ALBERTO RIGONI

During Covid, Alberto decided he was not going to release any more music, but after his father dies towards the end of 2015, he decided to bring in some friends to assist him in making an instrumental release as a tribute. Rigoni is of course a bassist ((solo, BAD As, Natural Born Machine, Bassists Alliance Project, Vivaldi Metal Project etc.) and this release includes contributions from Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Mark Zonder (Fates Warning) and others. The result is something which contains some amazing musicianship, yet somehow leaves me really cool. This is while there are some interesting numbers such as "Talking with My Demons", which has mightily impressive contributions from drummer Mike Zonder and keyboard player Alessandro Bertoni, there are plenty of others with huge note density but no direction.

I have played this a few times now, but each time I soon start wondering what I am going to cook for dinner and how much longer does this have to go? That I find it more interesting than his release with Marco Minnemann, 'EvoRevolution', is not exactly something to shout about given I found that one tedious and boring. This is not in quite the same league, but while pleasant I found little here which makes me want to go through it again.

After the release of six albums between 2008 and 2017, Italian bassist and composer Alberto Rigoni (soloist, co-producer of Vivaldi Metal Project, founder of Bassists Alliance Project, ex Twinspirits) is back with 'EvoRevolution', an instrumental prog/rock/ambient concept album which also features drummer Marco Minnemann (The Artistocrats, Paul Gilbert). It "consists in a 33 minute long suite divided in six chapters, plus a much shorter second track. Minnemann: "Alberto approached me with the idea of adding drums to a fairly long piece composed mainly on the bass guitar. It goes in chapters and takes you on a trip through a variation of sensitive and dynamic soundscapes, leads through heavy rock song like parts, odd meter prog or jazz orientated sections and many more surprises."

I'm glad Marco liked it, as I have long been a fan of his drumming, and he certainly adds a great deal to this. But, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a 33-minute long piece of music mostly composed and performed on a bass, or series of basses, and it comes across as rather tedious and boring. There is too much reverb and attack in the sound for it to be truly ambient, and not enough interest for it to be anything else. The only thing that got me through to the end of the album was knowing that once I had written about it then I would never have to listen to it again. I much prefer Vivaldi Metal Project to this, sorry

Alberto RIGONI is the Italian bassist who played in ASCRA covering the titles of DREAM THEATER, then in TWINSPIRITS with a pronounced prog metal taste at SYMPHONY X; he starred in BAD As; he has also released personal albums including this one, the eleventh, coming out at a singular moment in his life, a vibratory and intimate tribute in fact; a parable about our passage on earth. Surrounded by RUDESS and BATTEN, I couldn't miss this album which makes him take up the torch at the end of the pandemic. Music between prog rock, fusion and ambient experimental under his sharp bass playing.

"The Miracle" low, bell, aerial dream, sober and dark at the same time to set the scene. "The origin of the world" on a cry of a newborn baby, a romantic ballad with intentional spleen, the appearance of the posed keyboards of Jordan RUDESS then of his crystalline piano, the guitar of Jennifer BATTEN make this title one of the moments highlights of the album, a musical firework. "Youth" more crazy rock atmosphere with a zappaesque part, the end becomes jazzy then twirling prog, bringing notes of life, joy, beauty, Jennifer being there for a lot in this feeling. "Talking with My Demons" featured by Mark ZONDER then Alessandro's piano for a mysterious escapade, the notes tortured before finally being played; the break with the flute à la GENESIS launches an overwhelming spleen, disastrous march in focus, archaic moment where the music seems to speak. "Suddenly" starts with a fairly sustained rhythm section where the bass will come and say hello to spitting SERRA, expressive intensity, introspective, it's beautiful and addictive in a few seconds.

"The Battle" sad, moving, synth à la Wally BADAROU on a melancholy tune; a guitar solo by Tommaso reminding me of our colorful Patrick RONDAT; the military battery sounding the death knell of this lost battle on one side, hope on the other side with the richness of the colored notes. "Silence" for the descent into borderline ultra- bass territory sprinkled with atmospheric pads; a pure meditative moment where contemplation is charged with humility; the image of an aphonic bubble far from everything, shhhhh, I'm restarting the replay. "Keep On Fighting" takes us out of this state by bringing us back to a melodic rock metal tune worthy of the master Yngwie MALMSTEEN; it comes out everywhere, from Edoardo's neck and Mark's hit amplifies the aggressive measure. "Peaceful Acceptance" hints at the end with a divine and minimalist bass-piano pairing, simple and fresh as morning dew; So it drips and it allows you to dream of a moment of tranquility, serenity. "Souls Never Die" concludes this set of hope, a punchy rock made to sweep away this moving moment of the artist and move forward, a necessary message to have in each of us for the hard times in life. The sound becomes fat, meaty, expressive, with the concentrated energy of Fabrizio and Marco.

