Two years back, Russian progressive rock band Roz Vitalis celebrated their twentieth anniversary and continues to stay prolific with the release of new material. Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt marks their third album on Lizard Records, constituting their eleventh longplayer overall. A deeper exploration of their Bandcamp page reveals an impressive catalogue of nearly fifty releases, not even counting those from band leader Ivan Rozmainsky's chamber prog band Compassionizer.

Keeping track of their most recent music proves challenging due to the continuous stream of releases. However, for the sake of completeness, I always make it a point to delve into their major albums releases on record labels.

The ten new tracks on Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt seamlessly pick up where the band left off with their previous album The Hidden Man Of The Heart, released on Lizard Records in 2018. Notably, sixteen Bandcamp releases filled the gap between these two albums!

The opening track Bait Of Success surprises with its upbeat tone, featuring lively synth sounds, distorted guitar, and a dynamic rhythm section. The song takes an unexpected turn halfway through, transitioning into a more solemn and quiet ambiance. A trumpet takes center stage, delivering a beautiful solo, followed by an equally emotive guitar solo, creating a captivating intertwining of sounds. The trumpet echoes King Crimson's Islands era (1971) and the acoustic guitar on the following Daybreaking is a nod to King Crimson's Lizard album (1970). It is no secret that Roz Vitalis have taken inspiration from these seminal prog pioneers. Additionally, there's a subtle similarity to Camel, whose pastoral and instrumental prog resonates with a similar serene atmosphere.

Ivan Rozmainsky's use of the harpsichord is a notable feature on the new album, accompanied by frequent appearances of flutes and trumpet parts alongside the more conventional rock instruments of guitar, bass, and drums. True to their style, vocals are absent, allowing Roz Vitalis' rich and lush music to speak eloquently on its own.

While I find the first half of the album slightly more appealing, the latter half is by no means lacking in merit. The nine-minute epic Premonition, which concludes the first half, stands out with its grandiosity, featuring intense drum parts and heavy guitars, almost nudging Roz Vitalis into progressive metal territory. The subsequent tracks, though more subdued, benefit from exceptional arrangements, ensuring that each listening experience unveils new details. A later highlight is the nearly eight-minute The Man Whose Wings Were Cut Off, a complex and rewarding track.

Describing Roz Vitalis' sound to the uninitiated is always a challenge. At its core, it's instrumental progressive rock, but this time, folk elements are unmistakable, and the arrangements lend a liturgical quality to the compositions. Despite occasional heavier moments, the songs generally maintain a calm demeanour, seldom opting for melodic predictability, instead challenging the listener with unconventional movements. For those overwhelmed by the vastness of Roz Vitalis' discography, Quia Nesciunt Quid Faciunt proves to be a welcoming entry point.

10 songs

53:49 minutes

***** ***

Genre: instr. progressive rock

Label: Lizard

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