SOUL SELLER – Matter Of Faith (2016)

Five years ago we were gratefully pleased by Italian melodic hard rockers SOUL SELLER and their promising debut CD. Now the band is presenting “Matter Of Faith“, their new effort produced by the highly requested (and talented) Alessandro Del Vecchio.

The hiatus between albums has been too long for a band aiming to establish themselves in the competitive scene. But there’s a reason; 50% of the line-up has changed including the lead vocalist and the troubles that suppose for a band. The winds of change are also brought by the newcomers Italo Graziana on drums and Simone Morandotti, (piano and keyboards).
However, the fresh members allowed Soul Seller to explore musical territories unimaginable before, creating a mixture of genres that partially traces the ’80s melodic rock of the album debut but also deviates to classic and modern rock, hard rock and some progressive arrangements.

Anyway, ‘melody’ is the cornerstone around which rotates the sound of Soul Seller, but in “Matter Of Faith” it is sustained by a myriad of different influences that lead to the creation of a very personal work.
You can hear Soul Seller’s new approach since opener ‘Neverending’, a busy hard rocker with sharp guitars and an overall more hard hitting sound than before. New singer Eric Concas is as well more raspy in his delivery than the previous and with a wide power range.
But Soul Seller still retain their Melodic Rock heart and track 2 “Given To Live” is a very good number in this genre pumped by a midtempo pace and adorned with really nice, melodic harmony vocals.

This blend of melodic rockers with more harder cuts is maintained in the rest of the disc resulting into an effective balance. Among the favs there’s the punchy ‘Get Stronger’ (a highlight), the solid ballads ‘Memories’ and ‘Strangers Apart’, and midtempo ‘Alchemy’.
In between these songs, Soul Seller explore some welcomed new territories like in ‘Echoes from a Distant’ – a true melodic hard rocker but with some light progressive arrangements making it more interesting, or the great ‘Get Away from the Light’ mixing melodic rock with a touch of ’80s Saga / Rush.

The first word that comes to mind after listening Soul Seller’s new album “Matter Of Faith” is ‘evolution’. These guys have grown up immensely, not only showcasing tight performances but also delivering a varied, polished set of songs rich in variation.
Yeah, it’s basically ’80s Melodic Hard Rock yet spiced with interesting arrangements, all wrapped by a really good production thanks to Del Vecchio’s expert hands.
Very good new album. Highly Recommended

01 – Neverending
02 – Given to Live
03 – Tide Is Down
04 – Memories
05 – Get Stronger
06 – Echoes from a Distant Future
07 – Get Away from the Light
08 – Alchemy
09 – Wipe Your Tears Away
10 – Matter of Faith
11 – Strangers Apart
12 – Made of Stone

Eric Concas – Lead & Backing vocals
Cris Audisio – Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Backing vocals
Dave Zublena – Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Backing vocals
Mike Zublena – Bass
Simone Morandotti – Keyboards & Programming
Italo Graziana – Drums & Backing vocals

Produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio

BUY IT !
www.amazon.de/Matter-Faith-Soul-Seller/dp/B01LB3W426
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