible! For me this musical effort is a true masterpiece and without doubt one of the musical highlights of 2024. Therefore, if you can come up with two magnificent progressive rock epics only the five stars can be given and nothing else!

Chech the interview we had with Alex Carpani: link.

***** Henri Strik (edited by Dave Smith)

No. 40
BACKGROUND MAGAZINE (interview)
https://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/Specials/InterviewAlexCarpani.html
by Henri Strik

Interview Alex Carpani

"On The Good Man all my musical influences converge; it's not just a prog album"

(January 2025, text Henri Strik, edited by Peter Willemsen, pictures provided by Alex Carpani)

Alex Carpani is a well-known name in the progressive rock scene. He started his solo career in 2007 with the release of Waterline. Now seventeen years later, we can welcome his seventh album which is called The Good Man. This album might be considered as one of his best works. I personally consider it a real masterpiece, and one of the best albums of 2024. Therefore, Background Magazine wanted to know everything about this excellent album, and so I asked this talented musician how he got everything together.

There seems to be confusion about the country of origin where you were born. Is it Switzerland or Italy? Would you please tell our readers where you were born and raised and what your musical influences are?
"I was born in Switzerland to an Italian father and a French mother. I lived there until I was nine, when my family moved to Italy. My musical influences range from seventies rock to classical music, from electronic to contemporary rock and cinematic music. In general, I really like instrumental music, but from a certain moment on in my career I paid more attention to lyrics and vocals."

Your last two albums contain less progressive rock influences. They go more towards other musical styles, and they are even more commercial. Do you agree and why did you again record a progressive rock album?
"The album So Close, So Far (2016) represented the turning point for me. I turned towards modern sounds and started to take care of the production directly. It's a modern, contemporary rock album with electronic influences and catchy melodies. The prog style can be felt, but it's not in the centre of the project, because it was not what was needed at that moment. Microcosm (2022) is certainly more a prog album than the previous one, but more jazz rock oriented. On this album a number of prog legends collaborated, such as David Cross, Theo Travis and David Jackson. I'm very proud of that album. However, I would not call it commercial, but richer in improvisation and open forms. The Good Man is an album in which all my musical influences converge, all the genres in which I have expressed myself in recent years. It's not just a prog album, because it contains hard rock, symphonic, electronic, and cinematic music as well."

The Good Man is a concept album. Why did you decide to come up with another concept album? What is the common thread of the album this time?
"The concept is a form that I find useful when the music is linked by a common thread or by some traits that were found during the development of the album. In this case the common thread is Man, represented as a paper boat floating in an ocean among gigantic waves, and without being able to know his way, among a thousand pitfalls and difficulties. The two suites of the album describe two different situations: a total loss of memory in Amnesiac, and the eternal choice between good and evil."

Do you mean that life is uncertain for everyone, and that nobody knows his destiny so that anything can happen in our journey through this crazy world?
"Yes, in a certain sense it is like that, although my intention was not to convey a sense of uncertainty and fear, but rather to represent the fragility of Man. This fragility is also his strength because our humanity also derives from our imperfection. Nowadays, the difficulty lies not only in knowing how to choose between good and evil, but between many forms of good and many forms of evil since all things are extremely mixed and confused in our era."

Why did you call the album The Good Man?
"With The Good Man I mean the common man, the man in the street."

When did you start working on the new album, and why did you decide to divide the album into two long suites of 28 minutes?
"I started working on it in 2022, a few months after the release of Microcosm. Initially, I had no idea about the form of the material I was working on. However, when the first suite became that long, I realised that I would have to write another one of the same length, because a complex work was taking shape. These two long compositions represented in a certain sense are two sides of the same coin and the coin was Man."

You were assisted by excellent musicians. How did you find the great rhythm section consisting of Bruno Farinelli on drums and Giambattista Giorgi on bass, and how much of these parts did you play yourself?
"Yes, you are right. I had excellent musicians on this album. Since the music is rather complex, I had to ask some talented professionals. Bruno Farinelli is one of the best drummers in Italy and The Good Man is the third album we have made together. Giambattista Giorgi has been collaborating with me since 2011, and it also applies for him that it is the third album we have made together. Furthermore, I did many concerts with him around the world. As far as the musical parts are concerned, I write them all on my albums, including the drums and the bass parts. So, musicians find their parts already defined, and they simply have to put their own style and talent into it."

Emiliano Fantuzzi is a great guitar player. Would you please introduce him? Was he the one who played the excellent solo on As Light Returns?
"Emiliano Fantuzzi played the guitar parts in my cover of Starless that I had included in Microcosm. I was impressed by his skills, and I decided to entrust the guitar parts on this album to him. He is a great musician and a great producer. He was able to give a personal and convincing touch in all his parts and, as you have noticed, he played an extraordinary solo in As Light Returns."

However, in my opinion the two musicians who really made the difference are Alessio Alberghini on soprano sax and mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini. Their musical input is extraordinary, and they gave me goosebumps several times.
"Alessio Alberghini has been collaborated with me during live shows since 2022. I did all the Microcosm live concerts with him. He is very prepared, and he has a personal style. Valentina Vanini is an extraordinary mezzo-soprano singer and in addition to being exceptionally good at classical music, she is very curious and open to collaborations in the field of modern music."

What was the reason for using a saxophone and female vocals. Where did you find these talented people?
"Why did I turn to a saxophonist and an opera singer? Because that is what the music required. The symphonic character of almost the entire album and the lyrical and cinematic moments were perfect for them."

Your vocal parts are very strong on the new album. Have you considered using a different lead singer for this musical concept like you did in the past?
"I've been singing all the parts for three albums now, even the backing vocals. Since I write both the music and the lyrics, it's natural for me to sing as well."

On Mystical I heard some amazing church organ parts. Did you use a real church organ or was it a sample?
"I used sampled sounds. It would have been too complicated and expensive to go and record that part in a church. I think the result is satisfying anyway which is demonstrated by the fact that you asked me if I played a real church organ or not..."

On the album you use a virtual orchestra and virtual guitars. Can you explain what this means?
"I wrote all the parts for the string section consisting of first and second violins, violas, cellos, double basses and the brass parts. I used today's modern sounds, which allow me to obtain a remarkable result similar to that of an orchestra. It's not a real orchestra, though, and that is why it's called virtual. That also applies for the guitars. We also used some of the guitar parts that I wrote in the definitive version of the album in addition to those played by Emiliano. This sometimes happens when the sound of a certain section of the song sounds better if you combine the real guitar with the virtual one. It doesn't happen that often, mind you, but in some cases it works. These are sampled sounds that I modified and shaped until I achieved the desired sound."

The beautiful graphic design was done by Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, the drummer of Mangala Vallis. You collaborated with him before, so why didn't he play on the album? How did he become such a great designer?
"With Gigi Cavalli Cochi I have another project called Aerostation, and we think that we don't need to mix things up too much, so as not to create confusion. Furthermore, as I told you before, I have been collaborating with Bruno Farinelli for several years now and I get along very well with him. Indeed, Gigi is a very good graphic designer with a lot of experience. It's not the first time that he created the graphics for one of my albums. He also did it for So Close, So Far and for Microcosm. This time again, he did an excellent job."

Paul Whitehead, who is known for his artwork for Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator and Le Orme, designed the cover art for some of your earlier albums. Have you considered collaborating with him again?
"Paul did the cover of my first two albums: Waterline and The Sanctuary. I don't know if we will collaborate again. Many years have passed, and we lost touch a bit. Anyway, you never know in life, so who knows."

Are you planning to play the entire album with a real band live on stage someday?
"Yes, the intention is to play the album live. We are working on it, but it will still take some time. I hope to be able to play it both in Italy and abroad, as I have done with all my previous albums. I would like to play it with the musicians who worked on the album. That would be fantastic!"

What comes next? Touring? And can you surpass The Good Man with future albums because you set the bar remarkably high with this excellent album?
"Each album always gives you the incentive to try to surpass yourself. The Good Man is certainly a successful album that both critics and the public like. I don't know what the next album will be like, but since I've never repeated myself and always tried to do new and different things, it's likely to be quite different from this one."

Thanks for answering all my questions!
"Thank you for your appreciation for this album and for your interesting and stimulating questions."

No. 41
MUSIC MAP (review)
https://www.musicmap.it/recdischi/ordinaperr.asp?id=11342
by Andrea Allegra

Per capire chi è Alex Carpani, sempre che già non lo si conosca, bisogna parlare di un artista che ha all’attivo decine di album: il primo risale al 1990 dal titolo ''Polychromie''.

Una formazione musicale lunga come la lista della spesa e una serie di esperienze a livello mondiale fatte di concerti e collaborazioni con artisti del calibro di Jon Davison degli Yes, David Jackson dei Van der Graaf Generator, David Cross dei King Crimson, Theo Travis dei Soft Machine, fino ad arrivare agli italiani Aldo Tagliapietra delle Orme e Bernardo Lanzetti, voce degli Acqua Fragile e PFM.

Bene. Se a tutto questo aggiungiamo un quartetto di musicisti come il batterista Bruno Farinelli, Giambattista Giorgi al basso, Emiliano Fantuzzi alla chitarra, Alessio Alberghini sax soprano, più Valentina Vanini voce mezzosoprano, stiamo per assistere alla creazione di un’opera decisamente importante: “The good man”.

Un autentico disco prog dove Carpani, mettendoci la voce e una quantità esorbitante di vst (Virtual Studio Technology, sorgenti sonore in soldoni), dà sfoggio a tutta una moltitudine di stili musicali a lui già ben noti.

L’album si divide in due suites: ''Amnesiac'' e ''Good and evil'', proposte all’ascolto prima in due tracce uniche e poi in 18 parti.

Suite prima. Parte 1. “On a train”: suoni cupi e nebbiosi lasciano sentire l’arrivo di un treno in lontananza, il convoglio arriva e l’ascoltatore sale, inizia il viaggio. Parte due. L’atmosfera cambia e si presenta subito con una ritmica di 5/8 + 6/8, interessante ma che destabilizza, l’approccio è troppo, Carpani tranquillizza subito con il ritornello in un 5/8 che dà respiro. Parte tre. Parentesi riflessiva.

Parte 4. Arrivano le tastiere, quelle vintage, minimoog e hammond che incominciano i fraseggi col sax dando una qualità all’esecuzione decisamente importante. Parte 5. Una ballad, per quanto il progressive possa concepire una ballad. Parte 6. Qua il livello sale ulteriormente, sia per intensità che per qualità che per creatività: magnifiche orchestrazioni con vocalizzi che sanno di grandi film. Grandissima traccia che ispira e inspira. Parte 7. Brano che sfuma dal precedente, poi ritmiche più sostenute: tornano il triumviro moog, sax e hammond e il ritornello del primo pezzo.

Parte 8. Un ingresso con percussioni delicate, fraseggi di voce e sax, meraviglioso assolo di chitarra. Armonie sempre diverse: chapeau. Parte 9. La musica sembra aver perso la sua rabbia. Che bel viaggio fino a ora! Ma il treno torna e si ferma: suite conclusa.

