MASSIMO PIERETTI

Having met Massimo in Rome a few years ago, I was immediately taken by his resolute focus on his craft, a clear musical vision and the willpower to make it happen. He is definitely a doer and not just a thinker, as purpose and creativity that propel him constantly forward. His debut was met by critical acclaim and last year's live album garnered even more attention. But now comes crunch time, as "The Next Dream" is exactly what the title implies. Julius Caesar may have worn a crown of laurels, but Massimo does not rest on his, getting a wide variety of local and international collaborators to help him with his new endeavour. Moon Letters singer Michael Trew is here, as well as Laura Piazzai, Dominic Sanderson, Kate Nord and Germana Noage along with magical super-lung vocalist Claudio Milano, guitarists Jean-Luc Payssan (Minimum Vital), Peter Matuchniak and Nick Fletcher, saxophonist Rob Townsend and John Hackett whose bloodlines need no introduction, and drum maestro Mattias Olsson are helping Maria Chiara Rocchegiani, Lorenzo Cortoni, Amy Breathe and Marco Ragni (vocals), guitarists Roberto Falcinelli and Luigi Pistillo, Mirko Rovina (percussion), Marco Lo Muscio on church organ, violinist Lisa Green, and cellists Mauro Cipriani and Gianni Pieri to fill out the EXTENSIVE cast. Eleven tracks, some of which were previously released as singles, videos and teasers, are gathered together to solidify the scope of the album. Releasing new material first live and then studio, now that is cool!

"Come Heavy Sleep" arrives as a celestial aria (Rocchegiani) , setting the tone for the musical theater that we are about to witness, Massimo showing his neo-classical/symphonic background to perfection. Both John Hackett's flute and Rob Townsend on sax decorate the arrangement with a very British flair, an adaptation of the Renaissance composer John Dowland fine piece of the same name. What a colossal beginning !

The two part "Creatures of the Night" suite offers the listener a wider and deeper canvas of emotional attraction. Lead vocalist Germana Noage really lays into her expertise with an overwhelming demonstration of control and tone, proclaiming all the lavish rudiments essential to be irrefutable. Decorate that with some tasty Cozzetto fretwork and you've got one hell of a track to linger on. Two colossal tracks form the stuffing of the 4-song suite ,"Get in Line" is an absolute stunner, and it features one of my current pet musicians, namely Warr guitar master Mark Cook, who can do no wrong in my book. I won't dilly dally here, this is perhaps the finest track Massimo has ever composed, as it supplies a complete package of bliss, the vocal duet of Marco Ragni and the already applauded Germana is off the charts dazzling, the orchestrations sensually a propos, an arching bass swirl and the twirling lead guitar finale are both heart stopping. Massimo carved a melody to match, and the end result is celestial. "The Chinese Witch" shows Massimo stretching the progressive level to loftier heights, a tour de force of creativity, concentrating particularly on the vocal harmonics side of arranging, that never wavers along its 7 minute + flight time. Opulent piano settles the foundation on which the female voices (Nord and Rocchegiani) get to build up the melodic tension, telling a story that incorporates a Chinese folk song. It flows majestically along, increasing symphonics elevating the pomp, a vocal operatic masterpiece of the highest order. A perfect and marvelous follow-up to the previous revelry. "I Dreamed of Flying" suggests a gentler approach to eventually finishing off the night. This is a uniquely precious piece, initially a duet with piano and voices (Trew and Breathe) , augmented with some orchestrations. a tune of delicate fragility that cracks open like an eggshell, bursting with excited resonance. An acoustic version will finish off the album later on. The spookier second part of "Creatures of the Night" is a huge highpoint, as the twin guitarists get to let their strings do the singing within a distinctly urban temperament that is quite perceptible, just like when the sun sets and the night crawlers emerge out of their lairs, you just know that there is going to be adventure of some kind to behold. Its raunchier material comes as a most welcome heightening of all the amassed tension. Imaginaerium's Laura Piazzai (another current flavor of mine) belts out her notes like a rocking opera diva, full of power and passion, taking no prisoners. Supremely gifted Nick Fletcher showcases his guitar skills, adding fuel to the vocal fire, bass rumble (Allen), and violin(Green) screech not withstanding.

Just like at the Scala in Milan, the intermission brings down the crimson velvet curtain, time to redecorate the stage and let the audience refresh themselves before tackling the next section.