Alberto RIGONI has therefore surrounded himself with musical talents to deliver this delicate and charming opus, intimate and deep, meditative and bewitching, just to help overcome the phenomenon of mourning, an absolute cathartic phenomenon in itself; a requiem for his father, a vibrant album by a bass player who played for the greatest such MACALUSO, MANRING, HARRISON and EDWIN, MOORE, MINNEMANN, EDMAN, ALAN PARSONS, LANDE, GILBERT. Ambient instrumental, fusion on progressive rock, beautiful music.

Well,well,well ! A new album for Mr Alberto Rigoni, bassist extraordinaire from Italy, so time for high quality music !This new musical extravaganza is the most mature, complete, complex and elaborate album so far for this brilliant musician !Just look at the names of the special guest stars invited on the album and you realize this one is truly a magnum opus for it's author ! It's a very diverse, mature and impressive album !Written in a difficult period of time for Mr Rigoni, this album has a very special and personal importance for him ! A personal family loss is a tragedy that brings out some unexpected and impressive artistic resources, it's the source of unexpected inspirations and ways of artistic displays.. This is the feeling that we have after we make an audition of this album !Maturity, sobriety, diversity,musical integrity and passion for this wonderful instrument called bass. The musicians invited are making great, remarcable performances, it's impressive to see the cohesion and consistency of the compositions.Catchy from the first to the last note, this album deserves many audition to fully understood in it's message and to understand the state of mind of Mr Rigoni, when he composed this true musical jewel !The diversity is impressive and each track has a very strong personality and individuality!Love it so much. Complimenti,maestro and endless inspiration in the future to spread to the world your immense talent and musical stills!5 stars without any hesitation for a work of art.

ODD TIMES is the new album of Mr Alberto Rigoni from Italy,one of the most talented bass players of his generation,a body of work which delivers year after year excellent albums of instrumental prog fusion!This ODD TIMES album is kind of accomplishment,both in terms of composition and technical skills!Definitely,it's the most mature and elaborated album to date,truly excellent and very inspired!I can say in the same time,it's the most prog metal album of all his solo releases and,as usual,has an excellent sound,a majestic production and a gorgeous digipack presentation!The sensational German wonder drummer Marco Minnemann is invited once again to join the party and proves why he is considered one of the best drummers of our days!The true revelation on the album is Alexandra Zerner,a sensational musical discovery,a great musician in charge here with the keys and guitar parts,very tasty and catchy!The structure of the album is very well balanced, we have here plenty of technical displays and magical moments and the tracks are flowing in a very enjoyable manner,offering to those who love instrumental prog fusion some fantastic moments!To be fully understood and appreciated,the album deserves many auditions,but each time there are great musical discoveries guaranteed,to the enchantment of all good music lovers!The artwork is spectacular too,so the whole package is a major accomplishment for it's author!Great album and all our respect for a great musician ,ODD TIMES is an almost a perfect album!4.5 stars well deserved for me!

BASSORAMA is a very special album for Mr Alberto Rigoni and proves a new face of this highly talented musician! He abandoned the rock or progressive fusion aspects of his music and goes this time on the funk territory,proving that bass guitar is an essential instrument in this kind of music!So,if you are a prog fan,this album has nothing to do with it,but if you love the bass instrument,the album worth to be discovered!It's extremely well produced and performed,has some catchy tunes on it!The chameleonic aspect of it's author proves that Mr Rigoni can play no matter what music style with success,offering this way a great demonstration of technical and composition skills!So,gibe it a try and you won't regret this musical discovery!3.5 stars for the music but rounded to 4 for the great cover work and the digipak presentation!

PROG INJECTION like it's name says ,is a great instrumental album of the Italian bass player Alberto Rigoni,helped this time by another monster drummer,Mr Thomas Lang himself,a true magician of this instrument!Sandro Bertoni on keyboards is another great musical addition to this great album and offers here some amazing moments of great inspiration!The album has nearly 40 minutes and it's loaded with great composition of instrumental prog rock,made by real pros which love this kind of music!Strong compositions ,many auditions are necessary to understand the message of this impressive album which proves that instrumental music had endless ways of expression!The production is impressive and the bass sound is exceptional and innovative sometimes!The diversity of the tracks is impressive too,the balance between the composition is perfect and a great musical journey is guaranteed!4 strong stars for a very catchy and tasty musical discovery!

EVOREVOLUTION is another great album released by the Italian bass player Alberto Rigoni which continues the story which began when Alberto was the bass player of the very talented band TWINSPIRITS!Now, he goes solo and this album proves the impressive progression made by this great musician in terms of musical vision,composition and skills!On this album Mr Rigoni is helped by the drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann,one of the most brilliant drummers of our days!The album is a display of wonderful musical ideas by a rich and innovative imagination of two highly skilled musicians! Bass is a wonderful instrument and Mr Rigoni shows here some unbelievable faces of his personality,some catchy ideas and a masterful playing!Definitely,there's a true alchemy between this 2 heavenly gifted musicians and this album proves that this kind of encounter provide some sensational music,full of great moments !Instrumental music has endless ways of expression and on this album there are plenty of magical soundscapes,ready to be discovered by good music lovers! Diverse compositions,from fusion to world music, and an invitation to many auditions for an album so rich and diverse in it's expression!Great digipak presentation too,strong 4 stars ,rounded to 4.5 in my humble opinion!

