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Timoria
Viaggio senza vento
Edited 1993
Viaggio senza vento (Travel Without Wind) is Timoria's fourth album, the one that brought them to the attention of the general public. A concept album that explores the malaise of a generation without ideals and—in their own words—without wind.
Timoria was formed in Brescia in 1985 from the creativity of Omar Pedrini, a high school guitarist steeped in listening and reading. It was a short step from a high school band to the stars of small local competitions. Initially, the band was called Sigma Six, then Precious Time.
The changes affected not only the name, but also the lineup. The group settled into a quintet in 1988, when they released their first EP, Machine & dollars - Meanwhile, the moniker had become its definitive one: Timoria.
The word comes from Greek, reflecting the cultural roots of Pedrini's project, and means both help and revenge. The latest addition, Francesco Renga, is on vocals. Omar Pedrini handles backing vocals and guitars, Davide Cavallaro is on bass, Diego Galeri on drums, and Roberto Bandello on keyboards.
Pedrini recalls the early days like this: "They considered us a bit like the village idiots" because, during political rallies, the other classmates would skip school and hang out with girls, while we would lock ourselves in the rehearsal room and play music, and they would make fun of us. "One day we'll get our revenge," I thought, and the name was born.
A few undeveloped albums, an unlikely appearance at Sanremo, and the boys from Brescia established themselves as one of the most original bands in Italian rock. In the 1990s, Italian rock was having a good time, with bands like Litfiba, Afterhours, and Marlene Kuntz reworking alternative, grunge, and hard rock sounds with a national twist.
Timoria are somewhat of a mystery, outside the more underground circles, but indigestible for the mainstream. Pedrini and his bandmates ended up being commercial for the hardcore crowd and too alternative for the general public. Omar's inspiration, moreover, came more from the Beat of the '60s and the Prog of the '70s than from New Wave and Grunge.
Before Viaggio senza vento, Timoria released several significant works: Colori che esplodono, their debut album in 1990, in 1991, and Storie per vivere in 1992. The latter brought them to the attention of the general public. However, it was with Viaggio senza vento that the band achieved success and perhaps its artistic pinnacle.
The album was recorded in England, at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, and featured the collaboration of exceptional producers. The lineup was slightly different from their debut: Omar Pedrini (guitar and vocals), Francesco Renga (vocals), Enrico Ghedi (keyboards), Diego Galeri (drums), and Carlo Alberto Pellegrini (bass). The evocative and dreamlike cover depicts an enigmatic landscape, echoing the album's concept: a coming-of-age journey in which the protagonist, Joe, embarks on a journey of growth through symbolic and other experiences.
The theme of the journey is primarily metaphorical. Joe is a boy in search of ideals, those that perhaps Pedrini himself misses—those of the generations that changed the world a little thirty years earlier, to quote the lyrics of "Senza Vento." The tragedy of their generation, for Timoria, is precisely the lack of ideals to move the young people's sails.
It is precisely this lack of ideals, in short, that is the wind Joe lacks, and to which the album's title alludes. Among the prestigious collaborations are Eugenio Finardi on the programmatic "Verso Oriente" and Mauro Pagani on violin.
The album opens with "Senza vento," with its powerful riff and Renga's equally unshakeable voice, still far from the bland pop that would make him rich and popular. The lyrics say it all: "I live and I don't believe in anything, I believe in nothing." The song is a complete success and remains one of the band's signature tunes.
The concept consists of twenty-one tracks, making it impossible to analyze them all. We'll limit ourselves to the most important passages, which, it must be said, are almost all in the first half. "Sangue Impazzito" is a classic rock ballad. Acoustic and harrowing at the beginning, it builds with a rock-solid arrangement and Renga's intense performance. The song marks Joe's rejection of religion and the conventions of provincial life. It's certainly one of the best songs in Timoria's songbook.
The interludes are delightful, from Joe to Campo dei Fiori Jazz Band, but the perhaps overly extensive tracklist tends to dilute the good ideas a bit.
"Il Sogno" is a beautiful piece that finds a great melodic hook, while other tracks—"Il guardiano di cani" and "Come serpenti in amore"—tear toward the edge of metal. However, the taste for melody remains, even if buried by distorted guitars. Frankenstein is unique, yet slightly detached from its concept context. The song, almost entirely instrumental, moves between '70s soundtrack funk and almost prog-like passages.
At the heart of the album is "Verso oriente," which introduces psychedelic and Middle Eastern elements, and in which the band
28 Aug 2025, 7:52 pm