Just like Massimo to keep the pedal on the accelerator (he drove me around Rome a few years ago, and I was well strapped in because he drives, well, ?like a Roman =pazzo). On the utterly lyrical "Alone", the American duo of Cook and Matuchniak nevertheless match the theme with instrumental prowess of the highest quality. Solitude in an ocean of humanity can be quite the hard pill to swallow.

Michael Trew takes the microphone eagerly on "The First Time We Met", a genuine recollection of those wonderful first impressions that can never be forgotten, the voice smooth as silk, as if hushed in hallowed respect. Perhaps the most accessible song on the set list but, it's just perfecto! Lest we forget, Italy has an ingredient found in all of their cuisine that consolidates its reputation : amore. The romantic in me is fulfilled. A superb song with scintillating piano work, in particular . Grazie maestro!

The longest piece here is the title track, "The Next Dream" and it features Dominic Sanderson, prog's new wunderkind by all accounts, on both intense and despondent lead vocals, sharing the duties with Kate Nord, who can also belt out with the best of them, in a gigantic section of music that travels through various sonic regions, from the romantic and adventurous to the tumult of big city angst and bombast. Cook shows up again with his stringed monster, supported by the legendary Mattias Olsson on the drum kit, they both steal the show instrumentally, with a delirious performance, and a torrent of blistering notes and fills.

Showing the impressive ability to concentrate on of prog's most well documented weaknesses, the vocals on this album are perhaps some of the finest anywhere in 2025. Expertly composed, arranged, produced and delivered by Massimo Pieretti, it is fair now to boldly state, that you have arrived , amico mio! Capolavoro!

5 subsequent visions

"Welcome to the World of Dreams' The Next Dream is Massimo's second studio album and follow up to 2022's A New Beginning. He plays keyboards on this album and is joined by a stellar cast of musicians. The theme is very much the world of sleep and dreams where you cannot distinguish between dream and reality.Vocals dominate the album rather than flights of individual musical dexterity,but a few wonderful guitar runs and a brief synth solo along the way -an album to relax late evening and enjoy the journey.

Track 1 Come Heavy Sleep is an anthemic start with beautiful church organ from Marco Lo Muscio and vocals from Maria Chiara Rocchegiani -it is an interpretation of an Elizabethan work of John Dowland. John Hackett -one of the many musical guests - provides flute. Track 2 is Creatures of the Night Part One which was previously issued as a single.Simone Cozzetto plays wonderful guitar throughout this track and Germana Noage leads on female vocals -wonderfully atmospheric Track 3 Get in Line has a lovely violin intro. Germana and Marco Ragni duet on this track which begins slowly but gathers pace later on - again with an excellent guitar break. Track 4 The Chinese Witch is one of the two longer tracks on the album. The amazing Kate Nord takes lead vocals on this one and Maria again joins in with vocals later in the track.It is quite a mystical one with a long fade out with female voices and keyboards. Track 5 I Dreamed of Flying was released as a single previously. It is my favourite track on the album and lead vocals are from Michael Trew with Amy Breathe backing vocals.It is a marvellous piece of music -all too short. The keyboards are lush from Andrea Amici with beautiful mellotron and a synth solo at 2:53. 10/10 Track 6 Creatures of the Night Part 2 was released as a single. Claudio Milano again begins with an ominous vocal statement before Nick Fletcher's guitar tears it up and Imaginaerium vocalist,Laura Piazzai storms in around 45 seconds. A very rocky track which would make a great James Bond theme ! Track 7 Alone is a mid-temp song with Lorenzo Cortoni on lead vocal. Peter Matuchniak provides a Gary Moore like guitar intro and his playing features well on this track Track 8 The First Time We Met features Micheal Trew again on vocals with a lovely clarinet intro from Lauren Trew. Guitars again feature on this mid-tempo track with piano from Massimo. Track 9 The Next Dream is the title track and longest on the album. It features the marvellous Dominic Sanderson on vocals right from the very start. The track progresses through many phases of which Presto is a favourite - a wonderful guitar break in the track which segues into Old Long Story and finishes with wonderful,operatic vocals from Kate Nord 10/10

The CD included 2 bonus tracks. I Dreamed of Flying is an acoustic version of this marvellous track with Germana Noage on lead vocals and again lovely keys in the background - a fantastic track The First Time We Met is a lovely piano instrumental from Massimo of Track 8. It reminds me somewhat of another keyboard maestro,Yanni.

An excellent second album from Massimo.