Suite seconda. Parte prima. La musica cerca di risintonizzarsi e ci riesce. Parte 2. Riparte tutto con ritmica sostenuta ma non troppo e i protagonisti tornano: il moog e il sax continuano a discutere sul brano. Parte 3. Voce e orchestrazioni magistrali, sonorità epiche e poi di nuovo il ritmo incalzante. Parte 4. Momento di enorme respiro, quasi l'autore si fosse accorto che l'ascoltatore ne avesse bisogno. Due minuti e trenta di luce. Parte 5. La ripartenza non si fa aspettare con arrangiamenti al pieno e ritmica sempre in linea con il resto dell’album.

Parte 6. Partenza con un estratto dal discorso di insediamento di Papa Giovanni Paolo II e subito dopo compare un organo classico, che però poi si fa travolgere dal resto della band. La voce del mezzosoprano torna e mette tutto a posto: l'ordine torna e con esso un attimo di calma. Parte 7. Torna il pieno stile progressive e torna il tema di “The flow” leggermente più veloce.

Parte 8. Brano che sta nel mezzo tra la fusion e una colonna sonora. Di difficile identificazione. Parte 9. Traducendo testualmente dall’inglese il titolo della parte “Tutto va a posto”. La suite seconda, tra un effetto e voci in lontananza si chiuse. Opera finita.

(Andrea Allegra)

No. 42
VIA NOCTURNA (interview)
https://vianocturna2000.blogspot.com/2025/02/entrevista-alex-carpani.html
by Pedro Carvalho

Hi Alex, how are you? Thanks for your availability. What have you been doing since the last time we talked, back in 2022?
Hi Pedro, I'm fine, thanks. Thank you for this interview. Well, I think it was on the occasion of the release of my previous album, Microcosm. I did some concerts to promote the album, in Italy and abroad, even in America. Then in 2023, I got to work on
the new album.

Your new album consists of two long suites, Amnesiac and Good and Evil, that tell an uninterrupted story exploring human emotions and the fragility of the mind. Could you elaborate on the overarching narrative?
The narration of the album concerns the man described in his misadventures and his weaknesses and fragilities. Amnesiac, the first suite, is the story of a man who loses his memory and no longer knows where he is, where he is going, and whether his memories
are real or someone else's. Good And Evil, on the other hand, talks about the eternal dilemma of the choice between good and evil, in all the not-always-obvious forms in which evil can be hidden, because life is not only black and white of course.

In those two main suites, there are many instrumental sections. What inspired this structural choice, and how do these instrumental pieces contribute to the storytelling?
The narrative of this album on a musical level does not follow the pattern of the song form. It is rather a symphonic or cinematographic form if you prefer. I wanted the music flow not to be interrupted by the limitation of the duration or the need to write a certain number of songs. What I had to say I said in two compositions of about 28 minutes, giving life to a kind of musical story without interruptions.

Songs like P.T.S.D. and Flirting With Darkness delve into deep emotional and psychological themes. Are these reflections of personal experiences, or were they inspired by external stories or observations?
No, they are not situations I have experienced, but imaginary situations, stories.

The track Mystical includes a short dialogue in Italian, adding a unique and intimate touch to the song. What was the inspiration behind including this dialogue, and what significance does it hold within the context of the album?
In reality, it is simply a recording of the speech made by Karol Wojtyla to the crowd when he was elected pope, in 1978. This recording, together with the other sounds and voices that can be heard in that part, contributes to describing the mystical atmosphere and the setting of that musical moment. It is one of the experiences lived by the protagonist in the Good And Evil suite: the mystical experience in fact.

You worked with a talented group of musicians and vocalists for this album, including Emiliano Fantuzzi on guitars, Alessio Alberghini on sax and Valentina Vanini as a mezzo-soprano voice. How did their contributions shape the final sound of The Good Man?
Their contribution was very important to obtain that final result on a sonic level. When I compose, I write the parts of all the instruments, even the drums, so the musicians already have a rather precise track to follow. Their touch, however, their interpretation and skill with their instrument is fundamental to the final result of the album.

You mention playing "virtual guitars" on this album. Could you explain what virtual guitars are and how they were utilized in the composition process?
These are virtual instruments that reproduce the sound of a guitar very faithfully and that I enrich with effects to obtain the sound I am interested in. I need this process first of all in the composition phase, to write the guitar parts that will then be played by the
real guitarist and to give shape in the pre-production phase to the final sound I want to achieve. Sometimes, however, as in this case, it happens that some virtual guitar parts played by me also remained in the final mix because they were good there, they blended
with the real guitar parts. Of course, we are not talking about solo parts or guitar solos: those must be played by the guitarist!

As someone with a rich background in musicology and a history of working across diverse genres, how has this academic and artistic diversity influenced the creative process behind The Good Man?
Classical training has certainly helped and influenced me: I take great care of the harmonic aspect and the arrangements in my compositions, and I must say that music for me is much more important than words. As for the diversity of genres, it is a continuous experimentation dictated by the fact that I have never liked to repeat myself or even just do a different thing, but always in the same genre and style. I look for new ways, first of all for myself, to move my limits as far as possible.

Over the years, your music has spanned various styles within progressive rock and beyond. How do you see The Good Man fitting into your broader artistic evolution?
I think The Good Man is really the album that best represents me because it encompasses all the genres and styles in which I have expressed myself in recent years: from rock music to symphonic music, from prog to electronic music, to cinematic music.
In those two suites, there is so much about me and if one day I had to tell someone whatto listen to to know what I do, well I would tell him: listen to this album!

The album cover, designed by Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, is visually striking. How does the artwork tie into the album's themes, and what was the collaborative process like?
Gigi also made the cover of the previous album, Microcosm, so this time it was easier to work together, even if it took a long time to get to the final version of the album graphics: the internal booklet consists of 20 pages and each page has an image, a different graphic composition, in theme with every single part of each of the two suites. As you know each suite is divided into 9 parts, so it's 18 parts and 18 different illustrations. I think that in the end the graphic design came out very well and the cover certainly captures the attention and is effective and fascinating.

You’re also a part of Aerostation, with a new album expected in 2025. Can you give us a glimpse of what we might expect and how it will differ from your solo work?
The Aerostation project is very different from what I do on my records. First of all, it's a band, so there are multiple individuals working on the same project. Musically, Aerostation's music is characterized by songs, shorter than the average prog songs and
very direct, catchy, effective also from a rhythmic point of view. The new album entitled Rethink has already been completed for several months and we are simply deciding when, how and with whom to release it. Sometimes it's the hardest thing to decide in a
recording project. For my music, however, it is different because I am alone in deciding and I have decided for some time (3 albums) to publish as an independent artist through my label Independent Artist Records, personally taking care of all aspects related to
publication and distribution.

The immersive nature of The Good Man seems perfect for a live setting. Are there plans to perform the album in its entirety, and if so, how do you envision translating its complexity to the stage?
This is an interesting question. About two weeks ago, on the very day of the album's release, I invited all the musicians and the sound engineer who worked on the album to dinner. The desire to play The Good Man live has emerged in everyone and we will work
for it. It won't be before summer 2025 I think, and it won't be easy because there are so many parts, so many sounds, but it's not the first time it has happened, since unfortunately with my records it's always like this... ahaha

Thanks once again, Alex. Do you want to leave any message to your fans and to our readers?
Thank you for the interview, it was a pleasure to answer these questions. I would like to tell the fans and your readers that The Good Man represents in a certain sense an artistic testament for me, for everything that is contained in this record, and I believe that those
who decide to buy it and listen to it in its entirety, without interruptions will certainly live an intense experience.

No. 43
PROFIL PROG (review)
https://www.profilprog.com/profil-reviews-2025/alex-carpani-band/the-good-man
by Philippe André

Pour être totalement honnête, je dois vous avouer que j'avais complètement zappé Alex Enrico CARPANI et son groupe depuis son "Sanctuary" de 2010, c'est à dire une éternité, ses albums suivants furent corrects mais il manquait quelque chose à mon gout et selon mes informations, d'autres pensèrent de même si nous prenons en base les chroniques tiédasses lues ici et là.

Notre ami transalpin né en SUISSE à MONTREUX où se tient un festival jazz depuis 1967 mais résidant dans son pays à BOLOGNE a choisi deux longues suites de vingt-huit minutes chacune déclinées en plusieurs parties pour faire évoluer sa musique et tenter de nous charmer dans la veine symphonico progressive qu'il a toujours défendu avec des hauts et des bas, comme stipulé auparavant. Les musiciens qui l'accompagnent désormais sont au nombre de trois, la paire rythmique puissante et inventive composée du batteur Bruno FARINELLI et du bassiste Giambattiste GIORGI, ainsi que le six cordistes Emiliano FANTUZZI.

Mais que serait cette œuvre sans la présence des invités ? Deux seulement mais faisant preuve d'une activité remarquable l'un et l'autre, Alessio ALBERGHINI aux saxophones et plus encore la vocaliste mezzo - soprano Valentina VANINI qui rehausse fortement le cachet global des deux longues suites proposées par Alex CARPANI.

Alex prend le train pour "Amnesiac" parcourant la campagne bolognaise (?), avant de rejoindre la cité dans un "Perfect Chaos" où il ne croise que des zombies, il est seul au monde, première apparition du saxophone d'Alessio ALBERGHINI. Les synthés ouatinés et les voix off de "Flashbacks" apportent un sentiment d'apaisement qui ne va pas durer bien longtemps car déboule ensuite "The Edge of My Mind" qui est tout sauf un reposoir et met en vedette la guitare acérée d'Emiliano FANTUZZI sur fond de claviers d'Alex CARPANI, ça tourbillonne fort tout en demeurant suffisamment lyrique afin de ne pas perdre le fil. Le joli filet de voix d’Alex (ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas) porte "Diamond in the Rough" jusqu'à "Past Life" et la première intervention notoire de Valentina VANINI d'une divine beauté, ouh là là ! sur des nappes de claviers confondants de clarté. Les deux parties terminales de cette première suite mettent l'accent sur un saxophone léger et évanescent avant que n'intervienne le chant de Valentina qui nous emmène haut dans les cieux, un rêve éveillé propulsé par les six cordes tranchantes d'Emiliano, à mi-chemin entre Steve ROTHERY et Karl Heinz WALLNER.

Débat passionné et passionnant, après cette première presque orgiaque, comment appréhender la seconde suite 'Good and Evil" ? Plus violente durant sa première moitié, je l'ai à titre personnel moins apprécié, les nappes de synthétiseurs n'interviennent qu'à 8:43 suivies du saxophone brumeux d'Alessio et de la voix angélique de Valentina, avant qu'un break surpuissant de batterie n'élève la pièce plus haut vers le ciel accompagné de la six cordes quasi métallique d'Emiliano, ça pulse fort les amis, ça mitraille même !

