Katarzyna Draconina Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions: song, EP/album | Suggest an artist

---

Bruno Pittelli – Angels Without Gods |Bp Guitar Studio, 2019|

1. Angels Without Gods, 2. Immortals, 3. Marina, 4. My Rebirth, 5. My Soul Vibrations, 6. Thanks for Everything, 7. The Fate in a Parchment, 8. The Sun in a Light Bulb, 9. We Stay Here

Bruno Pittelli is an Italian guitarist. He is self-taught but with help of skilled teachers not only did he expand his techniques and earned a degree in London, but also began giving lessons of his own. He set up the Bp Guitar Studio in Milan, where students are welcome to improve both their recording and playing skills. Aside of the methodical part, Bruno however cares for the spiritual and emotional aspects of expressing oneself as a musician and encourages others to communicate their emotions as they are.
His newest solo album, Angels Without Gods, brings nine instrumental songs. The album title reflects Bruno's thoughts on people's existence without life goals. It emphasises the need for a passion to follow. Angels supposedly receive tasks from gods but humans are either self-motivated, get inspired by ideas of others, or channel messages from higher planes of consciousness.

As it's a guitarist album, there's obviously a lot of soloing in every song here, but it's melodious and never overwhelming. In the title song, the guitar cries; at first supported by delicate violin-like arrangements though the vibe gets hard rock and slightly distorted in the middle of the track. One can easily close their eyes and get into the flow of sounds.

The follow-up is open by soothing, contrasting tunes. The song is memorable from the very first listening thanks to its melody. Initially, the tempo is slow, but then the soloing accelerates, blooms, and expands even more based upon a solid rhythm. Then the opening theme continues until the track's end. 'Immortals' speaks of artists who become almost immortal over time thanks to the works of art they create.

'Marina' brings a female element in the music too, apart of the title. The song feels like a story confessed through the sounds. It starts simplistically, coming from a mood of sweetness and happiness, then a deeper passion settling in, with a tinge of losing something within as well. Later, the sound becomes highly emotional, tumultuous, maybe even distorted. Guitar arrangements argue, blaming one another. Bruno dedicated 'Marina' to his wife at their wedding.

'My Rebirth' sound here fits into how the previous song ended. It's a story of hope and fresh start also in the arts, but involves the nostalgia of looking back or juggling with 'what if' alternatives. When the time for a decision comes, it's expressed by heavier, lively, spiralling guitar riffs. The slow tempo of the first part of the song returns soon after with simple, memorable tunes to continue until the very end.

'My Soul Vibrations' begins with a delicate vibe supported with a tempo to let you relax and fully enjoy the riffs. The first part speaks of beauty. The other resembles needs and desires as the guitar gets a bit heavier and needy too. It's followed by a fiery and broad arrangement supported by slightly faster drumming. The drums never dominate the guitar on this album though, otherwise they would rather call to action than just make it easier to listen carefully to the guitar players' stories.

There's indeed a feel of gratitude in 'Thanks for Everything', spread far away thanks to solos similar to what we've heard from Santana and the like. The song's dynamics accelerate a bit with a graded bassline, faster drumbeat, and distorted guitar tunes in the middle of the song. The violin, which shows up for a moment, adds a high contrast to the rhythm section. When the turbulent emotions end, the classy, peaceful guitar play returns. Bruno shows how much he's tuned into the instrument and lets listeners participate in that. He dedicated the track to his parents for their support.

'The Fate in a Parchment' brings soothing vibes of freedom and completion. There is a feeling of being relieved from a burden, or leaving stress behind. A memorable solo flows until it's interrupted by denser, distorted riffs dotting the song like heavy rain. It's notable how both parts match together really well. The song conveys the idea that our fate is already decided since our birth.

Lovely moods open 'The Sun in a Light Bulb'. In the beginning, slow guitar riffs reflect the peaceful experience of watching a sunset in nature. The riffs multiply for a while, then Bruno uses the guitar like a rifle shooting the sounds around, up and down. Both parts with different arrangements were skillfully placed within the composition. Bruno tried to compare an easily-breakable light bulb to a human being and the Sun to the greatness of art humans create and shine strongly though.

'We Stay Here' is kept in a similar mood to 'Thanks for Everything', but only in the beginning. The victorious motto is soon replaced by fast and arguing riffs. The background bass and drum beats however make the whole arrangement a bit more mellow. The overall feel of this song brings to mind a debate between an impatient youngster and a knowledgeable master. Vibrating riffs end the track with the background music disappearing into the silence. The song refers to over-thinking – that we should rather enjoy the present day reality more than sink deeply inside the worlds in our heads.

This is an album which favors a classic approach to the guitar as an instrument over innovation; thus its most appreciative audience are probably fans of classic rock music. It lets you relax, but also teaches how to express feelings and tell stories through utilizing as many strings as possible. The song dynamics reflect the ebb and flow of life with changing emotions. The technical side of the album — recording, mixing, mastering — are all very well done. The sound is clear and well balanced. The compositions however could benefit from slightly less predictable structures, as now the listeners previewing the first half of the album can already expect a change in the middle of every track on the other half, and that the song's opening part will always return at its end. The human ears delight in surprises created by unexpected silences, contrasts, and frequent tempo changes.

(Reviewer: Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Industrial Rock & Metal Encyclopedia, January 8th, 2020. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

---

Facebook | YouTube
Buy on: Napster | Deezer | Spotify