Detailed Reviews [Antonius Rex - 1979/1994 - "Ralefun"]

Prolusion. "Ralefun" is the sixth and penultimate album by Antonius Rex. It was originally released about a year before this international "magic group" disbanded. For more info, the band's discography and related links, click >here.

Synopsis. Surprisingly, there is nothing dark on "Ralefun". The album is full of romanticism, which, just for instance, was also rather typical for classic Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant, and atypical for Pink Floyd, not to mention Van Der Graaf Generator and King Crimson. In other words, even dramatic colors are rarely to be found in its musical palette. I don't know why the band's music has undergone such a metamorphosis, but then, I well understand why the majority of fans of this cult band turned away from it in the second half of the seventies. But while this fact has resulted in the breakdown of Antonius Rex, it was in no way concerned with the quality of music they composed during those years. Each of the following four tracks: Magic Sadness, Incubus, Agonia per un Amore, and In Einsteinesse's Memory (1, 4, 2, & 5 respectively), the first two of which are instrumental pieces, represents Classic Symphonic Art-Rock in pure form done in the best traditions of English school of the genre, yet, free of any influences. Although the first two tracks on the album aren't as diverse and intricate as all of the others, they have their own merits, and beauty is only one of them. Doris Norton has seemingly forgotten her passion for organs and a dark gothic sound; she plays almost exclusively an acoustic piano and synthesizer, the parts of the latter of which are mostly serving as a background for those of the main soloing instruments: flute, bass, electric guitar, and the same piano (in order of activity). What is more, instead of using a poetic narration as on the earlier albums, Antonio Bartocetti really sings here, and his vocals are amazingly clear and pleasant. Both of the remaining songs: Witch Dance and Enchanted Wood (3 & 6) are excellent, too, but aren't completely original, unlike the other tracks. The first of them is about a heavy, up-tempo Space Rock kind of Hawkwind in the middle of the seventies, but with a flute and synthesizer at the helm and the Black Sabbath-like guitar riffs. The source feeding the roots of Enchanted Wood is even more obvious: this composition could've been on the right place on any of Gong's albums from the famous "Radio Gnome" trilogy. Classic Space Fusion, of course.

Conclusion. While being stylistically a bit less consistent than 1974's "Neque Semper", musically, "Ralefun" is hardly inferior to that album. In any case, it is more to my taste in general and better suits my conception of the seventies' Progressive Rock in particular. I don't really know why the band's audience has scattered after they moved towards the lighter realms of music. Perhaps these were really just fans, and not Prog-heads, while I believe there is a vast difference between these kinds of music lovers.

VM: February 2, 2004