Un peu après le mitan de la plage, arrive le discours papal avec les cris de la foule, un discours qui prône le bien avec les envolées sopranesques de madame VANINI ponctuées d'un orgue d'église on ne peut plus wakemanien (Les six femmes d'HENRI VIII sont au programme "Catherine PARR si ma mémoire est bonne), laissant la place à 18:10 à de nouvelles vocalises célestes de Valentina, il vous faudra apprécier les passages opératiques pour apprivoiser cette seconde moitié."Mystical" la sous partie la plus longue réintègre le chant déclamé d'Alex CARPANI qui peut mettre un frein à certains, avant un final présentant un saxophone plus énergique, les voix de VALENTINA encore et toujours et un brillant solo d'Emiliano FANTUZZI en deux épisodes soutenu fermement par la paire rythmique (Bruno FARINELLI et Giambattista GIORGI).

Une divine surprise que cette œuvre d'Alex CARPANI que je n'attendais pas à un tel niveau, prenez votre temps pour l'écouter (pièce par pièce c'est mieux de mon opinion).

PISTES / TRACKS:

Amnesiac (28:42)
1. On a Train (2:10)
2. Perfect Chaos (4:41)
3. Flashbacks (1:30)
4. The Edge of My Mind (3:57)
5. Diamond in the Rough (1:55)
6. Past Life (4:21)
7. Heart Calling (2:51)
8. As Light Returns (3:42)
9. End of the Day (4:41)

Good and Evil (28:24)
1. Lost Frequencies (0:57)
2. The Flow (4:13)
3. P.T.S.D. (3:52)
4. Stillness and Ecstasy (2:15)
5. Flirting with Darkness (4:11)
6. Mystical (5:39)
7. Leaving the Path (1:32)
8. Masquerade (2:42)
9. Everything Falls into Place (3:09)

No. 44
PROG (interview)
https://www.loudersound.com/prog
by Grant Moon

Where’s home?
I live in Bologna, Italy.

What’s your earliest prog memory? When I was a child, my older brother listened to records by the likes of Yes, Genesis, ELP and Pink Floyd. This music – which at the time was simply called ‘pop’ – filled the whole house and created a kind of soundtrack of our daily lives. I must have absorbed it, because it re-emerged when I started making music myself.

What was your first prog album?
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis. I bought it in Paris when
I was 16 or so and it was a great purchase! It’s a masterpiece that I have listened to dozens and dozens of times over the years.

And the most recent?
Time Voyager by Barock Project. An excellent album, well written and realised, full of musical ideas and very accurate arrangements.

What was your first prog gig?
Pink Floyd, 1988 in Modena, during their tour for A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. I was 18 and, of course, I was struck by the sounds, lights, videos and special effects.

And the latest?
Haken concert here in Bologna, back in September. They are fantastic – I really like their style, mixing metal with symphonic prog. They appeal to prog fans and metalheads alike.

What was the best prog show you ever saw? Steven Wilson’s show during his The Raven That Refused To Sing tour; it was either in Bologna or Trieste [November 2013]. Music of the highest quality, evocative and immersive video projections, a cosy theatre atmosphere, and moments of both great intensity and quiet intimacy. All the ingredients of the perfect concert.

What’s your favourite venue?
The Boerderij in Zoetermeer, Netherlands. It’s the perfect venue, both to attend concerts and to play. I’ve played there twice and it was fantastic: super-professional audio and lighting technicians, a large and well-equipped stage, the best equipment, and artists are welcomed and treated so well.

What’s your latest proggy discovery? Hungarian band Special Providence. They’ve impressed me with the technique, precision and variety of compositional ideas in their music, such as their song Irrelevant Connotations.

Outside of music, what else are you into? I am an artistic director for a municipality near Bologna:
I organise theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and other cultural activities. Also, I really like cinema, photography and cosmonautics – space has always fascinated me.

What’s a good read?
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka left its mark on me the first time I read it, when I was a boy. It’s visionary. It speaks
of transformation, diversity and acceptance, all themes that we find today in our complicated world.

Ever had a prog-related date?
Well, here we enter the realm of science fiction! Not to generalise too much but, in my experience, prog is a genre whose fans are 80, maybe even 90% men...

Who’s your prog hero?
Keith Emerson has been my hero for a long time. I was lucky enough to know him as a child, when his son Aaron was in the school run by my parents. It’s thanks to him that I started playing keyboards.

What is prog’s defining piece?
There have been so many – Yes’s Close To The Edge, King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man, ELP’s Eruption. That was such a creative and fruitful period for musicians of the highest quality – there were many on the summit.

Which prog muso would you most like to work with? Jon Anderson. His voice is so particular and unique, with an almost feminine extension. I’ve come close: current Yes singer Jon Davison sang a song from my album Microcosm. Anderson and I wrote a few years ago for a project that didn’t materialise. But who knows, maybe one day...

What’s your favourite prog album cover? Barry Godber’s cover for In The Court Of The Crimson King is perhaps the most iconic ever. It’s a very strong image, which stays in your head and you immediately recognise, like Munch’s The Scream. And there’s nothing written on it – you don’t know it’s a Crimson record until you open it.

What are you up to at the moment? My seventh album, The Good Man, is out now and it’s the one that best represents me. It has all the styles in which I have expressed myself in recent years: prog, symphonic and hard rock; ambient, electronic and cinematic music. I hope to be able to present it live in 2025.

No. 45
MUSIKREVIEWS (review)
http://www.musikreviews.de/reviews/2025/Alex-Carpani/The-Good-Man/
by Thoralf Koß

Schon der erste Blick auf das Digipak von ALEX CARPANIs neuem Epos „The Good Man“ lässt des Proggies Herz höherschlagen: Es erwarten uns zwei epische, jeweils neunteilige, Longtracks von knapp 29 Minuten pro Suite.
Hohe Erwartungen sind geweckt!
Doch werden die auch durchgängig erfüllt?

ALEX CARPANI ist ein deutsch-französischer Musiker, Keyboarder, Komponist, Produzent und Musikwissenschaftler, der zudem Filmmusiken komponierte. Und schon aus diesem Grund haben auch seine zahlreichen progressiven Rock-Alben viel Cineastisches und folgen, einem Film ähnlich, geschlossenen Konzepten, die eine, mal mehr oder weniger spannende, Geschichte erzählen.

Seine progressiven Tendenzen führten zudem dazu, dass er selber schon mit echten Prog-Größen zusammenarbeitete, wie David Cross von KING CRIMSON, mit dem er beispielsweise live eine beeindruckende Coverversion von KING CRIMSONs „Exiles“ hinlegte.

Aber auch mit David Jackson von VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR sowie Alessio Alberghini von LE ORME und Theo Travis von SOFT MACHINE und vielen mehr spielte er Seite an Seite. Musiker eben, welche einen offensichtlichen Einfluss auf Carpanis eigene Musik haben. Und dass er mit seiner Band bereits als Support von PFM agierte, schließt im Grunde den progressiven Kreis hinter ALEX CARPANI, in den er mit „The Good Man“ wieder ganz tief eintaucht.
Auch hinterlässt die Tatsache, dass er 15 Jahre lang eine Vielzahl an Instrumentalmusik schrieb und produzierte – wie New Age, elektronische sowie symphonische Musik, Vertonungen von Poesie, Drum'n'Bass, Elektrojazz, Musik für Theateraufführungen und Dokumentationen – tiefe Spuren auf seinem aktuellen Konzept-Album, das voller Sound-Effekte, spannende, als Brücken agierende, Übergänge und Fieldrecordings daherkommt, die deutlich an die Spielereien von PINK FLOYD auf „Wish You Were Here“ oder „The Wall“ erinnern.

Sehr interessant – und irgendwie typisch italienisch – ist auch der Einsatz einer Mezzosopranistin im besten Stile der Italienischen Oper. Valentina Vanini klingt wirklich fantastisch, kommt aber in der Gesamtheit des Albums beinahe etwas zu kurz. Bei PFM oder LE ORME und BANCO hätte man ihr wohl mehr Raum für ihre Arien-Phasen eingeräumt. So oder so – Vanini bereichert beide Suiten und verleiht ihnen geschickt gelungene Italienische-Oper-Momente.

Ein sehr kunstvoll gestaltetes 20 Seiten starkes Booklet mit allen Texten und jeweils passenden Bildern zu jedem Stück, egal ob rein instrumental oder mit Gesang, hebt den Gesamtcharakter des Albums, sodass der Hörer schon beim Durchblättern der 20 Seiten sich anhand der Bilder in die Geschichte(n) hineindenken kann, sodass gleich zu Beginn des Albums „On A Train“ akustisch ein Zug zu finsteren Klängen losrollt, den man im Booklet genauso sehen kann.

Diese Vereinigung von Musik, Text und Bildern beeindruckt so auch auf den zweiten Blick – während die Musik für sich in ihrem als Suiten angelegten Aufbau überzeugt.

Symphonischer und bombastischer, stark von Keyboards geprägter Progressive Rock war schon immer Carpanis Ding und bleibt es auch. Dass nunmehr auch dank Alessio Alberghini immer stärker (s)ein Sopran-Saxophon mit ins Zentrum von „The Good Man“ rückt, und zusätzlich Emiliano Fantuzzi für die rockigeren E-Gitarren-Töne sorgt, ist ebenfalls eine echte Bereicherung beider Suiten.

Zwei in sich geschlossene wie voneinander abhängige symphonische Art-Rock-Epen und ein Konzept rund um den guten Menschen, der sich als „ein winziges Papierschiffchen, das in einem grenzenlosen Ozean zwischen Stürmen und gigantischen Wellen schwimmt und versucht, nicht unterzugehen, ohne jemals sein Ziel zu kennen“ (Carpani unter seiner bandcamp-Seite), macht Freude und erfüllt alle Standards, die man an guten Progressive Rock stellt.

FAZIT: Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt zweier epischer (neunteiliger) Prog-Suiten von ALEX CARPANI, zu dessen Konzept er unters einer bandcamp-Seite konkret feststellt: „Der gute Mensch ist nichts weiter als ein winziges Papierschiffchen, das in einem grenzenlosen Ozean zwischen Stürmen und gigantischen Wellen schwimmt und versucht, nicht unterzugehen, ohne jemals sein Ziel zu kennen.“ In „The Good Man“ vereint Carpani sein humanistisch-nachdenkliches Konzept mit symphonischem wie Keyboard-bombastischem Retro-Prog und Art-Rock sowie einem sehr anspruchsvoll gestaltetem Digipak samt 20-seitigem Booklet. „The Good Man“ ist nicht nur allen guten Menschen, sondern ganz speziell auch den progressiven Musik-Freigeistern zu empfehlen.

