TRICK OR TREAT – Rabbits’ Hill Pt.2 (2016)
Signed by Frontiers Music who are releasing tomorrow their new album “Rabbits’ Hill Pt.2“, Italians TRICK OR TREAT are a curious band. But their music is truly entertaining for sure.
Trick Or Treat was formed in 2002 as a tribute act to Helloween. They quickly became popular in the live circuit, started writing and performing their own songs, and finally managed to release their debut album in 2006. The record received terrific responses and got Trick Or Treat on the road for the following two years with over 100 gigs in Europe and the US.
Soon after Trick Or Treat released their second full length which also featured Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Place Vendome, Unisonic, Kiske/Somerville) and Michele Luppi (Whitesnake) as special guests.
In early 2012, Luca Turilli announced that Trick Or Treat’s singer, Alessandro Conti was chosen to be the new lead singer of the band Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody, but this did not slow down Trick Or Treat, who – still in 2012 – released their third album, Rabbits’ Hill Pt.1, a concept album inspired by the Richard Adams’ novel Watership Down.
The quality of the band interested Frontiers Music and now they are releasing the first album with the prestigious label, “Rabbits’ Hill Pt.2”.
Yes, this is a continuation of Part 1, and yes, it’s a concept album. And I’d said above this is a curious band because despite they have a metal root, their sound is quite groovy, hard rockin’.
To resume the concept story; the group moves to the novel Watership Down which tell a story there are no female rabbits to propagate the new warren, so they make a daring rescue of does from neighboring Efrada, a police state warren ruled by the evil General Woundwort.
The General – played on the album by Tim “Ripper” Owens – leads a violent attack on Watership Down, but is defeated when the rabbits unleash the watchdog of Nuthanger Farm. Though his body is never found, he exists as the bogeyman told in stories to generations of kits.
It may feel a bit silly on paper, but works nice, it’s fun and entertaining.
On “Rabbits’ Hill Pt 2” the band certainly used the layaway to craft the songwriting and refine the sound further to make it much catchier than before. They are on Frontiers Music now, and need commercial appeal.
Songs like “Inle’ (The Black Rabbit of Death),” “They Must Die,” and album favorite “United” really grab the listener with heavy driving riffs and elaborated choruses.
But then there’s simply some darn catchy stuff here. One is the metal ballad “Never Say Goodbye” which features Sara Squadrani from Ancient Bards, giving it a sweet tone. Yet the hands down killer song here is “Cloudrider; Efrafa” which reigns from its melody and groove, and that damn catchy chorus: perfect vocal harmony.
Just after the epic 10+ minute “The Showdown” where Woundwart is defeated, the album ends with a stunning and beautiful ballad titled “Last Breath”.
“Rabbits’ Hill Pt.2” is a catchy new album by Trick Or Treat, definitely an exciting and entertaining melodic power / prog metal / hard rock record with a well developed story and tasteful orchestration.
Production by Simone Mularoni from DGM – a band to release their new album next month also on Frontiers – is bombastic, precise, perfectly suited for this type of music.
Strongly Recommended.
01. Inle’ (The Black Rabbit Of Death)
02. Together Again
03. Cloudrider; Efrafa
04. Never Say Goodbye
05. The Great Escape
06. They Must Die
07. Beware The Train
08. United
09. The Showdown
10. Last Breath
Alessandro Conti (Vocals)
Guido Benedetti (Guitar)
Luca Venturelli (Guitar)
Leone Villani Conti (Bass)
Luca Setti (Drums)
Sara Squadrani, Tim “Ripper” Owens (guest Vocals)
PRE ORDER:
www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/TrickRabbits2.htm
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