Roller in Bloomington, MN

Goblin
followed up the impressive Italian success of
Profondo Rosso
with one of the few non-soundtrack items in their catalog. Despite this fact,
Roller
finds the group's trademark mixture of
prog rock
complexity and horror movie atmospherics very much intact: The title track builds from staccato piano passages into an epic riff powered by electric guitar and cathedral-style organ, while
"Goblin"
is an epic of
prog
fireworks that works in an array of complex solos from each of the group's members. The album also introduces a surprisingly gentle side to the group's sound through
"Aquaman"
and
"Il Risveglio Del Serpente,"
two cuts that exchange the electric guitars and synthesizer excursions that dominate much of the album for quiet, delicate interplay between acoustic guitar and electric piano. However, the most surprising cut on the album is
"Snip Snap,"
which temporarily puts aside the rest of the album's overt
style to create a
funky
excursion that starts with an infectious clavinet riff and builds into a spacey slice of
funk
drenched in synthesizer effect. The end result is a strong album that consolidates the
jazzy
theatrics that made
so impressive while also working in unexpected elements that flesh their sound out in new and interesting ways. In short,
is a necessity for
fans and is an album that's also likely to appeal to fans of
European prog rock
. ~ Donald A. Guarisco