Labyrinth – Labyrinth<
The Band:
Vocals – Roberto Tiranti
Guitar – Andrea Cantarelli
Bass – Cristiano Bertocchi
Keyboards/Programming – Andrea De Paoli
Drums – Mattia Stancious
The Review:
The Prophet – Starts out with a nice keyboard intro before launching into a quick tempo riff. The vocals are very well preformed; Tiranti has a very passionate delivery throughout the entire song (and album). The lyrics are pretty cool: a prophet comes to a city and warns the people to change their sinful ways and when they don’t, **** happens (fire from the sky and whatnot). There is an awesome solo here and the first time I heard Tiranti hit the high notes, I though my windows would explode. This is an excellent way to start off the cd. My favourite song. 5/5
Livin’ in a Maze – Similar in tempo to the previous song, Livin’ in a Maze has a very catchy chorus and very nice guitar and keyboard playing throughout. 4/5
This World – Easily the best intro on the album. There are multiple tempo changes here making it a very good listen. Wicked keyboard solo at 2:35, which alone makes this track worth listening to. 4/5
Just Soldier (Stay Down) – This song is less keyboard-oriented and more of a headbang-fest. This is less complex than the other songs with a pretty straightforward rhythm propelling it. There are some piano flourishes around the middle and multiple tempo shifts to keep it interesting. 4/5
Never Ending Rest – A cool sounding piano introduces the first ballad on the albums. This is a very slow, typical power metal ballad. It gradually gets heavier as you get into it. Very nice lyrics and vocals; they fit the music perfectly. A standout track. 5/5
Terzinato – Back to the tempo established by the first couple of songs. Like the other tracks, tempo shifts are not rare. Very nice song. 4/5
Slave to the Night – One of my favourite songs on the albums. Brilliantly written; every part fits perfectly. About halfway through, the songs goes into a quiet piano piece with Tiranti singing slowly. From here, his vocals go higher to the point where it makes the high note in The Prophet seem like a growl, before going into an excellent solo. Great song. 5/5
Synthetic Paradise – Wicked synth intro to a wicked song. This is a fast, guitar driven song with some nice keyboards in the background. 4.5/5
Hand in Hand – This is one starts off with a monstrously heavy riff before going into a softer verse. Awesome chorus and keyboard solo. Definitely up to par with the rest of the songs. 4/5
When I Will Fly Far – Another “ballad-esqe” song. There are some truly inspirational lyrics here. A very keyboard driven song in comparison to the other tracks. This is just such an awesome way to end the album. 5/5<
Overall Review:
Awesome cd, one of the better power metal bands I’ve heard in a while. Whilst they don’t exactly rewrite the genre or take it to any new level, this is power metal performed with talent and passion. Well done. 4.5/5
