STRANGER VISION – Poetica (2021)
STRANGER VISION is a pretty new band, founded in 2019, but they are among the best acts delivering quality melodic prog metal with a powerful and rich sound. “Poetica” is their full debut album on Pride & Joy Music, bred on a wide range of influences.
If there’s something Italian bands can do pretty well, it’s this kind of elaborated and at the same time catchy type of rock, at places anthemic, majestic. There’s attention to detail, top notch production, really well made artwork / videos, and talented musicians collaborating such as Alessandro Conti (TRICK OR TREAT), Zak Stevens (ex SAVATAGE), Guido Benedetti (TRICK OR TREAT) and more.
Even if the genre’s formula cannot be ignored, STRANGER VISION create their own sound and atmospheres on “Poetica”. The intro ‘Awakening Prelude’ already gives an idea of what to expect: clever arrangements, class instrumentation and pristine production.
There’s some serious good guitar work all over like on ‘Human Change’, a muscular song with lots of melody. The band is also talented creating ballads like ‘Memories Of You’, featuring the guest vocals of Alessia Scolletti (TEMPERANCE), which is followed by a short instrumental interlude with ‘The Dying Light’, before singer Alessandro Conti and guitarist Guido Benetti (TRICK OR TREAT) show their skills in the driving ‘Rage’.
I get goosebumps with ‘Before The Law’ when Zak Stevens starts singing (yes, the man born to sing this type of stuff). The rather soft and gentle ‘Wish’ is followed by the driving ‘Defying Gravity’, again fueled by outstanding guitar riffs.
‘Hero Of The New World’, featuring Fabio Dessi (HOLLOW HAZE) rocks in a similar fashion but adding groove, then ‘Invictus’ is, so to speak, the outro of the record, however the last track is actually still to come, a “deep version” of ‘Soul Redemption’, a different arrangement adding strings giving the record a really worthy end.
STRANGER VISION is a more than welcomed addition to the prog melodic metal scene and have created an impressive debut album in “Poetica”, plenty of strong songs, polished and very well produced. A complete package.
Highly Recommended
01 – Awakening Prelude
02 – Gates of Tomorrow
03 – Human Change
04 – Soul Redemption
05 – Never Give Up
06 – Memories of You (feat. Alessia Scolletti)
07 – The Dying Light
08 – Rage (feat. Alessandro Conti & Guido Benedetti)
09 – Over and Over
10 – Before the Law (feat. Zak Stevens)
11 – Wish
12 – Defying Gravity
13 – Hero of the New World (feat. Fabio Dessi)
14 – Invictus
15 – Soul Redemption (Deep Version)
Ivan Adami – vocals
Riccardo Toni – guitars
Gabriele Sarti – keyboard
Daniele Morini – bass
Luca Giacopini – drums
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