EDGE OF FOREVER: Another Paradise (MELODIC HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Italian band whose "Another paradise" is their third album, Edge of Forever has undergone great changes in personnel since their debut and even since their first opus in 2004 with notably a new guitarist (who arrived after the release of the previous album) and still the drummer of U.D.O., Francesco Jovino. It's the keyboardist and band leader Alessandro Del Vecchio, a veteran of the rock scene, who took over the vocals and we can say that the guy is not really a singer by default. His timbre is certainly a bit hoarse but he's powerful, just, his English accent is more than correct and he has the good taste not to force too much! In short, our guy does as well or even better than a lot of vocalists who are not instrumentalists.

Edge of Forever's music is in the melodic/metal hard-rock tradition of the late 70's, and especially the 80's with references to bands like Giuffria and House of Lords: powerful, not to say pompous, thanks to the keyboards of Del Vecchio, alternately traditional (Hammond) but more often modern (orchestral synths and swirling solos). The neoclassical side and the influence of Yngwie Malmsteen, clear on the first record, diminished with the departure of their initial guitarist.

The tracks are mostly based on different types of medium or slightly fast tempi, relatively uncomplicated but catchy guitar riffs, with mostly passages with a more crystalline, lighter sound, all wrapped in keyboards with varied sounds. An essential point that hasn't changed comes from the really catchy choruses... We could talk about AOR today and a lot of tracks are indeed to be placed in the genre but there's also this more aggressive side, always melodic but with a more powerful sound, an epic nuance sometimes, a slightly darker atmosphere, which makes the difference. We're obviously far from Journey and Foreigner in these moments and closer to the two bands mentioned above or to the Rainbow of the 80s.

Technically speaking, the musicians know their stuff. Alessandro Del Vecchio delivers short but not really simplistic solos. This is also the case of the guitarist Walter Caliaro whose style is very fluid and whose clear lead sound is a delight. Del Vecchio demonstrates his ability to compose ballads with "What I've never seen", on a somewhat haunting tempo, whose seemingly simple arrangements are in fact enriched by various keyboards including piano and intermingled vocal parts.

The album ends with two quite different tracks: the very AOR but powerful "Eye of the storm" with a hammered rhythm, which will surely make a good hard-rock anthem on stage, and the more varied "Against the wall", which starts on a melancholic air with acoustic guitar before going on a medium fast rhythm, a rather archetypical chorus, a Hammond organ solo and a guitar solo.

Let's finish by talking about the production which is excellent, the warm and clear sound (the drums are powerful but not pachydermic), which is undoubtedly a strong point compared to the more or less artificial sound of many 80s records.

In short, here's a record that could be described as unexpected without being revolutionary but relatively varied and really well done. Yet another beautiful object, which has nothing to envy to the best American and European productions of the last 25 years in the genre... - Official website

EDGE OF FOREVER

ANOTHER PARADISE

7HARD

MELODIC HARD ROCK