ALPHATAURUS Vinyl & CDs

Review: Alphataurus may not mean that much to a lot of people, but for anyone aware of the Milanese progressive rock titans, the fact they have a new record out will capture the imagination. After all, the outfit have been making a big impact with every album they've put out since - and including - the staggeringly ambitious self-titled 1973 debut. However, it's been a decade since we last had anything from them. Enter 2084: Viaggio Nel Nulla, then, a collection of music that marks a real turning point for Alphataurus, with the lengthy (to put it mildly) recording process ending with the departure of founding guitarist Guido Wassermann. Whether die hard fans will think what's here is worth the pain of that decision to leave is anyone's guess, but this collection is unarguably dystopian, futuristic, exploratory, cosmic and, almost conversely, accessible and catchy.