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Review:
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It has taken 13 long years and many changes of style
and line-up for Francesco and Max Diblasio (guitar and keyboards)
to finally realise their dream and release this, their debut
album. Loosely you can call this gothic metal, but you have
to add prog, blues and soul into the mix. Imagine, if you
will, Dream Theatre deciding make an album of Lacuna Coil
songs, with Joss Stone on vocals and guest appearances by
Eric Clapton and Gary Numan, then you might be somewhere
close, but they are hard to pin down, this is one album
you cannot say ‘it sounds like such and such’. The delectable
Alis Bos has got an awesome set of tonsils, I just mentioned
Joss Stone, but thankfully without all that wailing. It’s
gets off to a powerful symphonic start with ‘Memento’, featuring
some Numanesque fat synths and prog flavoured diminutive
chords, then the delicacy and power blend of ‘The Door’,
a very commercial song with an excellent guitar solo. ‘The
Colour of Dreams’ starts off like Eric Clapton (in rock
mode) jamming with Pink Floyd, a really clever vocoder part
then leads into a more powerful rocked up passage, with
Alis showing just how passionate and emotional she can be.
‘A Way Out For The Sinner’ begins with portentous minor
chords leading into another soulful and mighty song, with
guest male vocals (clean) by Andea ‘Vidar’ Stefanelli, who
also does an excellent job of mixing the album. ‘Lightstorm’
is moodier and heavier, counterpoised with the gentle Spanish
guitar instrumental, ‘Peaceful Place’, I love these interludes
that give your ears a rest, and it also gives Francesco
a chance to show off his lightning skills on the guitar.
‘Lex Aeterna’ starts off like a ‘house’ number before the
prog metal cuts in, it’s then a battle between the two before
they unite and blow the cones off me speakers. Relative
calm is restored with the outstanding and highly touching
power ballad ‘The Last Rose’, with emotive lyrics and gorgeous
synths. The album ends with the prog metal workout ‘Fatal
Frame’. Those 13 years have obviously been well spent, creating
a band that is unique, highly skilled and fully formed.
The voice of Alis takes the band onto another level where
they can really compete with the big boys. I can see this
doing very well in the USA, indeed, unless I had been told,
I would have guessed that they are American, not Italian.
If you like your music powerful, soulful and skilful then
they await your pleasure at their Myspace site, http://www.myspace.com/darkskyitaly
, and copies can be purchased by messaging the band. A highly
recommended 9 out of 10.
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