Thoralf Koß - Chefredakteur (Info)(Review 248x gelesen, veröffentlicht am 06.02.2025)
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Wertung: 11 von 15 Punkten

Tracklist:
Amnesiac
On A Train
Perfect Chaos
Flashbacks
The Edge Of My Mind
Diamond In The Rough
Past Life
Heart Calling
As Light Returns
End Of The Day
Good And Evil
Lost Frequencies
The Flow
P.T.S.D.
Stilness And Ecstasy
Flirting With Darkness
Mystical
Leaving The Path
Masquerade
Everything Falls Into Place

Besetzung:
Bass - Giambattista Giorgi
Gesang - Alex Carpani, Valentina Vanini
Gitarre - Emiliano Fantuzzi
Keys - Alex Carpani
Schlagzeug - Bruno Farinelli
Sonstige - Alessio Alberghini (Saxophon), Alex Carpani (Virtual Orchestra, Drum Machine, Synth Bass, Hintergrundgesang)


[English]

The first look at the digipak of ALEX CARPANI's new epic "The Good Man" makes the proggie's heart beat faster: we can expect two epic, nine-part long tracks of almost 29 minutes per suite.
High expectations have been raised!
But are they consistently fulfilled?

ALEX CARPANI is a German-French musician, keyboardist, composer, producer and musicologist who has also composed film scores. And for this reason alone, his numerous progressive rock albums have a lot of cinematic elements and follow, like a film, closed concepts that tell a story, sometimes more or less exciting.

His progressive tendencies also led to him working with real prog greats, such as David Cross from KING CRIMSON, with whom he, for example, performed an impressive cover version of KING CRIMSON's “Exiles” live.

But he has also played side by side with David Jackson from VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, Alessio Alberghini from LE ORME and Theo Travis from SOFT MACHINE and many more. Musicians who have an obvious influence on Carpani's own music. And the fact that he and his band have already supported PFM basically closes the progressive circle behind ALEX CARPANI, into which he once again delves deeply with "The Good Man".
The fact that he wrote and produced a variety of instrumental music for 15 years - such as New Age, electronic and symphonic music, musical settings of poetry, drum'n'bass, electro-jazz, music for theater performances and documentaries - also leaves deep traces on his current concept album, which is full of sound effects, exciting transitions that act as bridges and field recordings that are clearly reminiscent of PINK FLOYD's games on "Wish You Were Here" or "The Wall".

Very interesting – and somehow typically Italian – is also the use of a mezzo-soprano in the best style of Italian opera. Valentina Vanini sounds really fantastic, but is almost neglected in the album as a whole. With PFM or LE ORME and BANCO she would probably have been given more space for her aria phases. Either way – Vanini enriches both suites and gives them cleverly successful Italian opera moments.

A very artfully designed 20-page booklet with all the lyrics and matching pictures for each piece, whether purely instrumental or with vocals, enhances the overall character of the album, so that the listener can imagine themselves in the story(s) using the pictures as they leaf through the 20 pages, so that right at the beginning of the album “On A Train” a train rolls off to dark sounds, which can also be seen in the booklet.

This combination of music, text and images is impressive even at second glance - while the music itself is convincing in its suite-like structure.

Symphonic and bombastic progressive rock with a strong emphasis on keyboards has always been Carpani's thing and will remain so. The fact that, thanks to Alessio Alberghini, his soprano saxophone is now increasingly at the centre of "The Good Man", and that Emiliano Fantuzzi also provides the rockier electric guitar sounds, is also a real enrichment for both suites.

Two self-contained and interdependent symphonic art rock epics and a concept around the good person who sees himself as "a tiny paper boat floating in a boundless ocean between storms and gigantic waves, trying not to sink without ever knowing his destination" (Carpani on his bandcamp page), is fun and meets all the standards one expects of good progressive rock.

CONCLUSION: Man is the focus of two epic (nine-part) prog suites by ALEX CARPANI, about whose concept he states specifically on a bandcamp page: "The good man is nothing more than a tiny paper boat that swims in a boundless ocean between storms and gigantic waves and tries not to sink without ever knowing his destination." In "The Good Man", Carpani combines his humanistic, thoughtful concept with symphonic and keyboard-bombastic retro prog and art rock as well as a very sophisticated digipak with a 20-page booklet. "The Good Man" is recommended not only to all good people, but especially to progressive music free spirits.

No. 46
DPRP (review)
https://www.dprp.net/reviews/2025/006#carpani
by Greg Cummins

Alex Carpani and his band are back with yet another compellingly enjoyable outing that seems to have won the hearts and minds of many fans and reviewers alike. This is understandable when you consider the calibre of the man behind the material presented here and along with his stable of talented co-musicians, the results are going to be pretty positive.

Joining Alex (vocals, keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, virtual guitars) we have Bruno Farinelli (drums), Giambattista Giorgi (bass), Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitars) together with Valentina Vanini (mezzosoprano voice) and Alessio Alberghini (soprano sax).

Anyone reading through earlier reviews can see the glowing comments made about Alex's 2022 album, Microcosm. Earlier reviews are just as supportive of the quality of this man's visionary talents.
The album comprises two suites of approximately 28 minutes duration. As each suite contains nine pieces each, we are talking about just under an hour's worth of extremely well conceived and composed material that should appeal to a wide variety of prog fans. Joining Alex on this album we find the angelic voice of Valentina Vanini whose mezzo-soprano voice is hard to miss. Infusing slightly operatic vocals to those pieces which feature her talents, the listener will delight in the variety and skill set that she brings to this project. Although traditional opera is not a musical genre that I openly enjoy, the songs that feature her vocals seem like a logical fit and simply enhance the overall sound to the point where the listener could rightly assume that nothing else would seem natural.

The first suite, (Amnesiac), discusses at length the trials and tribulations of a person dealing with the loss of memory, forgetting facts, information and other experiences that fall within the amnestic syndrome umbrella. It is a highly emotive study of what a lot of people experience on a very personal level so it becomes easy to appreciate the concept behind this piece if you have first-hand experience with the issue or know someone else who has.

The second suite interrogates exactly what decisions one must make with life's options whether that might include work choices, personal relationships or underlying decisions that dictate how to reach nirvana when dealing with life itself. The complete fulfilment of these choices ultimately brings us a result that dictates whether we have managed to live a complete and rewarding life.

Musically, the album is replete with many segments that bring back the old regular progressive rock style of the 70's while other sections embrace all the advanced technological improvements and concepts that modern life has afforded a musician with a vision for the future. For this reason the album will appeal to fans of all ages and genre preferences. From engaging synth work to blistering lead breaks to emotive singing and a solid rhythm section, all bases are adequately covered for most prog fans. The production on the album is also incredibly well done as each instrument is easily discernible and the sound stage (at least on decent equipment in my own music room), sounds massive.

This is definitely an album to enjoy from amongst the many offerings that emanate from the world of progressive rock. Some names will come and go, while others will make a brief appearance and then fall behind. With Alex's latest album, I can see an even brighter future coming his way as he has composed a very intelligent, cohesive and well-structured conceptual album that works on a number of levels. A great effort and an album I will definitely keep spinning for months and years to follow.

No. 47
PROGWERELD (review)
https://www.progwereld.org/recensie/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Jos Driessen

Albums van Alex Carpani zullen de progfans niet direct tot hun favoriete bingokaart rekenen. Getuige de recensies van eerdere albums krijg je een bloemlezing aan valse bingo’s en net niet de juist vallende nummers op een rijtje. Gelukkig gaat deze Italiaanse multi-instrumentalist onverdroten voort om het geluk eens een keer te keren. En met het nieuwe album “The Good Man” overtuigt Alex ditmaal met het draaien aan zijn muzikale bingomolen en is vrijwel elk nummer dat eruit rolt prijs.
Het album bestaat uit twee lange suites verdeeld in negen segmenten, getiteld Amnesiac en Good & Evil, van elk een stief half uurtje. Het vertelt het metaforische verhaal over een klein papieren bootje (The Good Man) dat zonder zijn bestemming te kennen al drijvend tussen stormen en enorme golven in een eindeloze oceaan probeert niet te zinken.
De eerste suite beschrijft daarmee de ervaring van diepe amnesie gedurende een dag, en de angst en chaos die daarmee gepaard gaan. De tweede gaat over een ervaring die balanceert tussen goed en kwaad, golven en frequenties uit de diepten van tijd en ruimte. Het zit muzikaal zo fraai in elkaar dat het als een geheel beluisterd kan worden, van deinend op een kalme zee tot af en toe alle hens aan dek bij een woeste storm.
De twee delen kennen eenzelfde opzet aan korte ambient nummers die tactisch afgewisseld worden met gezongen uptempo stukken. Hierin komen thema’s en riffs in verschillende variaties terug en eindigen allebei met instrumentale klappers. De nummers zijn ook prima los van elkaar te beluisteren. Het hele album heeft een gelaagde mix van symfonische muziek met wat verdwaalde progmetalriffs en King Crimson-breaks. Het klinkt daarbij zowel weelderig als breekbaar tegelijk.
Het zijn met name de vele instrumentale gedeeltes die mij bijblijven en sterk overkomen, met als hoogtepunt, op kerkorgel, de verrassende Tocatta-twist van Bach in het symfonische Mystical. Ook de laatste twee delen van de eerste suite As Light Returns en The End of the Day zijn prachtige instrumentale nummers. Met name de klassieke mezzosopraanzang van Valentina Vanini tegenover de tenorsaxofoon van Alessio Alberghini, die gepast voorbijkomen en weer gaan, net als het kwetsbare bootje op een enorm grote oceaan, pakken goed uit.
Het is net geen volle winnende bingokaart geworden, maar vele geluksnummers komen in de juiste volgorde eruit gerold, zodat je met dit album van Alex Carpani prima een gokje kan wagen.

No. 48
PROGARCHIVES (review)
https://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=3152640
by alainPP

The 'Amnesiac' takes up themes from the 70s to the 2000s without the vintage side... There is rhythm, energy, Alessio's sax is just divine, ethereal breaks, elegiac choirs with voice-overs in 'Flashbacks' just melting, hard heavy riffs leaning towards BLIND EGO, Alex's warm keyboards and Emiliano's bewitching, swirling and astonishing guitar offering a fabulous prog melting pot... Captivating marshmallow tones, there is above all a progressive enthusiasm to move from one drawer to another with flowery, bucolic atmospheres. The sound of the synthesizer bewitches and strikes a fatal blow with Valentina's vocal leading to the dreamlike dream... The sound resembles the best CARPANI in fact, unrivaled... And would have been in my top 2024 if I had had time to listen to it longer before the end of the year. Almost half an hour that passes without realizing it, it's a major sign.
The 'Good and Evil' has the charm, the bewitchment... again... I look for reminiscences, sounds of other groups... Go in bulk a little of the MINIMUM VITAL for the bouncing and rhythmic keyboards on which we do not get bored; a little of the solos of RIVERSIDE and COLLAGE for the spleen but beautiful, touching guitar. A bit of the atmosphere of SAGA for the clarinet and the instruments mixed together, in short more tonic, energetic and velvety all the same, oxymoron prog.. A bit of classical orchestration with Many wind instruments, sax, viola, clarinet and others... Instruments that go very well in this long suite where the cinematic aspect intervenes with a solemn speech, cries of the jubilant audience and the whiff of YES and Wakeman all at once.. A nod to the sound of GENESIS with Gabriel's flute which fit perfectly into their music.... Not a stressful, annoying sax, not an aggressive flute like in many current groups just repeating the clichés... Title with its elegiac choirs which fit perfectly! (4.9)

No. 49
ROCK HARD ITALY (interview)
https://www.rockharditaly.com/
by Michele Martini

FORTE DI UN'ESPERIENZA PLURIDECENNALE IN AMBITO ARTISTICO, ALEX CARPANI SI È SEMPRE DISTINTO PER LE PROPRIE DOTI IN QUALITÀ DI COMPOSITORE, PRODUTTORE ED INTERPRETE. L'OPERA PIÙ RECENTE DEL VERSATILE ARTISTA NOSTRANO È L'ALBUM THE GOOD MAN, UN RAFFINATO COMPENDIO DI PROGRESSIVE ROCK E SPERIMENTAZIONI VARIE.

