SOUL SECRET – Blue Light Cage (2020)

Italians SOUL SECRET formed 16 years ago, and their upcoming album “Blue Light Cage” is their fifth album. The band has been flirting with several sub-genres, ranging from melodic hard rock to progressive metal. This new effort is strongly proggy, yet with melodies as main focus.
The album’s title reflects the concept that flows through it, namely the observation from keyboardist Luca Di Gennaro, that “people think they actively take part in life, but actually they are just watching others doing things”, principally through their television screens. It’s a sobering thought, one that drives nine individual tracks through themes such as mas media influence, fake news and more existential human struggles.
Musically, these guys are impeccable, delivering polished chops and interesting arrangements.

‘Blue Light Cage’ is a really entertaining listen, that scratches the itch of ‘classic’ progressive metal, an itch I experience often if truth be told. I say, ‘classic progressive metal’ because there are plenty of nods to the purveyors of the genre, Dream Theater, Threshold et al.
But, in addition, the band aren’t afraid to experiment with ideas, genres, and instruments. As such, there’s a quirkiness that recalls early Haken, as well as a more modern sheen at times, thanks to the array of keyboard sounds that litter the album, not to mention some more djent-y, down-tuned guitar tones throughout, albeit certainly not exclusively.

I suspect that there will be some who might not gel with vocalist, Lino Di Pietrantonio, because, he has a tendency to sound a little squeaky when he hits his upper range. However, after a few early misgivings on that score, I don’t have too many complaints. Yes, a little more bottom end in his approach would be something to address next time. But actually, the guy can really sing and he puts in a varied and committed performance behind the microphone. I happen to think that it has more to do with the overall production and a need for the mix to be a little less trebly. But when you consider the likely budget and the fact that the band themselves handled the production, with the hitherto unknown Virus Studio dealing with the final mix, ‘Blue Light Cage’ sounds pretty damn good to be completely fair.

And, crucially, the music itself is of an equally good standard. Yes, the quintet does indulge themselves in the name of prog, but each song stands on its own and is not just an exercise in frivolity and vacuous instrumental posing. An initial listen or two had me sitting on the fence, but in true prog style, the magic started to emerge with repeated forays, meaning that I now thoroughly like this record. There is a surprising amount of melody that digs its claws into the listener, making the experience more and more enjoyable as time goes on, to the point that I now hear melodies within songs I initially dismissed entirely.

The Dream Theater references are hard to ignore within ‘The Ghost Syndicate’, but that’s perhaps unsurprising given that Soul Secret boast a guest appearance from none other than Derek Sherinian. But the core of the song is very much Soul Secret’s own, one that ebbs and flows very nicely, displaying plenty of instrumental dexterity, as well as engaging melodies that become stronger with each passing listen. Naturally the keys take a major role in shaping a song that sounds fresh and modern, yet with more than a nod to the past and the luminaries that clearly inspired them at the outset.

I’m also reminded of ‘Another Day’ from ‘Images And Words’ when I listen to the title track to ‘Blue Light Cage’. Not that the two songs are in any way identical; more because both are gloriously melodic in their own way as well as both successfully incorporating a saxophone, into the song without me recoiling in horror. This is quickly becoming a firm favourite and could easily find a place in my top 10 songs of 2020 as it stands.

I referred to Haken earlier in the review and on ‘The President’s Speech’, you can really hear the inspiration. Again the song is unique and varied enough to avoid the ‘clone’ tag, topped off by a massively addictive chorus and an unexpected foray into lounge jazz. But I can definitely hear Haken within the opening riff and in the latter stages of the song, where things get a little quirky and off-beat to say the least.

Continuing with the theme, the ghost of Haken can be heard within the closing 13-minute epic ‘Breathe And Recover’. However, on this occasion, those hankering after a return to ‘Aquarius’ and ‘Visions’ will smile, because that almost irreverent, scatty approach is evident here. The song is full of dark atmosphere, whilst a sense of oppression and claustrophobia loom large, even though significant swathes of the track are quieter in tone and delivery. In fact, I love the way the song develops, flitting as it does from soundscape to soundscape, telling a story as it does so. The juxtaposition between bright and breezy keys and syths, and the heavier, more venomous riffs, especially towards the end are a great touch and help to end the album on a high.

Elsewhere, it would be remiss of me not to mention the slightly djent-y ‘We Become Dust’, that’s drenched in rich synths, displays great instrumentalism, and benefits from another cool chorus that impresses almost from the outset, not to mention a really nice solo late on from Francesco Cavezza. And I’m also highly impressed with ‘Going Home’, which has some of the boldest electronics to feature on the entire record, some pronounced and flamboyant progressive elements, and a brooding, moody chorus that is the epitome of a slow-burn monster.

It is fair to say that I have grown incredibly fond of ‘Blue Light Cage’. It speaks directly to my love of progressive and melodic music, fusing the two into an engrossing and enjoyable listening experience that gets better and better the more I listen. My hope is that this record and new relationship with Layered Reality Productions is the start of something bigger and better for this talented Italian outfit. So, if you’re a fan of well-constructed and smart progressive metal, ‘Blue Light Cage’ from Soul Secret should be your very next purchase.

01. Opening Sequence
02. The Ghost Syndicate
03. A President’s Speech
04. Switch On
05. Blue Light Cage
06. We’ll Become Dust
07. Going Home
08. Jump Right In
09. Breathe And Recover

Lino Di Pietrantonio – Vocals
Claudio Casaburi – Bass
Antonio Mocerino – Drums
Luca Di Gennaro – Keyboards
Francesco Cavezza – Guitars
With:
Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo, Dream Theater) – Keyboards
Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile) – Saxophone

Pre Order:
www.soulsecret.net/music/blue-light-cage/