Mirko Pirozzi – “Vegetation”
Coming into any new Mirko Pirozzi album, the question is never whether it will be any good, but exactly how good it will be. Each of his previous albums have typically reveled in the same disparate sonic sphere. Self-contained narratives told in sweeping progressive, psychedelic rock and post-rock symphonies, with sprawling carpets of organic sound woven together by guitars, basses, keyboards, percussion, and overtly dynamic arrangements. Therefore, pinpointing how good a new Pirozzi album is, lays in its orchestration; how vibrant, coherent, and deep the musical journey is. In essence, how lost we become in it. In this respect, his latest album release “Vegetation”, is certainly at the top of the list.
Mirko Pirozzi, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, has already recorded various albums and singles, including “Last Eclipse” (2018), “Rain And She Was Gone” (2020), “Too Many Years” (2020), published by the Rehegoo Music label in collaboration with Quincy Jones Productions, as well as numerous collaborations as a freelance session man and arranger for a large number of independent artists.
Throughout, “Vegetation” there is a captivating looseness that creates countless stirring moments, which are often breathtaking, and sometimes bewildering, but as always with Mirko Pirozzi, absolutely beautiful. It’s clear from the song titles and the expansive and uncompromising music that Pirozzi isn’t here to mess around. He is the kind of artist that leaves an impression. The music feels extremely layered while never becoming cluttered or overwrought. Emotional and consistently engaging, this is not a code that can be cracked with one listen.
From when the first track “VEGETATION” opens the show, the album is a rich, emotionally complex and deeply rewarding listen. Mirko Pirozzi’s pieces of music are usually long and expansive. They sometimes start out with a bang, like the opening title track, or expand slowly like “DESCENDING”. Either way, they more often than not, build-up into epic vistas of wordless rock grandeur, which is what happens on “THE TUBE IS BACK (AND REVENGE WILL BE HIS)” and “PHONY PEOPLE VS THE THING – Remastered”.
Mirko Pirozzi’s ringing, tingling, overwhelming cascade of sound weaves its way through the steady beat of “FLOODING”, and then skews into the eclectic “OGRE’S DEN”, before settling into the fourteen minute sonic excursion of “THREE MAD MEN”.
If there are moments in life when you feel like you are trapped in the heart-wrenching scene of an epic film, this is it. Starting out slow and melancholic, the piece explodes, morphs and soars, before returning to a state of calmness.
The dark and ominous “LIGHTBULBS OVER THE SEEDLING” continues to show that each track overflows with its own sounds and ideas, which is then surpassed by the overdose of bombastic intensity on “DISCLOSED”. The fact that Mirko Pirozzi would unveil such songs is very admirable.
While delving into progressive experimentation, that creates something fresh and new, he still uses conventions, as can be heard on “ICY COMET”, where pianos, guitars and brass blend magnificently. “ZERO GRAVITY” is where the guitar and strings dialog in spectacular fashion, beautifully and powerfully propelling the song forward.
“NO MORE SCRUBS” surges forward, and engulfs you in a sea of sonic resonance from rock instrumentation to classic orchestrations, within a template that is light and dark; hopeful and angry; cosmic and grounded.
Overall, this album seems to tell a set of emotional stories through a perfectly constructed track list and excellently executed instrumentation. In short, Mirko Pirozzi is getting even better doing the things at which he has always excelled!