Putting on a recital is what musical art is all about and keyboardist/composer Massimo Pieretti gathered together a stellar crew of Germana Noage on lead vocals, electric guitarists Roberto Falcinelli and Simone Cozzetto, adding the rhythm section of Michele Raspanti on electric bass and Andres Gualco on drums and percussion. They performed a live concert of his splendid 2022 "A New Beginning" debut album as well as a two-part series of Creatures of the Night singles released after the fact and that may ultimately find place on his next album. The primary set features 13 electric vignettes and the final 3 pieces offer an acoustic interpretation of "I Dream of Flying", "In November" and "Things to Live and To Die For".

Massimo emotes on the mike on the cinematic "Intro", shrouded in reverb, a forlorn piano and symphonic keys glowing in the backdrop, a bass caress and symbolic cymbals work up the front of the stage. A perfect setup for Germana's powerful vocal to shine on "Oh Father", an iconic tune that will initiate a trio of pieces that are Massimo's finest crowning achievements, adding echoing guitars that collide with rhythmic piano. The magnificent "In November" remains the centerpiece of this triumvirate with an urgent vocal that groans and moans with serenity, an ode to the imminent arrival of winter. The solemn "Growing Old" is the fitting climax, as these three should persist together, betrothed forever. Germana has a husky voice that exudes intensity and can travel up and down the scale with impunity.

Change of pace and mood on the haunting, echo laden "Is It That Girl Right?", a convincingly more accessible piece that provides the widest expanse for the gliding vocal performance. The symphonics come to the fore with the perfectly narrated "Out of This World", where shivering dual guitars rattle the cage, the female voice wailing majestically, soaring and elevating like a tornado heading to the stars. Definitely a highlight progressive display, with a message of international unity and resilience. The mini-interlude has Massimo on the piano, with scorching guitars painting the ears, a prefect initiator for the animated "Things to Live and To Die For", the piano front and center and the band adding a distant support, the lead vocal urgent and passionate. "Family and Business" is not the celebrated Fish classic but darker and brooding pace with the electric bass climbing ladders like an acrobat, the raunchy guitars in full tow, and resilient organ shadings that exude a sombre feel. The chorus' insistence veers on manic, just to drive home the point of what matters in life. Rock 'n Roll!

The 2 part "A New Beginning" is a personal insight into Massimo's life, which like most if not all lives, has its fair share of ups and downs, it's how you choose to adapt, fight on and survive. As long as there is a freedom of choice and opportunity, solutions are around the next corner, perhaps unseen but surely sensed. The vocals are appropriately pleading , the pace turbo-charged, and the symphonic canvas liberating the fretboards to ramble on. The segue to a charming ballad is always a great idea, and "I Hope You Will Always Be Here with Me" is a sweet moment that does not get saccharine , just heartfelt and true. Dream on! The two part "Creatures of the Night" suite was released after the album and has the unique attribute of a more complex arrangement that stretches way beyond short vignettes (the hallmark of A New Beginning) and offers the listener a wider and deeper canvas of emotional attraction. Germana Noage really lays into her proficiency with a devastating display of control and tone, asserting all the effusive elements required to be convincing. The creepier second part is a massive highlight, as the guitarists get to let their frets do the talking , a decidedly urban mood that is noticeable, when the sun goes down and the night crawlers emerge out of their lairs, there is going to be adventure of some kind.

"I Dreamed of Flying" initiates the three final acoustic pieces, suggesting a gentler approach to finishing off the night. This is a uniquely precious piece, initially a duet with piano and voice, augmented with some orchestrations. Germana just kills it here. The other two stripped down versions only serve to elevate her sublime voice even further , consolidating the impression fully. She 'really, really, really' can sing like the wind.

As is my usual norm, live albums are meant to be enjoyed as an entire event whether live or on DVD and are rated therefore in consequence. A great idea and hopefully, one fine day, Massimo will have the ability to provide a fully filmed event , so that everyone can enjoy the talent on display here. 4 Nocturnal Beasts