Come descriveresti la tua vocazione artistica?
"La musica è la mia principale forma di espressione, è il generatore dei miei pensieri e la fabbrica da cui escono le mie idee. Ho fin da subito scelto di dedicarmi solo alla mia musica, non a quella degli altri. Ho sicuramente perso delle occasioni, ma nel momento in cui ho deciso di tirare dritto l'ho fatto perché non cercavo delle strade alternative per arrivare al mio obiettivo. Avevo fiducia nei miei mezzi e sapevo
di potermi esprimere autonomamente, quindi ho accettato tutto ciò che ne conseguito e non me ne sono mai pentito".

Come si è svolto il processo di composizione di The Good Man?
“Un album non nasce mai dalle prime note o dal primo brano completo, ma nel momento in cui le varie idee che sto mettendo insieme e i brani che si susseguono mi fanno capire che sto lavorando ad un progetto organico. Anche con The Good Man è stato così: all'inizio stavo scrivendo semplicemente un brano prog-metal che si sviluppava man mano, diventando qualcosa di più complesso e completo, con delle parti interne ben distinte e una narrazione musicale di tipo sinfonico".

Qual è il genere che senti più affine alla tua sensibilità artistica?
"Forse il genere sinfonico, ma inteso in una forma moderna dove, per esempio, possono coesistere strumenti d'orchestra insieme al classico quartetto/quintetto rock. È una forma aperta, ampia, in cui non sei vincolato alla forma della canzone e in cui ti puoi esprimere con i tempi necessari affinché le idee musicali si sviluppino, raggiungano il punto di massima tensione e si plachino verso momenti più intimi o riflessivi".

Chi è il Good Man al quale il titolo fa riferimento?
"È l'individuo che si trova nel turbinio della vita, il brav'uomo o pover'uomo qualunque, l'essere umano, insomma, con tutte le sue imperfezioni e fragilità, che affronta la vita come meglio può. È una barchetta di carta che affronta le onde dell'oceano senza poter controllare la rotta e senza conoscere nemmeno la sua destinazione finale. Ma è anche l'uomo che sa reagire alle avversità, che si sa esprimere attraverso la sua forza e la sua sensibilità, che può cambiare il corso di molti eventi se lo vuole, che può resistere alle prove più dure e sfidanti".

No. 50
POWERMETAL.DE (review)
https://powermetal.de/review/review-Carpani__Alex/The_Good_Man,43777,43551.html
by Björn Backes

Ein Meisterwerk der musikalischen Erzählkunst.

Alex Carpani hat die besondere Gabe, Geschichten auf eine sehr ausladende Art und Weise zu erzählen und diese schließlich klangtechnisch so zu verknüpfen, dass die Zeit wie im Flug vergeht. Diese Qualität mag auch vielen anderen Künstlern der progressiven Hardrock-Szene eigen sein, jedoch geschieht es nur äußerst selten, dass ein Release mit zwei annähernd halbstündigen Longtracks so sehr in seinen Bann zieht, man sich von den Stimmungen und Emotionen so tief in den Strudel aus melodischem und dennoch dramaturgisch aufbereitetem Songwriting hineinziehen lässt und plötzlich feststellt, dass eine ganze Stunde vorbeigezogen ist. Genau das geschieht auf "The Good Man", dem neuen Konzeptwerk des italienischen Multiinstrumentalisten.

Carpani beschäftigt sich auf "The Good Man" mit den Schwächen des menschlichen Geistes, nicht zwingend mit den daraus entstehenden Abgründen, aber dennoch mit der Verzweiflung und dem sich anstauenden Frust, der imemr dann entsteht, wenn die körperlichen und seelischen Grenzen aufgezeigt werden. Die Scheibe ist in zwei längere Sinneinheiten zu jeweils neun Kapiteln unterteilt, die auch allesamt einzeln angewählt werden können, an sich aber erst in ihrer Gesamtheit Sinn ergeben.

Den Auftakt macht hier das überraschend melodische 'Amnesiac', eine Klangreise, die zwar oftmals die üblichen Stationen des symphonischen Progressive Rocks streift, aber mit vielen kleinen Nuancen Besonderheiten schafft, deren fesselnde Wirkung spätestens mit dem eingangs erwähnten Blick auf die Uhr offenbar wird. Nicht nur, dass der Protagonist hier mit einem virtuellen Orchester und zahlreichen, nicht mal sonderlich verspielten Keyboardvariationen unglaublich viele düstere Bilder zeichnet, sondern einfach die Tatsache, wie der Fluss der Story hier inszeniert wird, rührt und bewegt nachhaltig. Mit Valentina Vanini hat Carpani eine Sopranistin verpflichten können, die als emotionaler Gegenpart zu seiner eigenen Gesangsdarbietung für die ganz besonderen Momente sorgen kann und als Sahnehäubchen eines einzigartigen, überlangen Prog-Rock-Tracks fungiert. Alleine dies würde schon ausreichen, um die Investitionspflicht noch einmal in großen Lettern zu bestätigen.

Doch der italienische Musiker kann gekonnt nachlegen, geht in 'Good And Evil' etwas straighter zu Werke und setzt die Gitarren etwas deutlicher in den Vordergrund, nimmt sich aber dennoch ausreichend Zeit, um die Atmosphäre gedeihen zu lassen und mit einigen tollen Saxophon-Parts und Vaninis einzigartiger Stimme zu füllen. Der zweite Part läuft unter dem Titel 'Good And Evil' und bringt permanent diesen ständigen Kontrast zwischen Hoffnung und Ernüchterung in die musikalische Umsetzung, kreiert noch epischere Spannungsbögen und liebäugelt manchmal sogar mit einigen metallischen Parts, wenn auch nur im Ansatz. Auch hier gilt: Die Vielschichtigkeit ist beeindruckend, führt aber keinesfalls zu irgendeiner Form der Überforderung, weil auch hier das Storytelling wunderbar mit den Noten harmoniert und man sich flugs mittendrin im imposanten Geschehen von "The Good Man" befindet.

Ich muss zugestehen, dass ich die Laufbahn von Alex Carpani bis hierhin nicht verfolgt habe, nun aber sicher bin, dass der südeuropäische Künstler noch einiges in petto hat, um die Prog-Rock-Seele mit sehr großer Freude zu erfüllen. "The Good Man" darf man getrost als Meisterwerk der musikalischen Erzählkunst bezeichnen, gerade weil hier jedes einzelne Detail perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt ist. Im ersten Quartal wird es daher schwierig, diese Platte noch zu übertrumpfen!

9.50


[ENG]

A masterpiece of musical storytelling.

Alex Carpani has the special gift of telling stories in a very expansive way and ultimately linking them together in terms of sound so that time flies. This quality may also be characteristic of many other artists in the progressive hard rock scene, but it is extremely rare that a release with two almost half-hour long tracks captivates you so much, that you allow yourself to be drawn so deeply into the whirlpool of melodic and yet dramaturgically prepared songwriting by the moods and emotions and suddenly realize that a whole hour has passed by. That's exactly what happens on "The Good Man", the new conceptual work by the Italian multi-instrumentalist.

On "The Good Man" Carpani deals with the weaknesses of the human spirit, not necessarily with the abysses that arise from them, but nevertheless with the desperation and the accumulating frustration that always arises when the physical and mental limits are exposed. The disc is divided into two longer units of meaning, each with nine chapters, which can all be selected individually, but only make sense as a whole.

The start here is the surprisingly melodic 'Amnesiac', a sound journey that often touches on the usual stations of symphonic progressive rock, but with many small nuances creates special features whose captivating effect becomes apparent at the latest when you look at the clock mentioned at the beginning. Not only does the protagonist draw an incredible number of dark pictures with a virtual orchestra and numerous, not even particularly playful keyboard variations, but simply the fact how the flow of the story is staged here is touching and moving. With Valentina Vanini, Carpani has been able to engage a soprano who can provide the very special moments as an emotional counterpart to his own vocal performance and acts as the icing on the cake of a unique, overlong prog rock track. This alone would be enough to once again confirm the investment obligation in large letters.

But the Italian musician can up the ante skillfully, going a little straighter in 'Good And Evil' and putting the guitars more clearly in the foreground, but still taking enough time to let the atmosphere flourish and fill it with some great saxophone parts and Vanini's unique voice. The second part is entitled 'Good And Evil' and brings this constant contrast between hope and disillusionment into the musical implementation, creates even more epic arcs of tension and sometimes even flirts with some metallic parts, if only in the beginning. The same applies here: The complexity is impressive, but in no way leads to any form of overwhelm, because the storytelling harmonizes wonderfully with the notes and you quickly find yourself in the middle of the impressive action of "The Good Man".

I have to admit that I haven't followed Alex Carpani's career up to this point, but I'm now sure that the southern European artist still has a lot up his sleeve to fill the prog rock soul with great joy. "The Good Man" can confidently be described as a masterpiece of musical storytelling, precisely because every single detail is perfectly coordinated. It will therefore be difficult to top this record in the first quarter!

