Banco del Mutuo Soccorso-Come In Un´Ultima Cena (1976)

In the mid-1970s, Italian progressive rock was experiencing a creative stagnation. While bands like Premiata Forneria Marconi maintained their status with their intriguing approach, moving away from the standard Italian sound, others like Le Orme gradually lost their initial imagination, veering towards more experimental sounds. Nevertheless, there were still others who continued to preserve their characteristic progressive flame. One of these was Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, who in 1976 released another of their acclaimed works, the album "Come In Un'Ultima Cena". A concept album about Christ, from the Last Supper to his crucifixion, this is one of their most moving and refined works. Although it falls short of the great works they released years earlier, it remains a clear revelation of Banco's core essence, thanks to its exceptionally high level of composition and great musical imagination. Franco Di Giacomo's operatic singing shines, as usual, in tracks like the delicate opening song, "...A Cena, Per Esempio". However, from this point on, the music takes a more rock-oriented turn with the following tracks: "Il Ragno", the medieval "La Notte è Piena", and the semi-progressive "Fino Alla Mi Porta". These contrast with the melodramatic "E' Così Buono Giovanni, Ma..." and the experimental "Slogan". But it is undoubtedly "Voilà Mida (Il Guaritore)" that stands out as the high point of this work, a cutting-edge song of the best Italian progressive rock.