A New beginning was Massimo's debut solo album released in 2022. Massimo is an accomplished pianist and keyboard player from Rome,and delivers his solo album track perfect in a live setting accompanied by a great band and vocalist Germana Noage. Intro is an atmospheric beginning -cinematic like and leads into Oh Father which has heavenly guitars and synths and features Germana's wonderful vocals. This is an album to listen from start to finish - no keyboard or guitar pyrotechnics but emotive,personal songs - mostly short - which are thought provoking with rich melodies. In November was a favourite of mine on the debut album which Germana does vocals solo - I think it would be good for Massimo to duet on this track. Out of this World is very atmospheric - a call to arms for ordinary people to overcome dictators and adversity -very topical ! Germana's voice is very soulful on Things to Live. She is a wonderful vocalist who can rock as much as operatic style. Family Business is a great band track: A great intro from guitar and keys and a snarling organ above which Germana rocks out at 3.31 and has a big finale -excellent ! New Beginning begins slowly but increases in tempo with Massimo's piano in Part 2 increasing the pace. Creatures of the Night is a great finale : Part 1 is very operatic and Part 2 delivers a strong guitar intro and powers through to the finish. The three acoustic tracks are slower renditions of previous tracks. Massimo's piano and Germana's voice really shine here. Mention must be made of Roberto Falcinelli and Simone Cozzetto on guitars,Michele Raspanti on bass and Andres Gualco on drums who are note perfect on this live album. Relax and enjoy this live album whilst we await the second studio album 'The Next Dream'

Today I'll be reviewing Italian prog musician Massimo Pieretti's 2022 debut album, "A New Beginning". He recently PM'd me to request a review, as he is preparing to release his second full length album later this year. As always, I am reviewing it as I hear it, and this is a cold listen. He is not compensating me in any way for reviewing it outside of sending me a digital zip file of the tracks. Massimo has played with fusion band Orphinskij, as well as performing with several tribute bands. He is a keyboardist and composer and recorded this album with 28 different collaborators! One of the collaborators is Ray Weston of prog veterans Echolyn. The album has been called an autobiographical concept album. The songs range in length from just over 1 minute to around 4:30. Let's check it out!

Track 1 - Intro

The music begins peacefully with a note fading in and orchestration and then vocals being added. The lyrics are in English. By around 1 minute the music begins to have some rhythm but retains its orchestral nature. This is a very pleasant introduction to the album.

Track 2 - Oh Father

This begins with a drumbeat. The band joins in after a few bars with a guitar solo supported by other instruments. The vocals that join in are very clear and intonated. The meter is in 4, but syncopated. The song is a mellow ode to his father, saying "It was a lesson of love." I like the drum fill at around 2:40. Nice track.

Track 3 - In November

A bit of nylon string guitar kicks this off, and swelling synth notes join in. The meter is in 6-8 but syncopated. I like the pulsing bass line. There are many layers of octave-unison singing. Some spoken words fill in between the verses. At around 2:50 a guitar countermelody enters. A short wind sound-effect ends the song. Pretty good track, with several interesting things happening.

Track 4 - Growing Old

This one begins with synth chords at a slow tempo. Piano and fretless bass join in, creating a rhythm. The full rhythm section enters at around 40 seconds. This one has an almost breezy melody in the lead vocals. I like the echo vocals in the chorus. I like when the vocalist goes into the higher register. Nice crescendo around 3:20. The rhythm changes to a half time feel. This is my favorite track thus far.

Track 5 - Is It That Girl Right Another mellow track, with female vocals this time. Jazzy chords on the electric piano. It reminds me a bit of late 70s pop music. I like the bridge; the vocalist does a nice job of carrying the melody.

Track 6 - Out of this World

This begins with interesting synth tones and more female vocals singing in an ethereal way. I like the feel when the rhythm kicks in. As the verse begins there are many layers of vocals, with lots of reverb, giving the effect of a cosmic choir. In the second half of the song there is a man's voice with a British accent apparently giving a pep-talk to soldiers. The musical accompaniment fades out near the end leaving the voice to complete the track on its own.

Track 7 - Interlude

Piano and synth play a peaceful melody. Other instruments join about halfway through. The track is what it says it is.

Track 8 - Things to live and to Die For

An interesting, syncopated drumbeat starts it off and other instruments soon join, creating an attention getting atmosphere. The vocals join with a male singing. This one is in 6-8. A female voice joins in singing an octave above on the chorus. She ad libs a bit on the second verse. I like how the intensity builds near the end.

Track 9 - Family & Business

The synth sound that starts this one off presents an air of foreboding. I like the guitar line that comes in. The male vocalist on this one has a bit more grit to his voice. This one is rocking slightly harder than most of the previous tracks. I like the call and response nature of the chorus. During the guitar solo that follows, there is a chant being said. Nice soloing from the guitarist on this track! This one is also one of my favorite tracks on the album. Well done!

Track 10 and 11 - A New Beginning (Part A) Looking for the Best, and (Part B) The Only Way You Can Be

(In the files that Massimo sent me, these tracks are combined into one with a total running time of just over 4 minutes; they are apparently separate on CD versions of the album.)

