THE FINAL DAY

Toward The Final Day, ODESSA can exactly go on their heavy-rocked road!

Their after-10-years-silence second work The Final Day (il giorno del giudizio...the day of the judgment) has got the point of Italian hard progressive rock. I've heard they be influenced by early AREA so can get the picture, and listening the work could let me remind early Judas Priest. (Of course, heavy riff plus Lorenzo's high-toned voice might make me so.) Believe me, they have heavy guitars, bass and drum, and hard-edged keyboard with strongly falsetto voice as their keys of music style. About all of them I can't help remembering early 'progressive' Judas (not in their golden age as a hardrock band). Especially I'm always shocked and knocked with the fight and battle of keyboard and bass & percussion. With typical hard-rock bands, I think keyboard play tends to be a backward support, but ODESSA's keyboard can aggressively push and kick against the other instrumentals. For not only a hard rock but an Italian progressive one, they can run through their identity.

As mentioned above, their music style is basically hard and heavy. The first track Final Day should have absolutely their character itself, be a masterpiece. Sung in English and Italian flavour is a bit light but guitar and rhythm section are very heavy. Furthermore, it's not only a hard song. With a progressive high-toned voice solo at the center of the song, it can define them as a hard-progressive band I guess. Yea, about second track Viene La Sera, or seventh Piccolo Mio Sole, of course their ballads are...you should be blown away if you think their ballads are simple and kind. No, heavy and progressive phrases suddenly popped up should kick your heart and brain strongly. Cometa Rossa is a covered song originally shot by Area and they give a modern and heavier taste to this brilliant gem. And I have to recommend strongly this song...speedy and frequently-altered rhythm with keyboard and guitar is impressive on Senza Fiato, an instrumental song! Their skill and power can be established by the song I consider. Leila has a straight rock flavour and is easy to sing maybe. (Pardon me I can't sing in Italian... :-P) Last track Going South gets started with solemn synth sound and complex keyboard and rhythm section's fighting follows. Absolutely, this song is suitable for the end of the album!

In my honest opinion, they can be more progressive and more natural by singing in Italian, not in English...ah, their English is not so bad. Of all my impression together, this wonderful and full-of-dream work is one of new Italian rock ways I wanna say.

This is ODESSA's second album, but it's been 10 years since their debut ! Some heaviness at times but there really is quite a bit of variety on this one. The vocals are probably the "make or break it" for most listeners i'm sure. He sings in a higher register and is almost shrill at times, like his vocals are straining. Vocals are in Italian mostly but two tracks are sung in English.

"Final Day" really got me excited the first time I heard the intro. I thought I had discovered a new favourite band. It's so melodic and heavy but when it settles 1 1/2 minutes in and piano, organ and vocals come in, suddenly the magic is gone for me.Thankfully it ends much like it started. Still a top three track for me. "Viene La Sera" is a good sounding song with prominant crisp drumming throughout. The guitar 3 1/2 minutes in is the highlight. "Taxi" is led by drums and vocals until it turns jazzy 3 1/2 minutes in. Not a fan of this one. "Compra" is uptempo with a variety of keyboards with vocals that seem yelled much of the time. It's ok.

"Cometa Rossa" is where the vocalist does his Demetrio Stratos impersonation. I remember saying "What ?" the first time I heard those familiar vocal melodies that Demetrio is famous for. This is an excellent track regardless and a top three for me. It gets heavier 2 minutes in. "Senza Fiato" is an instrumental and my other top three tune. Just an impressive instrumental display here as they let loose. It settles 2 minutes in with some nice guitar work to follow. "Piccolo Mio Sole" is laid back with reserved vocals. More passion a minute in. The guitar soars before 3 minutes. "Depeche Toi" is fairly heavy with lots going on. Guitar takes the lead and starts to light it up. A calm when vocals arrive. Great sound 3 minutes in. "Leila" opens with the focus on the vocals then it turns poppy. Yikes ! The contrasts continue. "Going South" is a powerful organ led tune to end it.

3 stars is the max I can give here, but I can see people really going crazy for this album.

Screamy prog-italiano by my opinion, using many elements that should be otherwise successful, but as it is now, it fails. Somehow, somewhere, but it fails. Not only that it tears my ears, it's also unnecessary wild and lacks stability, sounds like bunch of sounds done in wild tempo. Where's the beauty of RPI, where is dignity, all that is left here is dervish dance. However, sometimes it's not so bad, like in first Final Day track, even there's in general weird feeling I have about all this. I heard few RPI of this year and have to say that this genre is not in crisis. Should be crossover prog, I have to say, where is it ?

2(+), disappointment.