Alberto Rigoni is a bass player from Italy that has been involved with a few bands, including "Ascra" who mostly played "Dream Theater" covers, and "Twinspirits", a well-reviewed progressive metal band. In 2008, he released his first solo album (listed as Heavy Prog) worldwide. He has also worked with some famous proggers including both Gavin Harrison and Colin Edwin both from "Porcupine Tree", Mike Lepond from "Symphony X" and members of Malmsteen's band. Between 2008 and 2019, he has released 8 solos albums. His 8th album is a collaboration with drummer Thomas Lang (who has recorded with Peter Gabriel and others) and also includes keyboardist Allesandro Bertoni (from the Italian band "Fierrabraci). The name of this album is "Prog Injection" and it consists of 8 tracks with a total run time of just over 39 minutes.

It all starts out with "XYX" which starts off with heavy effects from synths and guitars giving it a atmospheric, yet thick feel. This works as an introductory track and brings in the next track "Metal Injection". There is a fast beat established, and the bass creates a thick sound with guitars and synths flying along. After a minute, things slow to a moderate beat with the bass taking the spotlight before everything speeds up again. The synth seems to play at a lower volume than the guitars, but that changes later, and, surprisingly, all of the instruments get a lot of feature time, not just the bass. The great bass effects really are the highlight as far as unique sounds and styles. The music isn't as typical as you might think it would be, which is a very good thing. It is also definitely progressive.

"Blood Shuga" begins with a thumping bass, a great guitar into and again, great keys that connect it all together. The rhythm is moderately fast, but falls off at times to give a dynamic layer to the track. Again, all of the musicians get a chance to shine, utilizing several instruments, especially a large variety in the keys. The bass really opens up in the last minute and is answered by a screaming guitar. "Death Stick" features guest Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under) on a bass solo. This is also a track with a lot of rhythmic and meter changes, and features a lot of great bass with some nice effects and tricks.

"Omega" features more keyboards (mostly organ) heavily backed up with the bass and quirky drums. As usual, the bass riffs are quite astounding and full of hooks. The keys and drums are the glue that hold it all together, and they continue to have plenty of chances to shine and create dynamic and varied tracks, all the while remaining quite progressive. "Liquid" is the longest track at over 7 minutes. It starts out somewhat reflective and atmospheric with great sounds from the bass. After a minute, things take off with the full band, but moods, meters and rhythms stay in flux, but with enough consistency as to create effective passages that develop into melodic sections. Again, there are plenty of great performances among all musicians. The music is complex, but not in the way of say "Liquid Tension Experiment" or "Estradasphere", but more concise with a more melodic feel, definitely Heavy Prog which is what the goal was for the style of this album.

"Low and Disorder" goes for a more standard, yet fast beat, sounding like a fast 3 / 4 time in the rhythm section but a 4 / 4 beat in the keys. Organ solos play above the fast moving bass which features both crazy riffs and melodious, yet heavy, passages. As it approaches the middle, things get a bit more complex with some progressive stop/start sections where the bass really gets to show off. "Iron Moon" ends the album with atmospheric bass and keys (no drums on this one) which create some nice textures.

This instrumental showcase has a lot more depth than what you might expect. All 3 musicians get chances to shine and affect the overall sound of each track so you get not just amazing bass, but plenty of excellent performances from the keys and drums. The music is definitely Heavy Prog and features a lot of interesting music throughout. Yes, Rigoni gets to show off, but so do the other musicians and there is enough variation among the tracks that it never grows stale. Those that love heavy bass with a lot of prog musicianship will love this album. 4 stars.

Mr Alberto Rigoni is back with another album called -DUALITY -in 2017 and this time is a prog orientated album,with some fusion twists!He abandoned the direction taken with hie previous album,which was in the funk-soul direction!It wasn't a bad album at all,but it wasn't what we usually expect from this amazing and hardworking musician!The new album,released only in digital format,is what Mr Rigoni thinks to do in the present,and he is doing it good!Surrounded by some amazing musicians,he delivers a great album,a little too short in my opinion,but loaded with excellent and diverse compositions!I am sure he deliberately choosed to make a very diverse album,proving this way that he is an absolutelly chameleonic musician,able to perform any type of music!The fact that having a little more of 30 minutes and we don't feel this time,is the prove that DUALITY is a dense and rich album!It's rich in it's expression and different manners how it's composed and performed!It's not at all an egocentric album with useless technical gimmicks or demonstrations ,it's in fact the album of a very talented musician,which proves to be really an excellent player,but an awesome composer too!The bass sound of Mr Rigoni is stunning,fantastic indeed,our man proving that he is a very gifted technician too!Easily 4 stars for a great musical discovery,an album for open mionded persons,good music lovers,that's for sure!COMPLIMENTI dear Mr Rigoni!