ENTER BY THE TWELFTH GATE

Michael Pinella is one of the most well known and in same time respected keyboard player from prog metal field. He is together with excellent guitarist Michael Romeo the head and main composers of the prog metal act Symphony X. I'm a fan of the band for years and because of that I've decided to check his first and only album relesed under his name. Enter by the twelfth gate issued in 2004 is a fine piece of symphonic prog constructed on keyboards. Everything what is to be heared here is made by him, besides the keyboards and orchestrations, he is responsable for bass lines, drum programming and all the sounds. He done a good job for sure, he is a master of the keyboards for sure, but I don't think this release is an excellent offer, at least for me. Mainly I think the talent and skills of this musician are more puted in evidence while is in the present of Michael Romeo from Symphony X, together they made some outstanting arrangements, really fascinating. Here where is only him, the passages are little , I don't know how to call it, dull, not bad for sure, but without substance. The album is pretty much dominated by his instrument, where the passages are ok, no bad pieces here, but no highlits either. He toys with neo classical arrangements combined with of course progressive moves, this is no metal album as we may think and expect from him. personaly I find the release ok, I'm not fond of that piano concerto parts at all, I found it unnecesary here. Let's say 3 stars for this one, I prefer him 100 times more on Symphony X, still enjoyble to listen when relaxing or want to have a nice quite evening.