GRANDINE IL VENTO [AKA: SYMPHONY OF LIGHT]

I was quite excited when I heard that Renaissance would release a new album. So I ordered it from the band and received a copy signed by Annie Haslam herself, which is quite cool! I am, however, sad to say that I don't think "Grandine il Vento" is not as good as their fantastic album from the 70s. Although in my opinion the band tried hard to create an album that is similar to those albums mentioned above, it didn't really work out. The melodies are not as good as they used to be. This already shows in the first track of the album "Symphony of light" in which the vocal line is a bit of a letdown. Furthermore the production isn't really convincing. The orchestral synths sound thin, especially the brass section sounds unconvincing to me. But also most of the the keyboard sounds that are used sound "outdated" and I don't think they sound "vintage". An example is the synth pattern in the first track. Annie Haslam's voice is in the higher register not as light as it used to be, given her age this is not too surprising. They to try invent interesting melody line, but I am afraid they are not as good as they are on their fantastic albums in the seventies. I think the closing track "The Mystic And The Muse " is one of the better songs. I gave the album a lot of tries and really wanted to like it and there are some good ideas on the album as well, but in the end I have to say that this album is not the return to greatness I had hoped for.