Year of Release: 2008
Label: ProgRock Records
Catalog Number: PRR450
Format: CD
Total Time: 51:28:00
In my home country of the Netherlands, not a night goes by when there isn't some sort of talent show on. And it seems countless youngsters will do anything to get famous. Once the show is over, the winner quickly disappears, completely tied up in a contract and it's on to the next talent show...It never ends...
How refreshing it is to find a group of musicians who found each other as they all had the same wish: play good music in the vein of their favourite bands. This is the story of Soul Secret, a band from the beautiful Napels in Italy: Antonio Vittozzi (guitars) and Lucio Grilli (bass) teamed up in 2004 to play Dream Theater covers. After they met with other musicians that would complete the line up, they abandoned the covers and started to write their own music. It took them a while to get a steady line up, but once that was found, they went for the real prize: their debut album.
And they can be very proud! Flowing Portraits is a fantastic debut album with 6 gems on it. The band started out as a prog metal band, and that is quite evident in the first half of the album, but in the second half the band shows they have much more to offer than just crunchy riffs.
The band opens with soaring keyboards, reminiscent of Erik Norlander's Into The Sunset, but then the guitars kick in and the band throws some excellent prog metals songs at the listener. At first the songs did not do much for me, but I listened to the album more and I found there is a lot more to the songs. So much melody and passion. Mark Basile, who stepped in at the last minute because original singer Michele Serpico suffered from health problems, did an excellent job, with powerful vocals, yet at times also sensitive.
The rhythm tandem Mocerino (drums) / Grilli (bass) has a steady pace and enough room is left for Luca Di Gennaro (keys), who at times fills up the songs, while in other places really soars.
So after fours songs no doubt every listener will be convinced: this is a great prog metal band, very much in the vein of Threshold (incidentally Threshold's Karl Groom mastered the album!). Then track five starts and if you already enjoyed the music, you are now in for a treat or two. "Regrets" is an acoustic song and that one immediately grabbed me... so beautiful... The soft vocals, with the harmonies, the guitars... really a great song.
But the guys really end the album with a bang! A very impressive epic song of almost 17 minutes, which can measure up to any classic epic song. "Tears Of Kalliroe" has it all. Listening to this song is a gratifying experience for your ears and brain :) It builds up with a star role for Di Gennaro and has great orchestrations. The riffs are commanding and powerful. The previous songs already showed these guys have the skills to not only write great songs, but also to perform them in an excellent way. But with this last song they prove they need not play Dream Theater covers... they should share a stage with Dream Theater!
Give the album some time and it will reveal its beauty to you. A very impressive debut album from a very talented group of musicians. They get my vote.
Tracklisting:
Dance Of The Waves / First Creature / Inner War / Learning To Loose / Regrets / Tears Of Kalliroe
Musicians:
Mark Basile - vocals
Antonio Vittozzi - guitars
Lucio Grilli - bass
Luca Di Gennaro - keyboards
Antonio Mocerino - drums
Discography:
Flowing Portraits (2008)
Genre: Progressive-Power Metal
Origin IT
