There is no time for respite. The album is obviously not designed for light entertainment. “Caccia alle streghe” features both Italian spoken word and sung passages (including the familiar taunt tune), all brilliantly timed amidst shifting rhythmic accents. The latter half of the piece dissolves into abstract soundscapes.

“Permanent colors” temporarily leads the listener into more tonal territory: a flute melody with intriguing intervals over odd-meter percussion, followed by a daunting guitar pattern that rapidly shifts harmonies, with both flute and bass guitar joining in unison. A truly masterful section. Subsequently, less than two minutes in, the piece veers back into abstract territory, with the instrumentalists improvising a sound collage of growls, drum fills, atonal guitar strums, and more. The section brilliantly flows back as the band revisits the initial melody in excellent harmony, concluding with a duet of sampled voices and electric guitar, supported by bass, flute, and drums.

“Fluid echoes,” which begins the second half of the suite, serves as an intermission of spacey ambience. Echoes of “Permanent colors’ ” broken closing chords create a remarkably haunting and dark atmosphere that persists for almost five minutes. A deep, low, ear-filling noise builds up considerable turmoil, subsequently sinking down toward the track “Loghaven.” This track returns to a more musically conventional structure with a rhythm section, presenting elements of odd-meter prog-rock. It is interpreted as a mixture of early 70’s Supersister and the haunting, powerful prog of the Swedish group Änglagård, even treating the listener to an expressive improvised drumming showcase that seamlessly concludes with the song’s patterned structure.

The brief silence that follows is the only moment of pure quiet on the entire record. The final section of this stunning work is book-ended by a composition titled “Liberation.” Its foundation is an upward, six-note broken chord on guitar (with minor variations), accompanied by drums and Giordano’s intense, expressive vocalizing.