Daal - 2025 - Decoding The Emptiness

(66:00; Ma.Ra.Cash Records)




















This album has been creating quite a few waves in the prog scene, so I thought I ought to check it out. Daal are an Italian duo formed by DAvide Guidoni and ALfio Costa, and since their debut in 2009 have been fairly active releasing both this, their eighth album, and ‘Live: Waves from the Underground’, their ninth, in 2025. The line-up is the same as it has been for the last few releases with Alfio Costa (piano, Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Minimoog, Moog Sub-37, Roli Seaboard and other synths) and Davide Guidoni (drums, acoustic percussions, noises and samplers) joined by Ettore Salati (guitars) and Bobo Aiolfi (basses). They are often an instrumental act, but this time there are two songs which have vocals, care of Joe Sal and Alphabeard.

According to ProgArchives, reviewers/raters have their other 2025 album at #24 in the top albums of 2025, with this being at #36, but to be honest I just don’t get it at all. There are some reviewers who say how wonderfully groundbreaking and amazing this is, with their mix of ambient and space influences, making them one of the most exciting Italian bands out there, but while this has been well-recorded and played, I found it incredibly boring and could not wait for it to be over. That there are some flashes here and there is never in doubt, but there is a real lack of continuity within this release which makes it quite difficult to listen to. For the most part it felt to me incredibly false and sterile with little in the way of emotion, which consequently led me to have no connection at all with the music. It just feels inconsistent throughout, so while I can appreciate the work which went into it, it is an album I have found incredibly difficult to play and found myself forcing repeated listens so I could at least write something, which is not what I want an album to be like.

Electronic for the most part, but other instruments also have an important part to play, yet this is an eclectic progressive album which just meanders too much without ever getting to the point. 

Kev Rowland, February 2026

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/DAALMUSIC
https://www.facebook.com/MaRaCashRecords/

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