A piano chord and tubular bell accompanies a spoken voice that sets the mood for the song. The song is saying that "We must look for the best." A positive message indeed in these trying times. I like the instrumental arrangement. The Italian accent comes through quite strongly from the vocalist on this track, giving it a bit of charm to my American ears. The second part of the song doubles the tempo from the ballad-like tempo of the first section. The positive vibes continue. I like the tempo changes for the guitar solo, which ends in a nice crescendo as the vocals return. Strong guitar playing continues and the vocals go more to the background and provide a bit of a countermelody. Great arrangement as the song comes to a close. This is definitely a centerpiece of the album.

Track 12 - I Hope You Will Always Be Here with Me

Piano and lead guitar start this off, and then the rhythm section establishes a moderate tempo, before vocals join in. This vocalist on this track is a female with a very rich voice that reminds me of the late Karen Carpenter with an accent. (Turns out her name is Kate Nord, see the video link below.) Massimo's lyrics are very positive and optimistic. I believe I hear some mellotron. Nice octave jump in the vocals around 2:40, followed by a great high ad lib! Strong lead guitar accompanies the vocals. Strong track.

Track 13 - Intro Reprise

Nice organ tones with chords that shift between uplifting and foreboding. This closes the album proper.

(Note: There are two acoustic versions of tracks from the album that follow, but since I normally don't review bonus tracks, I will not formally review them here.)

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

If you are looking for odd-metered music with lots of fiddly-twiddly bits, this is NOT the album for you. However, if you want to hear a very heartfelt and personal album, with some good playing and several fine vocalists, then check out Massimo's album! The album does have a bit of a homemade aura about it, as it is self-produced, but it is all clean and well-mixed. I found it to be an enjoyable listen. Massimo's optimism and positive vibes flowed through these performances of his compositions. I believe he is off to a good start here and I see that he has just released a live album containing much of this material on his Bandcamp page as I type this on Friday Feb. 21, 2025. (He also sent me a press release regarding this album, which I will post in the comments if I can.) I'll give this album a 4 out of 5 stars.

In addition to this full album, and the freshly released live album, Massimo has also released an EP titled "Creatures of the Night" in 2024. His new album is planned for release later in 2025 and to be titled "The Next Dream"

A taste of what will be a quite interesting and dreamy album!

I've had the luck of being in contact with talented Roman composer Massimo Pieretti, whose music arrived to my ears last year. Now in the second half of this 2024 he is giving us a brief encounter with his second full-lenght album, which will be released in a few months, however, with "Creature of the Night" we are given a proof of his world of dreams.

PIeretti has made a great work not only by composing excellent music under a fantastic concept, but also by joining a line-up of amazing guest musicians who collaborate in this record (or in this case, this EP), most of them fellow Italian colleagues like Claudio Milano, but also there is a quite interesting bunch of non-Italian artists such as Mattias Olsson, John Hackett or Rob Townsend, to name a few.

So for this 4-track EP hi gives us 15 minutes of symphonic-pastoral-dreamy music which kicks-off with "Come Heavy Sleep", a brief introduction to this world of dreams and fantasy which might actually be a reflection or our reality. Female opera-like vocals appear here with a gentle musical background which has mandolin and orchestral strings included, there is also a nice electric guitar sound; I think this could sound like a passage of a Mike Oldfield's epic. In the last seconds Pieretti's spoken word appear in order to open the gates to the next track, or to the other world.

His voice speaks "welcome to the world of dreams, where we spend so much time along with other beings. Who are they? Here they are!", and then we are listening to "Creatures of the Night, Pt. 1" which has an amazing guitar solo by Simone Cozzetto, who in a few seconds creates a Floydian atmosphere but at the same time takes us fast metal- like nuances; then Germana Noage starts singing and telling us what the story is about. The music is quite interesting and emotional, blending prog rock with symphonic metal, some folk and even opera.

"Creatures of the Night Pt. 2" comes next, a song that by the way was released as the first single of this album. It sounds like a play, the concept and performance have a theatrical essence, even like a novel. Musically the Floyd resemblances appear again with the guitar sound, and I like that Pieretti has chosen a different singer for each track, adding colorful palettes (greatly complemented by strings, percussion and of course, keyboards).

The last advancement of his upcoming album is entitled "I Dreamed of Flying", a song with an emotional essence, where hopes, dreams and a brighter future float. The music is soft, full of beauty and tenderness in one hand, but with nostalgy, uncertainty and sadness in the other hand, The music wonderfully flows, one can even close the eyes and feel enchanted by its sounds, it is an open invitation to dream, or to explore more about the meaning of our own dreams. Delicate acoustic guitar notes, emotional male and female vocals, and great keyboard work, mellotron and a moog solo included.

