Rossometile Terrencia
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
It’s nice to see a progressive metal band from Italy that steps away from the Labyrinth/Vision Divine mold and tries for a different sound. It’s even nicer to find a progressive metal band with a female vocalist that doesn’t try and do the whole operatic Nightwish thing. Instead, Rossometile’s sound, while recalling bands as diverse as Rush and the Gathering, is refreshingly unique.
Terrenica is the band’s first album on the My Kingdom label, and the first to feature new vocalist Angela Grassi. It’s a very lush, atmospheric and melodic album, and one that probably doesn’t really qualify as metal (though it does have its heavier moments). Of course, when the music is this compelling, the label you stick on it is the last thing that matters. The virtuoso musicianship and ethereal atmospherics give Rossometile a gothic Dream Theater (or perhaps a ballsier Gathering) vibe.
The vocals are the real highlight. Grassi has a very powerful, mellifluous voice that carries a tremendous range of emotion. The only real drawback is that the songs are sung entirely in Italian, so unless you speak the language you really won’t have any way of telling what these songs are about. The language does add a certain beauty to the singing that heavily accented English probably wouldn’t convey.
Terrenica is a pleasant surprise, and one of the more interesting albums released so far this year. Fans of female-fronted metal bands who are looking for something different from the After Forever/Nightwish/Within Temptation stereotype should definitely give Rossometile a try. The album should also appeal to fans of the Gathering, Stream of Passion, and open-minded progressive rock/metal fans in general.
Label: My Kingdom Music
Lineup:
Nicola Potenza – Bass
Gennaro Balletta – Drums, Percussion
Angela Grassi – Vocals
Rosario Reina – Guitar, Programming
Track Listing:
1. Terrenica
2. In Viaggio
3. L’Inzio Di Una Catastrofe
4. Novembre
5. Le Strade Di Zoran
6. La Grande Piramide (Parte 1)
7. La Grande Piramide (Parte 2)
8. L’Uomo Della Preistoria
9. Come Stai
10. Domani
Online: On MySpace
HRH Rating: 7.5/10