{"id":50790,"date":"2015-12-24T10:37:08","date_gmt":"2015-12-24T15:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=50790"},"modified":"2015-12-24T10:37:08","modified_gmt":"2015-12-24T15:37:08","slug":"room-experience-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2015\/room-experience-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Room Experience | Room Experience<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska<\/span>
\n– Sr. Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"roomexperience-st\"Recent years brought abundance of Melodic Rock\/AOR bands and projects \u2013 almost to the point of losing track among the vast number of them. One of the projects which might not ring a bell yet but are still a real treat for the genre\u2019s listeners is Room Experience. The ensemble is built around the Brescia-based musician\/songwriter Gianluca Firmo. Not only did he gather a good number of renowned musicians (members of Shining Line, Charming Grace, Street Talk etc.) for the recordings. Also, he got no one else but David Readman of Pink Cream 69 and Voodoo Circle to sing the lead. Recorded under the guidance of the producer Davide \u201cDave Rox\u201d Barbieri (and then polished by the omnipresent Alessandro Del Vecchio at the mixing and mastering stage), their self-titled album was released via MelodicRock Records this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cShock Me\u201d opens the album in a typical AOR fashion, its massive keyboard intro and lots of the \u201880s synth-esque flavors throughout the track being nothing too odd for a project founded by a keyboard player. Embroidered with a certain hook and a blistering guitar solo that, again, harkens back to the old school of axe playing, it\u2019s the quintessential Melodic Rock tune. It\u2019s much more difficult, however, to talk first impression in the case of \u201cTomorrow Came\u201d the first seconds into the mysterious, non-musical intro. Yet, what resonates in your speakers throughout the next two tracks (this as well as its follow-up \u201cRun To You\u201d) turns out to be a generous dose of sugary AOR mid tempo thing overall. \u201cQueen Of Every Heart\u201d returns to more dynamic, hook-oriented mode with its pulsating, keyboard-driven rhythm, followed by another slow-ish, emotionally laden tune \u201cAnother Day Without You\u201d. <\/p>\n

A riff that gives a start to \u201cOne Way Out\u201d might be a bit Leppard-ish, but the track\u2019s excellent hook proves Joe Eliott and the gang weren\u2019t the only ones so skillful in song crafting. \u201cThe Only Truth\u201d oozes with melancholy, its delicate verses building up to the soaring choruses. It\u2019s one of the finest pieces on the album, David Readman\u2019s vocal expressiveness adding much to the emotionally charged melody constructed around wailing guitar sounds. Another piece of perfect balladry approaches along with \u201cRainbow In The Rain\u201d. The Hammond organ tone adds a bit of a \u201870s Hard Rock flavor to it \u2013 with a real shot of adrenaline entitled \u201cNot Time Yet For A Lullaby\u201d coming in between the two slow-ish tunes. Next is \u201cNo Sign Of Summer\u201d that draws much from the Foreigner-esque tradition of well-crafted mid tempos embroidered with tinkly keyboards. As for the grand finale, there\u2019s \u201cOnly Goodnight\u201d featuring the project\u2019s mastermind Gianluca Firmo on vocals. Another heart-rending slow track, its instrumental richness forms a perfect background for Firmo\u2019s emotional performance and finishes the album on a high note altogether.<\/p>\n

Breaking ground within the genre of Melodic Rock\/AOR surely wasn\u2019t the purpose behind forming Room Experience, and the album is far from the musical novelty indeed. The actual purpose was to come out with a handful of well-crafted, charming and melodic songs ranging from soaring balladry to chest pumping tunes with infectious hooks. As Room Experience rightfully proves in its eleven-track entity, the goals were made reality. The seasoned ensemble behind the album did their job very well, contributing to the album\u2019s richness and variety of different tones and instrumental flavors. Much can be praised about David Readman providing his well-trained vocals, too, but what is the record\u2019s particular highlight is the songwriting factor above anything else. Room Experience\u2019s main man Gianluca Firmo proved his excellence in AOR craft, going irresistibly catchy at times but never cheesy. For the fans of a genre, this album is a must.<\/p>\n

Genre: Melodic Hard Rock, AOR<\/p>\n

Band:
\nDavid Readman (Pink Cream 69, Voodoo Circle): Lead & Backing Vocals
\nGianluca Firmo: Keyboards, Backing Vocals & Vocals
\nDavide \u201cDave Rox\u201d Barbieri (Wheels Of Fire, Charming Grace): Keys, Acoustic & Electric Piano, Acoustic & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
\nPierpaolo “Zorro11” Monti (Shining Line, Charming Grace, Lionville): Drums & Percussion
\nAmos Monti (Shining Line, Charming Grace, Lionville): Bass
\nSteve De Biasi (Gunshy, Charming Grace): Guitars<\/p>\n

Additional musicians:
\nAlessandro Del Vecchio (Revolution Saints, L.R.S., Three Lions, Shining Line): Hammond [track 9]
\nIvan Gonzalez (Secret, 91 Suite): Guitars [tracks 2, 5 and 10]
\nSven Larsson (Street Talk, Fergie Frederiksen, Lionville, Charming Grace): Guitars [track 7]
\nStefano Zeni (Wheels Of Fire, Charming Grace): Guitars [track 4]
\nBoris Matakovic (Human Zoo, Charming Grace): Sax [track 2]
\nAur\u00eb (Charming Grace): Backing Vocals [tracks 2 and 9]
\nMinna Ora (The Electric Lady, Charming Grace): Backing Vocals [track 5]
\nNicoletta Tona: Guitar solo [track 1]
\nAndrea Gipponi: Bass [tracks 2, 4 and 7]<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n01. Shock Me
\n02. Tomorrow Came
\n03. Run To You
\n04. Queen Of Every Heart
\n05. Another Day Without You
\n06. One Way Out
\n07. The Only Truth
\n08. Not Time Yet For A Lullaby
\n09. Rainbow In The Rain
\n10. No Sign Of Summer
\n11. Only Goodnight<\/p>\n

Label: MelodicRock Records<\/p>\n

Website: http:\/\/www.roomexperienceofficial.com<\/a> – https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/roomexperienceofficial<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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