Well, those 15 minutes went flying as well, so I am looking forward to hear the whole album, which I am sure will deliver the same quality as these four examples.

Enjoy it!

Massimo Pieretti's debut album A New Beginning is an eclectic prog opera with a plethora of guest artists from a pot- pourri of Italian musicians and vocalists. The intriguing storyline is about holding onto family values, discarding political principles to embrace freedom and the attempt to understand the behaviours of others in order that the world can be a better place.

There are so many styles of music on offer here but the album really shines on the vocals, female vocals are welcome to break it up too, and the musicianship is excellent especially those electric guitar passages and keyboards.

Highlights are Is It That Girl Right?, Out of This World, Family and Business and all sections of A New Beginning, Looking for the Best and The Only Way You Can Be. I like how the tracks are short so you can lock onto the melodies easily. The lead guitar is phenomenal on tracks such as The Only Way You Can Be where it soars and the gentle playing on the beautiful I Hope You Will Always Be Here with Me, accompanied by lovely female vocals. The democratic political rally sound Byte from Chaplin's The Great Dictator was a fascinating choice satirising the political landscape which happens to be in tumult in USA now; a coincidence to hear it today for me but amusing nonetheless.

This is an album worth hunting down online, bandcamp has it though unfortunately not yet on Spotify. In any case seek this one out as it is emotionally charged and a powerful uplifting listening experience.

This is the newest single from the upcoming Massimo Pieretti's full-lenght album 'The Next Dream', a concept album based on the world of dreams, which will be released later this year.

Now with 'I dreamed of flying', Pieretti and company give us a song with an emotional essence, where hopes, dreams and a brighter future float. The music is soft, full of beauty and tenderness in one hand, but with nostalgy, uncertainty and sadness in the other hand, and this is because we cannot deny the world we live in and all the terrible things that are happening in certain parts, where war and anti-humanism prevail.

As usual, there are several guest musicians in this track (we can expect much more in the album), starting with the singers who do a great job, both male and female representing equality and union. We can listen to different keys and synths during the track, creating a diversity of nuances and keeping a vibe of hope, until in the last minute we can enjoy a cute moog solo. Guitars also create a tender vibe, very soft and delicate, while percussion add richer palet of sounds.

A nice song indeed, now I am looking forward to hear the whole album, which surely will be quite interesting.

This very good song is the first single of Roman composer and keyboard master Massimo Pieretti's upcoming second album, which will be entitled 'The Next Dream' and will be released in a few months. That record will have a feast of guest musicians, mostly from Italy, but also from around the globe.

In this first approach, Pieretti and guests delight us with a 5-minute track that starts with Claudio Milano's enigmatic voice, opening the gates to a proggy and rocky sound, with guitars that remind me a bit of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell era, and with a potent vocal work from Laura Piazzai, which adds a theatrical sound to the song.

Drums and percussions are provided by Mattias Olsson from legendary Swedish band Anglagard, and his work is remarkable, as usual. The track is colorful, while Pieretti creates different layers with his keys, we can appreciate some classical-like strings such as violin and cello, as well as the rockish base created by bass, drums and guitar.

It is an enjoyable track to my ears, I've liked it and now am curious to know what's next, so I'll be keen on listening to the upcoming album.

Give this single a listen!

Two years after the release of his debut album, Italian pianist/keyboardist Massimo Pieretti offers his new work. This time it's just a single, and it is recorded with significantly smaller team of musicians, comparing with Pieretti debut.

Main attraction point of the only song of the release is Italian-born Sweden-raised vocalist Laura Piazzai (who collaborated with Pendragon/Arena keyboardist Clive Nolan among others). Her vocal is powerful, colored with classic soprano background.

Song's music is Massimo Pieretti's keyboards-based power metal, recalling some popular genre acts from 80s, as Swedish band Europe. Unfortunately, recorded sound is flat, only of demo-quality. Because of quite lifeless sound I expect the recording has been down on-line and mixed in studio. Vocals in moments doesn't fit precisely with instruments recording as well.

Song itself is straight-forward piece with some standard for the genre guitars/drums lines and the melody isn't memorable. There are not much prog elements as well (to be precise - not at all). Massimo's conceptual debut album showed some possible capacities, recent single doesn't fulfill the expectations. Hope his next work will offer more.