Bakerteam 2013
Journey To Infinity
Italian fantasists chase their reveries into the mist and mire.
The blurry line between progressive rock and power metal has become a stomping ground for many a band who fall into pretension all too often, yet this sextet skilfully stitch their riffs to orchestral backdrop, and once cinematic instrumental “Aeternum Tormentum” takes the listener on the road through the group’s second album, the trip feels good. There’s a feeling, still, that the bombast is a superficial surplus to pieces such as “Last Desire” which appears here twice, its acoustic rendition an emotional winner over the preceding herculean version.
By the same token, speedy “Through The Gates Of Heaven” would have more impact if it was more compact and packed more dynamic in the drum department to complement Daniele Simeone’s delicate piano, an oasis in the midst of the twin-guitar rage. It’s so swell in “Secret Words” and “Shadows Of The Past” whose melodicism and keyboards attack hide their equally epic scope, whereas the title cut and “Waiting For You” come with a rather regular, if pleasant, assault that is balanced with a balladry of “Like A Memory.” Whether most of it stays in memory once the spin’s over is questionable – infinity feels a feeble concept – yet it’s good while it lasts.
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