DREAM COMPANY – The Wildest Season (2019)
“The Wildest Season” is the debut album by DREAM COMPANY, a melodic hard rock band from Italy fronted by talented Giulio Garghentini, a vocalist with a vast experience – one of his solo albums was featured here years ago.
Dream Company started as a Bon Jovi tribute band back in 2006, but with time they decided to write their own material and the result is “The Wildest Season”. Produced by skilled Mario Percudani (Mitch Malloy, Lionville, Hardline), here you have a very good collection of ’80s inspired MR / AOR in the ‘Italian style’.
While catchy and filled with infectious melodies, the lyrics of the songs are far from being like “I Love You Baby, You Love Me Too” but tell stories of real life: the fear of being loved, the anger, the need to kill the ghost who lives in our mind or how can we change the world.
Opener ‘Days In Blue’ is the right example of melodic rock that is the hallmark of Dream Company. Nicely aggressive guitars and an easy to remember chorus. Garghentini excels at singing and Enrico Modini turns out to be a guitarist with visible talent.
‘Mine Mine Mine’ is bouncy as well, at once rocking and melodic, and you can tell Giulio sang Bon Jovi songs for many years.
There’s a lovely melody on the acoustic ballad ‘Scared To Be Loved’, which without being revolutionary, is a beautiful moment passed in the company of keyboards, electric guitars and elegant vocal parts. As for ‘Salvation’ they go for fast melodic hard rock, racy, with a short but powerful solo. A welded band that knows each other perfectly.
I have a crush on the masterful ‘Revolution’ on which Giulio takes different, lower intonations. The backing vocals of Davide and Enrico are remarkably set up. A good solo supports the rock effect of the piece.
‘River of Love’ is a title composed by guitarist Enrico Modini. It’s a midtempo AORish tune with languorous guitars, the piano, a solid rhythm and a singer with a powerful and fragile voice at a time.
‘Love Is Possession’ is another uptempo track, always effective and always melodic rock with its punchy chorus and a brilliant solo.
‘Liars’ is probably the best track of the album, incisive and sharp where the musical bridge with string arrangements is absolutely beautiful.
Fans of classy melodic (hard) rock / AOR in the ‘Italian vein’ – read HungryHeart, Lionville, Wheels Of Fire – will love “The Wildest Season”.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Days in Blue
02 – Mine Mine Mine
03 – Scared to Be Loved
04 – Salvation
05 – Revolution
06 – River of Love
07 – The Ghost
08 – Land of Freedom
09 – Love Is Possession
10 – Liars
Giulio Garghentini (Vocals)
Enrico Modini (Guitars)
Stefano Scola (Bass)
Davide Colombi (Drums)
Mario Percudani (Producer, Keyboards)
BUY IT
www.amazon.co.uk/Wildest-Season-Dream-Company/dp/B07X2M2678
