ALBERTO RIGONI – Rebirth (2011)

Alberto Rigoni may be a new name for some, but he has been a vital part of the rock music scene for a while.
Best know as the bass player for Twinspirits, the progressive metal project of keyboard player Daniele Liverani, Rigoni has garnered much praise for his fresh and unique style.
A native of Montebelluna, Italy, Rigoni started playing with Ascra, a progressive-metal cover band. He joined Twinspirits in 2003, and worked on some solo material as well.
Not content with just solo works and Twinspirits, Rigoni made guest appearances on a number of other albums, and formed the pop-electro-experimental project called Lady & The Bass with Italian singer Irene Ermolli.

In 2010 the prolific bassist began work on “Rebirth” and gathered a number of top notch talent to assist, including Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), John Macaluso (Ark, Yngwie Malmsteen), vocalist Jonas Erixon (Alicate), guitarist Tommy Ermolli (Twinspirits) and more.
So when talking about quality, before even listening to it, we know it would be a guarantee.
Now, after listening to it, I can tell this is a very good record.

Rebirth is a mix of many genres, everything from moody, almost ambient progressive rock instrumentals to melodic hard rock vocal tracks.
The album starts on a high with the bouncy and progressive rock tune “Free”, while “Rebirth” is a melodic bass masterpiece with many classical influences. In today’s music most bass players simply pound out rhythms lines, but Rigoni fully PLAYS the instrument to its full potential.
“Story Of A Man” continues on the softer rock side while adding jazz-rock influences, and features some very intricate drum work backing up the elegant bass line that builds in intensity as the song evolves.

“The Net” is an atmospheric, almost ambient rock piece that leads into the straight up rocker “Emptiness”. This track is the first appearance of fine Swedish singer Jonas Erixon, and proves that Rigoni can slot his impressive chops into a vocal piece without dominating the music or distracting the listener.
“A New Soul” sounds almost new-age with a touch of the Dixie Dregs rolled in for good measure. This track fully displays Rigoni’s ability to convey true emotion with the bass – not an easy task.
“With All My Forces” is hard rock, pure and simple. Great bass, intense guitars, solid vocals and fine drums make this track a winner.
Intricate proggie bass drives “Ontogeny”. Here the participation of keyboards and drums is primordial; they help the bass sound a lot and all together create a strong, symphonic and dreamy composition. This is also the longest track on the album, and without a doubt, one of its highlights.
“White Shine” has a dreamy sound from the first piano notes on. Here I can imagine the music working for the final part of a film, with a happy ending, of course.
On “BASSex” Rigoni flirts with electro-funk grooves, a song with a monster pumping round bass sound featuring Irene Ermolli vocals.
The electronics are the motto of “Roller Coaster”, an uptempo and modern track including bombastic programmed drums, vocoder vocals and a great guitar solo by virtuoso Tommy Ermolli.

Not just a exposition of fine bass playing, “Rebirth” is an entertaining delight, mostly tending towards progressive rock, but it transcends genres, including some jazz-rock elements, funk, and a couple of hard rockers.
Nicely balanced and engineered to emphasize the bass, Rigoni manages to dazzle the listener without making a ‘bass guitar’ album.
Bassists everywhere could learn a thing or two from Rigoni, not just as players but as songwriters.
Alberto’s diverse influences and styles show him to be a complete musician and an outstanding performer, delivering everything from simple rhythms to complex runs while never neglecting the melodic elements or breaking from traditional song structures. He play with his heart, emotionally and expressively.
Top marks go to the production which really brings out the best of these compositions.
Strongly recommended for everyone who enjoy trying new music arrangements and new ideas, made with class and good taste.

01 – Free
02 – Rebirth
03 – Story of a Man
04 – The Net
05 – Emptiness
06 – A New Soul
07 – With All My Forces
08 – Ontogeny
09 – White Shine
10 – BASSex (extra track)
11 – Roller Coaster (extra track)
12 – Trying To Forget (extra track)

Alberto Rigoni: bass

Jonas Erixon: vocals on tracks 5 & 7
Irene Ermolli: vocals on track 10
Daniele “Kenny” Conte: vocals on track 11

Gavin Harrison: drums on tracks 1, 5 & 7
John Macaluso: drums on tracks 3 & 8
Enrico Buttol: drums on track 10, 11

Yves Carbonne: bass on tracks 2 & 3
Michael Manring: bass on tracks 3 & 6

Tommy Ermolli: guitars on tracks 1, 5 & 11
Simone Mularoni: guitars on track 7

Federico Solazzo: keyboards on tracks 1, 2 & 9
Andrea Pavanello: keyboards on track 8
Filippo Lui “The Captain”: synthesizers on track 5
Emanuele Casali: keyboards on track 7
Lorenzo Nizzolini: Keyboards on track 11

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