9.50

No. 51
HIGHLANDS MAGAZINE (review)
https://www.facebook.com/p/HIGHLANDS-MAGAZINE-100042647632338/
by Michel NEWSOULJAZZ

Alex CARPANI est un compositeur, claviériste, chanteur et producteur italien.
Depuis 2007, il a publié 6 albums solos parus sur des labels italiens et étrangers, Il a également fondé le groupe AEROSTATION avec Gigi CAVALLI COCCHI, qui a sorti en 2018 son premier album homonyme.
Outre ses activités musicales, il a été directeur artistique d'un théâtre et de divers festivals culturels à Bologne pendant près de vingt ans.
Passionné de photographie, il est également auteur de pièces de théâtre (Naufragio da un sogno, 2005 ; I Due Passi, 2019) et parle trois langues. Il est passionné par l'espace, l'astronautique et l'art moderne et contemporain.
Ce nouvel album THE GOOD MAN se compose de deux longs morceaux Amnesiac et Good And Evil, qui durent tous deux plus de 28 minutes (les deux morceaux sont divisés en neuf sections chacun).
Pour cet album, Alex CARPANI s'est entouré d'invités de renom tels qu'Ettore SALATI (THE WATCH), Tony SPADA (HOLDING PATTERN), Gigi CAVALLI COCCHI (MANGALA VALLIS, entre autres), David JACKSON (VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR), David CROSS (KING CRIMSON), la mezzo-soprano Valentina VANINI pour n'en citer que quelques- un(e)s.
Alex CARPANI nous offre ici une œuvre ambitieuse où chaque composition nous invite à voyager sur une musique de grande qualité parfaitement interprétée.
THE GOOD MAN est un album qui semble être fait sur mesure pour satisfaire tous les amateurs de bon rock progressif.
THE GOOD MAN est une œuvre conceptuelle sur les conditions, les faiblesses, les émotions et les besoins qui poussent une personne ou la gênent.
Une personne peut être comparée à un bateau en papier exposé aux vagues déchaînées du destin.
La première suite (Amnesiac) décrit l'expérience d'une amnésie profonde au cours d'une seule journée: se réveiller dans un lieu inconnu, une course chaotique pour échapper au danger, des flash-back sur des événements dont on ne sait pas s'ils se sont produits ou non, un monde qui semble être un tourbillon.
Son d'orgue dramatique entrecoupé de voix chorales, saxophone jazzy, maîtrise instrumentale, voix de la mezzo-soprano sublime, rock symphonique et jazz-rock se croisent dans ces 28 minutes qui ne sont pas sans évoquer Neal MORSE.
Le thème du deuxième titre Good And Evil est la bataille entre le bien et le mal évoquée dans le titre ainsi que les expériences mystiques de toutes sortes, les expériences post-traumatiques et l’attraction des ténèbres.
Les vocaux épiques, les passages jazzy entrecoupés de périodes électro, les fragments arrangés de manière symphonique, les emprunts au néo-prog, le chant opéra et les incursions inspirées de prog rétro font de ce titre et par extension de l'album une somme progressive impressionnante.
ALEX CARPANI nous offre un album de rock progressif tendance symphonique qu'on n'attendait pas.
THE GOOD MAN est un album qui demande à être apprécié dans son intégralité, pour s’immerger pleinement dans son univers et en apprécier toute la richesse harmonique, on voyage littéralement à travers tout les courants musicaux, allant de la pop au rock et finalement concevoir un certain néo-prog contemporain et accessible.
Un très bel et grand album indispensable.

Alex CARPANI - chant principal et arrière- chant, claviers, orchestre virtuel, boîte à rythmes, basse synthétique, guitares virtuelles.
Bruno FARINELLI - batterie Giambattista GIORGI - basse Emiliano FANTUZZI - guitares Alessio ALBERGHINI - saxophone soprano
Valentina VANINI - voix mezzo-soprano

(****) Michel NEWSOULJAZZ

No. 52
MUSIC STREET JOURNAL (review)
https://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=108696
by Gary Hill

Alex Carpani
The Good Man
Review by Gary Hill

It seems that each album Alex Carpani does raises the bar. The brand of symphonic prog meets metallic presented here is exceptional. This album is made up of two epic length suites. Each fits well together, while also covering a good amount of territory. As strong as his previous music was, I think this is his best album yet. If you like prog that wanders into metallic territory, but also presents plenty of symphonic qualities, you really need to check this out.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.

Track by Track Review

Amnesiac
                             
Amnesiac part 1 On A Train
This instrumental introductory piece has some train track sounds. It’s also got a moody, ethereal vibe to it.   

Amnesiac part 2 Perfect Chaos
This powers in with a guitar rock sound. The track is decidedly proggy and lands in the vein of something like Dream Theater. It has a lot of prog magic, but also plenty of hard rocking energy and sound. It’s also packed with some cool changes. There is a dropped back movement that feels almost fusion-like.

Amnesiac part 3 Flashbacks
There are some voice soundbites built into this. It’s atmospheric and trippy from a musical point of view, but it builds upward in dramatic ways. Non-lyrical vocals come in later.      

Amnesiac part 4 The Edge Of My Mind
This is such a driving powerhouse. That whole Dream Theater kind of thing is at play here, too. This thing is really potent.

Amnesiac part 5 Diamond In The Rough
This has a cool melodic prog vibe to it. The instrumental break is on fire here as is the later vocal section built on it.

Amnesiac part 6 Past Life
Non-lyrical female vocals soar over the top of this melodic prog arrangement. The cut builds and grows. It’s very cool.

Amnesiac part 7 Heart Calling
Here we get another driving, powerhouse cut with plenty metallic prog concepts at play.

Amnesiac part 8 As Light Returns
Now we get a big change with very mellow vibes and some hints of Celtic music at play. It gets more powerful later, and the female vocals return. Then it turns mellow again further down the road. 

Amnesiac part 9 End Of The Day
Killer triumphant sounding progressive rock is on the menu here. This is another powerhouse track. This instrumental piece does a great job of ending this suite in a very satisfying way.

Good And Evil
                  
Good And Evil part 1 Lost Frequencies
While some ambient music is heard, someone searches for a channel on a radio dial.

Good And Evil part 2 The Flow
Coming out of that instrumental introductory piece, this has some powerhouse melodic prog jamming. The cut is driving and powerful. The instrumental break starts with some killer keyboard work and builds out from there.

Good And Evil part 3 P.T.S.D.
This start with some mellower modes. That holds it for a time, and we get more of those female vocals. It eventually shifts to more driving hard rocking sounds.

Good And Evil part 4 Stillness And Ecstasy
A mellower piece of music, this has a lot of emotion and style packed into it.

Good And Evil part 5 Flirting With Darkness
More driving and hard rocking, this still has melodic prog elements. I really love the bass work on this thing.       

Good And Evil part 6 Mystical
This starts gradually and works out with a soundbite over the top. There are soaring operatic vocals in place, too. I really love when the organ kicks in after the one minute mark. It brings almost a classical meets Rick Wakeman vibe as it solos. Then it literally turns toward familiar classical music lines for a time. As it builds out to more rocking territory that continues for a time. The track gets into more exploratory prog territory, but then the organ takes control as it drops back down to some operatic vocals in the back of the mix with ambience beyond them. An opera vocal solo with limited accompaniment takes over from there. It continues to evolve with more melodic symphonic prog taking over with soaring operatic vocals over the top. That part segues into the next track.

Good And Evil part 7 Leaving The Path
Driving guitar based rock with an intriguing rhythmic vibe is the concept here. This is cool metallic prog that works really well.     

Good And Evil part 8 Masquerade
Hard-edged prog with soaring female vocals is the order of business here.   

Good And Evil part 9 Everything Falls Into Place
Continuing with similar themes, this is a killer powerhouse track. It drops to mellower stuff with the sounds of kids playing and similar stuff over and ambient background around the halfway mark.

No. 53
EMPIRE MUSIC (review)
https://www.empiremusic.de/hefte/159
by Bodo Kubatzki

Der Sänger, Keyboarder, Komponist und Pro- duzent Alex Carpani hat sich im Laufe der Jahre weit über die Grenzen seiner italieni- schen Heimat hinaus einen Namen gemacht. Mit seiner Band tourte er durch 21 Länder auf drei Kontinenten. Kollaborationen mit Künst- lern wie David Jackson (Van der Graaf Gener­ ator), David Cross (King Crimson) oder Theo Travis (Soft Machine) machten ihn zu einer festen Größe in der internationalen Progressi- ve-Rock-Szene. Meine Aufmerksamkeit weckte er im Jahr 2022 mit seinem sechsten Studioal- bum Microcosm, das ich mir in Vorbereitung auf sein Konzert beim ›Trasimeno Prog Festival‹ im gleichen Jahr zulegte. Seine englischspra- chigen Songs, die gekonnt Elemente aus Jazz, Rock und Pop miteinander verbinden, gefielen mir auf Anhieb. Daher erwartete ich mit Span- nung sein neues Album The Good Man, das er im Dezember 2024 veröffentlichte. Auf diesem präsentiert uns Carpani zwei komplexe Suiten von jeweils knapp 30 Minuten Spieldauer, die Amnesiac und Good And Evil betitelt sind. Jede der Suiten ist in neun Parts gegliedert, die eine musikalische Vielfalt aufweisen, die jedes Prog- ger-Herz höherschlagen lassen dürfte. Auf- grund der Komplexität der Musik bedarf es je- doch Zeit und Muße, sich diese zu erarbeiten.
Carpani, bekannt für seine Fähigkeit, verschie- dene Genres zu kombinieren, überrascht auf diesem Album mit einer wilden Mischung aus Progressive- und Hardrock-Elementen, sympho- nischem Bombast und eingängigen Melodien. Die Kompositionen sind sorgfältig durchdacht und zeigen Carpanis Talent für vielschichtige Arrangements. Hinzu kommt eine herausra- gende Produktion mit einem kristallklaren Mix, bei dem jedes Instrument, jedes Geräusch und jede Gesangspassage zur Geltung kommt.
Wie der Name der ersten Suite, Amnesiac, schon vermuten lässt, werden in ihr Erfahrun- gen einer tiefen Amnesie beschrieben. Hyp- notische Geräusche während einer Zugfahrt nehmen den Hörer mit in rockige Gefilde mit treibenden Drums und harten Gitarrenriffs, aber auch mit einer eingängigen Gesangsme- lodie, die in der gesamten Suite immer wieder auftaucht. Traumhafte Flashbacks werden un- terlegt mit Gesprächsschnipseln, sphärischen Sounds, Synthesizer-Soli und dezenten Saxo- phon-Parts.
Carpani erschafft üppige, dynamische Klang- welten, die im Kopf einen Film ablaufen lassen. Großartig ist der sirenenhafte Gesang der Mez- zosopranistin Valentina Vanini in den letzten Parts der Suite. Auch Alessio Alberghini fügt mit seinem Sopransaxophon immer wieder in- teressante Klangfarben hinzu.
Die zweite Suite, Good And Evil, wirkt auf mich noch erhabener. Das Wechselspiel zwischen Gut und Böse setzt Carpani spannend in Szene. Beseelte Saxophon-Klänge, Vaninis So- pranstimme, fettes Drumming und harte Gi- tarrenriffs bis hin zu den sakralen Klängen einer Kirchenorgel sorgen für starke klangliche Kontraste zwischen den einzelnen Parts. Car­ panis Gesang drückt dem Ganzen schließlich seinen Stempel auf.
Erwähnenswert ist auch das Artwork des Al- bums. Es stammt von dem italienischen Maler und Schlagzeuger Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (Moon­ garden), mit dem Alex Carpani und Jacopo Rossi 2018 das Album Aerostation veröffent- licht haben. Alex Carpani zeigt mit diesem Werk einmal mehr, dass er ein kreativer und in- novativer Künstler ist, der es versteht, seine Vi- sionen musikalisch umzusetzen. Ein Muss für jeden, der auf der Suche nach tiefgründiger und abwechslungsreicher Musik ist!

