Even before listening I was able to tell you what the music of Wicked Minds sounds like. The purple album cover, the pictures of band members wearing flower power outfits and the mentioning of Hammond, mellotron and moog they all point in one direction: the early seventies. After listening to the first couple of tracks, many references came into mind. Some of them are early Pink Floyd because of the psychedelic and atmospheric sounds, early Kansas because of the characteristic vocals (especially the combination with backing vocals) and the orchestral arrangements and The Doors because of the typical drumming.

The thing I like most of the Wicked Minds is the fact that they did not only show respect to the rock giants they were obviously inspired by, but also to the traditional way in which albums was recorded. No over the top production here, no use of high tech instruments, the music is brought back to the basics of the seventies, resulting in a mix of melancholy and nostalgia without getting old fashioned.

If I had to compare Wicked Minds to another modern Italian symphonic rock band, The Watch, there are two major differences, both in favor of the first. Every time I listen to The Watch, I find myself constantly reminded of Genesis (most of the times I actually think that I AM listening to Genesis). Listening to Wicked Minds brings back memories of more than one seventies symphonic rock band. These references are very diverse and are constantly changing. The result is a distinctive and at for present day original sound. The second difference is the smooth production of The Watch against the rough, unpolished music on From The Purple Skies. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy listening to The Watch - which I consider to be a fine Italian band - but now that I have the choice I think that From The Purple Skies will be making more rounds in my CD-player. From The Purple Skies is an exciting album that can be considered a melting pot of early seventies progressive and symphonic rock.