PROCESSION — Frontiera (review)

Album · 1972 · Proto-Metal

4/5 · 2024-05-26
siLLy puPPy

One of the heaviest prog bands from the Italy in the 1970s, PROCESSION emerged from the city of Torino in 1971 and delivered two albums with mostly different lineups and styles before disbanding permanently in 1975. The band was quite active on the live circuit in both incarnations during its four year run but like many talented bands of those years didn’t find the fame and fortunate that it deserved. The only two members to appear on both albums were lead vocalist Gianfranco Gaza and guitarist Roby Munciguerra. This debut album FRONTIERA was notably different than the majority of Italian prog acts of the day due to the fact it featured no keyboardist yet some tracks seem to have an uncredited atmospheric keyboard presence. Officially the band featured two guitarists, a bass and percussion. The three remaining members on this debut were guitarist Marcello Capra, bassist Angelo Girardi and drummer Giancarlo Capello.

While existing in a similar classically inspired framework of composiitons led by the exceptional and unique sounding lead vocalist Gianfranca Gaza, PROCESSION’s first album was based in hard rock and even reaching proto-metal intensity at times but also fortified with strong acoustic segments including the use of mandolin especially on the track “Incontro.” The band was also notable for its lyrical themes revolving around immigration hence the title FRONTIERA which means “Border” in Italian which apparently was a major issue in the Torino region at the time. The band’s big sound included dueling guitar action and heavy percussion but although based on the harder rock styles of the early 1970s, the compositions themselves have more in common with the classically infused symphonic prog bands that dominated the Italian scene.

Tracks like “Un Mondo Di Liberta” surely must’ve been the heaviest rock in prog in the entire nation of Italy with crazy fast tempos, blitzkrieg chunky guitar riffs and lightning fast solos. This particular track could easily qualify as one of the very first prog metal tracks as not only is it seriously intense but the longest track on the album reaching nearly 9 minutes in playing time. But it’s not just all crazy metal head banging. Halfway through the track suddenly gives way to a lush acoustic guitar segment with softer contemplative vocals which also finds a nice mandolin strumming session joining in. Surprisingly it never returns to the heavy rock but the following “Solo” continues in a hard boogie rock fashion. Like most of the tracks the band is skilled at creating a mood and dynamic and then changing things up in the middle into something completely unexpected thus adding interesting elements of surprise.

Likewise “Un’Ombra Che Vaga” starts off with heavy metal thunder before completely shifting into a purely acoustic sing-along style of local traditional folk music. The band members all add their harmonies and it’s probably the most mainstream sounding track on the album and then the last song “Solo II” delivers a slice of heavy boogie rock and then ends the album without further ado. While hard rock as the main focus in Italian prog wasn’t common, there were a few bands like Il Rovescio Della Medaglia who delivered an exclusively hard rock version of prog on its first two releases. The strange thing about PROCESSION is how balls to the wall heavy they were while in hard rock mode and then how soft and romanic they sounded during the softer acoustic passages. The contrast is like night and day and the unpredictable nature of when the heaviness ends and the placidly begins seemed rather random.

This band was truly unique and sounded like no other with blazing twin guitar attacks one minute, ridiculously bombastic riffing the next and then a complete curveball 180 degrees into some of the most melodic classically inspired acoustic rock you could imagine. The operatic prowess of vocalist Gianfranco Gaza really deserves credit for tying it altogether because without his powerful vocal abilities none of it would sound convincing. A truly unique sounding album that wouldn’t last for a second round. The band did manage to squeak out a second album with a mostly different lineup but “Fiaba” delivered a more mainstream Italian prog sound with keys, flute and saxophones. Overall this is a weird but satisfying slice of Italian prog.