SHADES OF TIME

Time Machine are an Italian prog metal band from Milan and the EP Shades of Time is their fourth studio release. The band is renowned for their frequent personnel changes and Shades of Time is no exception. Antonio Rotta is replaced on the new EP by Nick Rossetti (from prog metal/rock band Enrico VIII) on drums. Vocalist Folco Orlandini also steps down to make space for Adolfo "Morby" Morviducci (Sabotage, Domine). Guitar players Ivan Oggioni and Joe Taccone stay on instead, and so does the band's bass player and main songwriter, Lorenzo Dehó. Stefano Della Giustina guests as keyboard and tenor sax player.

The EP has strong Queensryche vibes. A lot of the similarities come down to Morby, who on this album does one of the best Tate's impersonations you can find out there. The timbre is spot on, and also the phrasing is at times reminiscent of Queensryche's legendary singer. But it is not just the voice the reason why I am reminded of Queensryche when I listen to this EP. The music is similar too, with songs that inhabit that sweet spot between ballad and energetic mid-tempo that one can find aplenty on records such as Operation Mindcrime and Empire. The sound is dark and moody, yet also very melodic. The keyboards add the right atmosphere, while the drums and bass give the sound a solid, powerful background.

In truth, often the comparison with Queensryche is a bit too close for comfort, as in the case of the EP opener "Silent Revolution" (even the title could have been lifted off Operation Mindcrime), the anthemic "New Religion" and "Never-ending Love". "1000 Rainy Nights" is more interesting, a sort of moody ballad with a solid, powerful riffing and drums. "Past and Future" is a re-recording of a song that had originally appeared on Time Machine's debut EP (Project: Time Scanning). It was one of the highlights of that EP and the new version is perhaps even better, with Morby adding that extra dose of grit and epicness that brings to mind early Iron Maiden. Stefano Della Giustina adds a sax solo to this track, which confers the music an additional layer of colour.

I have not yet mentioned what I consider the best piece of the EP, the cover of Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell". Frankly, this song is so good that it is probably impossible to make it sound bad. Time Machine's version is slightly more direct and aggressive, but it nevertheless retains all the power and epicness of the original. Walking in the shoes of Ronnie James Dio is never an easy task, but Morby does an excellent job here. The early Iron Maiden vibes surface on this track too, especially in the speedier bits.

All in all, Shade of Times is a pleasant album that flows away smoothly, if without too many surprises or high points. In the context of Time Machine's discography, the EP is significant for two reasons. First, it is the first album that actually showcases a decent production. The guitars have finally a good, meaty sound, and so do the drums. The vocals are well produced too, probably also thanks to the experience of Morby as a singer. The second notable aspect of the record is the evident maturation in the songwriting department. Shades of Time is the first album where Dehó abandoned the complex, over-fragmented and frankly hard to assimilate songwriting style of his previous records, in favour of a more direct, chorus-centred approach, which perhaps may be slightly less ambitious but it is certainly more accessible and, in the end, enjoyable.