1967/ 1976
I copy from www.italianprog.com:"New Trolls' leaders Nico Di Palo and Vittorio De Scalzi came to a legal struggle on the use of the band's name in 1973, with Di Palo taking with him the line up that had released Ut a year before. The four piece recorded an LP due for release with Fonit, but they couldn't yet call themselves New Trolls, so the album was issued with a giant question mark on the cover and no band name, and the group is usually referred to with the name of its members, Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio. A very good album, Canti d'innocenza, canti d'esperienza is the ideal follow-up to Ut, with a convincing mix of classical and hard rock influences."
This first album present a great Heavy Metal version of New Trolls concept. The first side is entitled "Canti D'Innocenza" (eng: "Songs of Innocence")and present three songs. The first song "Innocenza, Esperienza" (eng: "Innocence, Experience") is a song very powerful, in a sort of mix between Led Zeppelin and Gentle Giant, also if more close to Led Zeppelin. More personal is the second song of this side "Signora Carolina" (eng: "Miss Caroline"), a great mix between Gentle Giant and Deep Purple, because of the baroque parts dominion also if Heavy metal parts are important in the economy of this song. "Simona" is an acoustic song in 70's Italian songwriters style. The second side is entitled "Canti D'esperienza" (eng: "Songs of Experience") and the first song is "L'amico della porta accanto" (eng: "The Friend of the Next Door"), a great song that anticipates the full traditional Heavy Metal of 80's and 90's remaining a full 70's song for the use of structure and organ. This song is a sort of Proto Prog Metal song that speaks of a multiethnic city where sailors of every race, nationality and religion every day looking for relationships of any kind and by any means. The second song of B-side is "Vecchia Amica" (eng: "Old Female Friend"). This song is a pure Hard Rock song with Prog Rock structure, a guitar a la Hendrix. Hmm... "Vecchia Amica" is a great tribute to Jimy Hendrix (with a good vocalist... Not as Garybaldi!) with some full Heavy Metal drums figure. "Angelo Invecchiato" (eng: "Grow Old Angel") is a psychedelic song without connection with Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.
In great substance "Nico, Gianni, Frank, Maurizio" or "?" is a good album with a poor sound production: too dark and heavy. So the Prog Rock parts not sung good in this album of Proto Prog Metal. Remain the fact that Ibis was a geat band, a band that anticipated what now is Prog Metal.