[ENGLISH]

Over the years, singer, keyboardist, composer and producer Alex Carpani has made a name for himself far beyond the borders of his Italian homeland. He has toured 21 countries on three continents with his band. Collaborations with artists such as David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), David Cross (King Crimson) and Theo Travis (Soft Machine) have made him a fixture on the international progressive rock scene. He caught my attention in 2022 with his sixth studio album Microcosm, which I bought in preparation for his concert at the ›Trasimeno Prog Festival‹ that same year. I liked his English-language songs, which skilfully combine elements of jazz, rock and pop, right away. So I was eagerly awaiting his new album The Good Man, which he released in December 2024. On this album, Carpani presents us with two complex suites, each of which lasts almost 30 minutes, entitled Amnesiac and Good And Evil. Each of the suites is divided into nine parts, which have a musical variety that should make every prog fan's heart beat faster. However, due to the complexity of the music, it takes time and leisure to get to grips with it.
Carpani, known for his ability to combine different genres, surprises on this album with a wild mix of progressive and hard rock elements, symphonic bombast and catchy melodies. The compositions are carefully thought out and show Carpani's talent for multi-layered arrangements. Added to this is an outstanding production with a crystal-clear mix in which every instrument, every sound and every vocal passage comes into its own.
As the name of the first suite, Amnesiac, suggests, it describes experiences of deep amnesia. Hypnotic sounds during a train ride take the listener into rocky realms with driving drums and hard guitar riffs, but also with a catchy vocal melody that appears again and again throughout the suite. Dreamlike flashbacks are accompanied by snippets of conversation, spherical sounds, synthesizer solos and subtle saxophone parts.
Carpani creates lush, dynamic soundscapes that create a film in your head. The siren-like singing of mezzo-soprano Valentina Vanini in the last parts of the suite is magnificent. Alessio Alberghini also adds interesting timbres with his soprano saxophone.
The second suite, Good And Evil, seems even more sublime to me. Carpani sets the scene for the interplay between good and evil in an exciting way. Soulful saxophone sounds, Vanini's soprano voice, fat drumming and hard guitar riffs, as well as the sacred sounds of a church organ, provide strong tonal contrasts between the individual parts. Carpani's singing ultimately puts its stamp on the whole thing.
The album's artwork is also worth mentioning. It was created by the Italian painter and drummer Gigi Cavalli Cocchi (Moon garden), with whom Alex Carpani and Jacopo Rossi released the album Aerostation in 2018. With this work, Alex Carpani shows once again that he is a creative and innovative artist who knows how to translate his visions into music. A must for anyone looking for profound and varied music!

No. 54
ECLIPSED (review)
https://www.eclipsed.de/de
by Fabian Broicher

(Foto: Bodo Kubatzki)

„Eigentlich wollte ich nur einen Metal-Song schreiben!" - Alex Carpani

AUF DEM OZEAN DES LEBENS
Auf seinem neuen Album erforscht ALEX CARPANI das Wesen der Menschen
Mit sieben Jahren wusste Alex Carpani schon, dass er Musik machen wollte. Damals besuchte er eine Schule in der Schweiz, einer seiner Klassenkameraden dort war Aa- ron Emerson, Sohn von Keith Emerson. Wenn Carpani dann seinen Kumpel Aaron zum Spielen besuchte, erlebte er dessen berühmten Vater im Heimstudio, versun- ken in seine Keyboards. Damals arbeiteten Emerson, Lake & Palmer gerade an ih- rem Album,,Works".,,Das hat mich total fasziniert", sagt der Italiener.,,Deswegen habe ich mich mit Rockmusik beschäftigt und wollte unbedingt Kla- vier spielen." Und so erhielt Carpani seine musikalische Initialzündung von einem der virtuosesten Keyboarder des Prog.
Mittlerweile ist Carpani selbst im Prog angekommen. Er musizierte mit David Cross (King Crimson) und David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), gründete seine eigene Band, nahm mehr als dreißig Al- ben mit verschiedenen Projekten auf. Solo widmet er sich meist sym- phonischem Prog, wie auf seinem aktuellen Werk,,The Good Man". Es umfasst zwei Suiten, beide knapp dreißig Minuten lang. Wie kam es zu diesem Mammut-Projekt? Carpani lacht. Eigentlich wollte ich nur einen Metal-Song schreiben", sagt er. „Aber ich habe immer weiter komponiert, er wurde immer länger und länger.",,Amnesiac" heißt das Stück, das von einem Mann ohne Erinnerungen handelt. Es changiert zwischen verzerrten Riffs, sphärischem Ambient und or- chestraler Musik. Sogar eine Mezzosopranistin ist zu hören. Danach wusste Carpani, dass er einen zweiten Longtrack brauchte.
Ein Gegenstück.,,Das war eine echte Herausforderung", sagt er.,,Ich wollte mich beim Aufbau und bei der Länge am ersten Track orientie- ren." Musikalisch unterscheidet sich ,,Good And Evil" allerdings von seinem Pendant. Er ist gemäßigter, bombastischer. In einem Teil so- gar mit Kirchenorgel und dem Sample einer Rede von Papst Johan- nes Paul II. Der Track behandelt den ewigen Kampf zwischen Gut und Böse, und wie Menschen ihrer Umwelt begegnen.
,,Eigentlich sind wir Menschen wie kleine Papierboote, die auf dem riesigen Ozean des Lebens treiben“, sagt Alex Carpani. „Wie beim Komponieren, da ist für mich alles im Fluss." Man hört es. Denn durch die Musik von The Good Man" kann man sich hervorragend treiben lassen.

Fabian Broicher


[ENGLISH]

(Foto: Bodo Kubatzki)

„Actually, I just wanted to write a metal song!" - Alex Carpani

ON THE OCEAN OF LIFE
On his new album, ALEX CARPANI explores the essence of people
At the age of seven, Alex Carpani already knew that he wanted to make music. At the time, he was attending school in Switzerland, and one of his classmates there was Aaron Emerson, son of Keith Emerson. When Carpani visited his friend Aaron to play, he would see his famous father in his home studio, engrossed in his keyboards. At the time, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were working on their album "Works". "That totally fascinated me," says the Italian. "That's why I got involved with rock music and really wanted to play the piano." And so Carpani got his musical inspiration from one of the most virtuoso keyboard players in prog.
Carpani has now arrived in prog himself. He has played with David Cross (King Crimson) and David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator), founded his own band, and recorded more than thirty albums with various projects. Solo, he mostly devotes himself to symphonic prog, as on his current work, "The Good Man." It comprises two suites, both just under thirty minutes long. How did this mammoth project come about? Carpani laughs. "Actually, I just wanted to write a metal song," he says. "But I kept composing, and it got longer and longer." "Amnesiac" is the name of the piece, which is about a man with no memories. It alternates between distorted riffs, spherical ambient, and orchestral music. You can even hear a mezzo-soprano. After that, Carpani knew he needed a second long track.
A counterpart. "That was a real challenge," he says. "I wanted to base the structure and length on the first track." Musically, however, "Good And Evil" differs from its counterpart. It is more moderate, more bombastic. In one part there is even a church organ and a sample of a speech by Pope John Paul II. The track deals with the eternal battle between good and evil and how people deal with their environment. "Actually, we humans are like little paper boats floating on the vast ocean of life," says Alex Carpani. "Like when I'm composing, everything is in flux for me." You can hear it. Because the music of "The Good Man" is great for letting yourself drift.

Fabian Broicher

No. 55
EXPOSE' (review)
http://expose.org/index.php/articles/display/alex-carpani-the-good-man-2.html
by Jon Davis

Alex Carpani has proven himself to be skilled at creating catchy music with inflections from progressive rock, and on albums like Microcosm and L'Orizzonte degli Eventi that music takes the form of concise tracks structured more or less like elaborate pop songs.
With The Good Man, he takes a different approach, presenting two 28-minute suites titled “Amnesiac” and “Good and Evil.” Each suite has nine parts which are indexed individually but flow seamlessly from one part to the next.
Musically, Carpani’s work remains in the same vein — fans of Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief will hear some sounds that are along the same lines as those bands, though not overly imitative. The intense, rocking tracks are separated by atmospheric interludes with keyboards and vocal samples. Carpani is credited with vocals, keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, and virtual guitars; he’s joined by Bruno Farinelli (drums), Giambattista Giorgi (bass), Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitars), Alessio Alberghini (soprano sax), and Valentina Vanini (mezzo-soprano voice). Vanini’s contributions are particularly interesting — imagine Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” if the female vocalist had been an opera singer instead of a soul singer. In addition to the vocal sections, there are some outstanding instrumental passages, like the synthesizer solo in “Heart Calling” (“Amnesia Part 7”). Alberghini’s sax has a plaintive, oboe-like quality rather than the slick sound a soprano sax sometimes has, and it’s sometimes used in harmony with Vanini’s wordless singing.
This is tasty melodic writing that retains an edge, never sliding into sappiness. It’s also clearly inspired on some level by classic progressive rock, though it sounds thoroughly modern, which is probably down to the keyboard sounds, which are not dominated by vintage instruments. 
The Good Man is a solid album that should appeal to all progressive rock fans, and cements Carpani’s reputation as a composer and keyboardist.

No. 56
ROCK TIMES (review)
https://www.rocktimes.info/alex-carpani-the-good-man-cd-review/
by Achim Mayinger

