Does the 80/20 rule apply to the broad categorization of rock progressivo Italiono? We broadly define the sound as symphonic and often pastoral, with classical elements integrated, and I guess that does capture the vast majority of the bands coming at the time in the early 70s. But those edge cases are where the real gold lies, and Il Balletto di Bronzo, while carrying the general theme (as well as being a band that really had one or two albums tops before imploding) also turn the genre on its a head, being anguished and angular and heavy. Ys is not a comfortable album, I’m saying, and that tension is what makes it one of the classics of the space.

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