PROJECT: TIME SCANNING

Time Machine are a prog metal band from Italy that were active throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and 'Project: Time Scanning' is their debut EP, later re-released as full-length album with the addition of a couple of bonus tracks. The band is the brainchild of bass player Lorenzo Deh', who, together with guitar player Ivan Oggioni, in the late 1992 decided to put together a one-off 'project' album to mark an end to their musical collaboration. The duo enlisted a couple of additional musicians (Ivan Taccone on guitars, Roberto Besana on drums) and singers (Fabio Pagani and Andrea Ruggeri from Moon of Steel, another Italian prog metal band), and in 1993 released the outcome under the title 'Project: Time Scanning'.

The EP contains seven tracks (the 1997 re-release adds two further songs, taken by their sophomore EP 'Dungeons of the Vatican'). The music can be described as 1980-influenced melodic heavy metal (Queensryche above all), with distinctive progressive leanings. These are mostly apparent in the non-standard structure of the songs, which are quite elaborated and complex, and in the virtuoso playing. There are some neoclassical themes too, hinting at Rainbow being another influence. The music is pretty much guitar and bass-driven, but keyboards and piano are also used abundantly (played by producer and long-time collaborator of the band Roberto Gramegna).

Speaking of production, it is probably the worst aspect of the EP. The sound is incredibly muddy and rough, and the mix is very unbalanced (it is sometimes a struggle to hear some of the instruments, like the keyboards). The guitar sound is also pretty terrible, thin and noisy, and so is the drum sound. The vocals, too, would have needed a bit more polish, especially in the songs where Andrea Ruggeri sings. Overall, the low-budget production definitely ruins the listening experience. The other major drawback of the album - which will plague the next couple of releases of the band - is Deh's tendency to cram his compositions with an insanely large amount of different sections, with different tempos, moods and instrumentation. Some sections last literally just a handful of seconds. While no doubt this adds depth to the compositions, it also makes them excessively fragmented and ultimately hard to enjoy, really.

It is a pity, because some songs are pretty decent, such as 'Holy Man', a track that combines heavy metal and a certain Italian prog-pop flair, resulting in an interesting and fairly original sound. 'Past and Future' is another good track, with strong vocals and a cool, dark symphonic atmosphere. The other tracks are less impressive, although most of them do contain some interesting ideas and passages, albeit not fully developed.

Overall, 'Project: Time Scanning' is an interesting EP, which clearly shows the band's potential. Being a debut album, it also shows that Time Machine are still on a learning curve, especially when it comes to composing and arranging songs that are complex but at the same time enjoyable and fun to listen to. The EP nevertheless shows that Time Machine are a band to watch for and indeed in the space of a few years they will become one of the most respected acts in the Italian prog metal scene.