Eigentlich wäre dieses Album kurz und bündig erklärt, es gibt zwei Longtracks, die in mehrere Sequenzen unterteilt sind und die am Ende mit fast einer Stunde Spielzeit zu Buche schlagen. Die Musik schwenkt zwischen Pink Floyd und Dream Theater hin und her, obwohl (leider) der floydige Teil höher ist. Kann man gut hören, aber …
Alex Carpani erzählt hier eine kleine musikalische Reise eines winzigen Papierschiffchen, das in einem grenzenlosen Ozean zwischen Stürmen und gigantischen Wellen schwimmt und versucht, ohne jemals sein Ziel zu kennen, nicht unterzugehen. So erstmal die Fakten. Doch schon mal vorweg: von dem stürmischen Ozean spürt man nicht viel!
Der italienisch/französische Keyboarder, der sich im heimischen Dunstkreis der Prog-Rocker aufhält und immer wieder auf Alben als Gastmusiker gelistet ist, veröffentlicht mit "The Good Man" sein mittlerweile siebtes Studioalbum.
Der erste Haupttitel, "Amnesiac", zieht mit einem sphärischen Intro ("On A Train") Richtung Ozean und kehrt in ein hartes proggiges "Perfect Chaos" ein. Die Melodie relativiert sich im Laufe der Zeit in eine sanftere Tonart; nichtsdestotrotz nimmt die Härte am Ende wieder ein wenig zu. So wechselt die Band von einem sphärischen Kurztrip in einen melodiöseren Teil und holt immer wieder das vorige Thema hervor. Ab "Past Time" erinnert man sich doch sehr an Pink Floyds Dark Side Of The Moon; nicht nur instrumentalistisch von der Stimmung und Atmosphäre her, sondern auch durch Valentina Vanini, die ihre Mezzosopran-Stimme mit der Melodie in die Höhen hebt.
So zieht sich das Ganze hin bis zum "End Of The Day".
Über 28 Minuten überstanden, folge ich gespannt, was mich bei "Good And Evil", dem zweiten Haupttitel, so überkommt. Nach einminütiger Suche nach der richtigen Frequenz findet man "The Flow" – der wohl schönste und interessanteste Song auf dem Album. Eine synthiemäßige Melodie gibt das Thema vor und zieht harmonisch dahin. Der mit leichten Breaks untersetzte Gesang fügt sich hier wunderbar mit ein. Sphärisch geht es übergangslos zu "P.T.SD" über, wieder mit der Stimme von Valentina, die aber von einem sehr rockigen und fetzigen Prog-Rhythmus übernommen wird.
Leider verliert bzw. verfängt sich die Band wieder in dieses Schema mit ruhigen Passagen und bisschen Progressivem. Es passiert dann nicht mehr allzu viel. Natürlich, instrumental sind alle Musiker auf einem hohen Niveau und höchst diszipliniert; jede Note kommt, wird sauber und genau gespielt. Es kommt aber bei mir nicht an, es fehlt mir die Spannung und Überraschung. Ich habe gerade bei diesem zweiten Teil Frank Bornemanns 80er Eloy im Sinn.
Sehr positiv möchte ich noch die Aufmachung der CD und hier das Booklet erwähnen: In sich stimmige Zeichnungen des im Ozean schwimmenden Papierschiffchen im leicht rötlich/orangenen Style, der uns durch die einzelnen Songtitel bildlich in diese Fantasywelt mitnimmt. Sehr hübsch mit Liebe von einem gewissen Gigi Cavalli Cocchi gestaltet
Ansonsten bleibt mir nicht mehr zu diesem Album zu schreiben.

Line-up: Alex Carpani:
Alex Carpani (vocals, keyboards, virtual orchestra, drum machine, synth bass, virtual guitars)
Bruno Farinelli (drums)
Giambattista Giorgi (bass)
Emiliano Fantuzzi (guitars)

With:
Alessio Alberghini (soprano sax)
Valentina Vanini (mezzosoprano voice)

Tracklist "The Good Man"

Amnesiac (28:40)
On A Train (2:10)
Perfect Chaos (4:41)
Flashbacks (1:30)
The Edge Of My Mind (3:57)
Diamond In The Rough (1:55)
Past Life (4:21)
Heart Calling (2:51)
As Light Returns (3:42)
End Of The Day (4:41)

Good And Evil (28:24)
Lost Frequencies (0:57)
The Flow (4:13)
P.T.S.D. (3:52)
Stillness And Ecstasy (2:15)
Flirting With Darkness (4:11)
Mystical (5:39)
Leaving The Path (1:32)
Masquerade (2:42)
Everything Falls Into Place (3:09)

Gesamtspielzeit: 57:04, Erscheinungsjahr: 2024


[ENGLISH]

This album could actually be explained succinctly: there are two long tracks divided into several sequences, which ultimately add up to almost an hour of playing time. The music swings back and forth between Pink Floyd and Dream Theater, although (unfortunately) the Floyd-esque part is higher in pitch. It's easy to hear, but...
Alex Carpani tells the short musical journey of a tiny paper boat floating in a boundless ocean between storms and gigantic waves, trying not to sink without ever knowing its destination. Those are the facts for now. But let's be clear: you don't really feel the stormy ocean!
The Italian/French keyboardist, who is in the local prog rock circle and is frequently listed as a guest musician on albums, is releasing his seventh studio album, "The Good Man."
The first main track, "Amnesiac," moves toward the ocean with a celestial intro ("On a Train") and returns to a hard, prog-like "Perfect Chaos." The melody softens over time into a softer key; nevertheless, the heaviness increases slightly at the end. Thus, the band switches from a celestial short trip to a more melodic section, repeatedly returning to the previous theme. From "Past Time" onward, one is strongly reminded of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon; not only in terms of the instrumental mood and atmosphere, but also through Valentina Vanini, who lifts her mezzo-soprano voice to the high notes with the melody.
The whole thing continues like this until "End of the Day."
Having survived over 28 minutes, I eagerly listen to what comes over me during "Good and Evil," the second main track. After a minute of searching for the right frequency, I find "The Flow" – arguably the most beautiful and interesting song on the album. A synth-like melody sets the theme and flows harmoniously. The vocals, interspersed with gentle breaks, fit in wonderfully. The ethereal transition seamlessly into "P.T.SD," again featuring Valentina's voice, but carried over by a very rocky and groovy prog rhythm.
Unfortunately, the band loses or gets caught up in this pattern again, with quiet passages and a bit of progressive. After that, not much else happens. Of course, instrumentally, all the musicians are of a high standard and highly disciplined; every note arrives, played cleanly and precisely. But it doesn't resonate with me; it lacks tension and surprise. I'm thinking of Frank Bornemann's 80s Eloy, especially with this second track.
I'd also like to mention the CD's design and the booklet, which are very positive: harmonious drawings of a paper boat floating in the ocean in a slightly reddish/orange style, which visually transports us into this fantasy world through the individual song titles. Beautifully designed with love by a certain Gigi Cavalli Cocchi.
Otherwise, there's nothing more I can say about this album.

No. 57
THE PROG SPACE (review)
https://theprogspace.com/album_releases/week-50-2024/
by Dario

You know what’s still missing in this very eclectic selection of December highlights? Correct, a full on progressive rock album. Luckily Italian keyboardist Alex Carpani covers that part expertly with his newest album “The Good Man”. Composed of just two longtracks who both clock in at exactly the same time (28:42) and are both divided into nine parts, Carpani’s style is equally eclectic, cinematic, innovative and ultimately compelling despite the song length and meandering, proggy song structure. Or rather because he’s keeping things varied and interesting? Well, I’d say that’s up to you, “The Good Man” is an album not to be missed by any progressive rock aficionado in any case! 
Dario

No. 58
ITALIA DI METALLO (review)
https://www.italiadimetallo.it/2025/03/18/alex-carpani-the-good-man/
by Klaus Petrovic

Alex Carpani è un compositore, tastierista, cantante, produttore, musicologo e direttore artistico italo-francese che vive e lavora a Bologna. Autore di molti album e di collaborazioni con artisti del gotha internazionale, già passato su queste pagine con il suo gruppo Aerostation, ci propone un corposo lavoro composto da due suite per un’ora circa di musica di qualità elevata. E quando dico elevata vi consiglio di ascoltare ‘The Edge Of My Mind‘ per capire di cosa parlo, una vera chicca di rock dove la coesione di tutti gli strumenti, con un basso sopra la media (Giambattista Giorgi) emana atmosfere prog space, sognanti ed evocative.
La bellezza di questo disco è che i brani sono collegati l’uno all’altro, una suite musicale composta egregiamente senza cadute di tono. Synth incisivi, basso come già detto, le chitarre di Emiliano Fantuzzi mai invasive ma sempre marcate che danno l’impronta totale brano dopo brano. Bellissima in ‘Past Life‘ l’entrata della voce della mezzosoprano Valentina Vanini, che mi ha ricordato i migliori brani del Maestro Morricone che incontra i King Crimson e che comparirà anche successivamente. Più si va avanti e più si ha l’impressione di entrare in un mondo incantato, fatato, fatto di musica superlativa, come fosse una jam con Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, che ci catapulta negli anni 70 ma con la grazia e la cura dedicata alla composizione da Alex, momenti celestiali, altri ponderati dove svetta la chitarra come in ‘As Light Returns‘, del resto la descrizione fatta nella presentazione del disco è eloquente e mi sembra giusto riportarla: “Un album che, attraverso due suite, rappresenta un racconto ininterrotto, un’esperienza vissuta attraverso le pieghe e le fragilità della mente umana, attraverso le infinite sfumature delle nostre emozioni e dei nostri sentimenti. Costantemente in bilico e in balìa dei nostri limiti e delle nostre debolezze, la nostra vita è alimentata dalla forza delle nostre passioni e dal nostro incessante bisogno di vivere, conoscere e credere in qualcosa. Il buonuomo (the good man) non è altro che una minuscola barchetta di carta che galleggia, cercando di non affondare, in un oceano smisurato, tra tempeste e onde gigantesche, senza conoscere mai la propria destinazione.”
Al termine della prima parte, Amnesiac, sembra di uscire da un viaggio spazio temporale che ci proietta nella seconda parte, Good And Evil, la parte ipnotica sembra lasciare spazio a quella più elettrica come ci dimostra ‘The Flow‘ per poi ritrovare grazie alla voce di Valentina il meccanismo ammaliante di ‘P.T.S.D.‘ il quale sfocia poi in un fragoroso brano rock che prelude all’eterea ‘Stillness and Ecstasy‘ impreziosita dal sax soprano di Alessio Alberghini.
Quello che maggiormente mi ha colpito di questo album, che per la sua imponenza, 18 brani, poteva apparire come un polpettone di difficile digeribilità è l’impatto immediato che ho avuto sin dal primo ascolto, un’ora trascorsa velocemente, e riascoltandolo ne ho apprezzato ancora di più le varie sfumature.
La spirituale ‘Mystical‘ con i suoi organi da chiesa, l’impetuosa voce di Valentina scorre veloce nonostante i suoi sei minuti e qui la coesione tra i vari strumenti è elevata alla massima potenza, l’apoteosi del disco, disco che vede nel trittico finale una cavalcata che si distingue per l’immensa qualità dei protagonisti, non voglio dimenticare l’ottimo drummer Bruno Farinelli, più elettrica e devastante, con i distinguo del genere ovviamente. Bella anche la copertina di Gigi Cavalli Cocchi, altro Artista che non ha bisogno di presentazioni.
‘The Good Man‘ è un opera eccelsa, che solo grandi Artisti come Carpani e i suoi pards potevano proporre, si cataloga nel prog ma è limitativo, questa è un’ Opera a tutto tondo in ambito rock e non solo, sebbene il 2024 sia solo un ricordo questo è sicuramente uno dei tre migliori dischi rock che sia stato prodotto a livello internazionale. Non averlo è un delitto.
 
Klaus Petrovic
 
Tracklist:

Amnesiac (28:40) 1. On A Train 2. Perfect Chaos 3. Flashbacks 4. The Edge Of My Mind 5. Diamond In The Rough 6. Past Life 7. Heart Calling 8. As Light Returns 9. End Of The Day

Good And Evil (28:24) 10. Lost Frequencies 11. The Flow 12. P.T.S.D. 13. Stillness And Ecstasy 14. Flirting With Darkness 15. Mystical 16. Leaving The Path 17. Masquerade 18. Everything Falls Into Place
 
• Anno: 2024
• Etichetta: Independent Artist Records
• Genere: Rock Progressive