TOMMY VITALY “Indivisible” /CD/

The third full-length album by Italian Power/Neoclassical Metal band.
Bearing the name of a famous 17th century classical composer, and hailing from roughly the same region in Italy, Tommaso Vitali does not disappoint, as he is a virtuoso with the guitar, up to the talent of the aforementioned legends, if not exceeding.
The album opens on the title song, "Indivisible", which eases the listener into the album with a generic intro, making a sharp turn into brave originality about 45 seconds in. The song definitely grabs the attention and raises the expectations for the rest of the album. Very prominent guitars and vocals carry the song, however often overshadowing the very pleasant drumming. Carsten Schulz does a lovely job carrying the vocal duties. The backing vocals on the track add great depth, and combined with the tempo of the drums, constitute to creating the perfect opener for the album. "The Lodge" opens with an organ, immediately raising very pleasant associations with one of Hammerfall's songs, namely "Between Two Worlds". However, that's where the similarities end, as "The Lodge" is not a soft and melancholic ballad, but a pounding Metal epic with great heavy guitars and exceptionally pleasant vocals by Apollo Papathanasio, whose style of singing immediately transported us back to 1975, when Ronnie Dio left his mark on the legendary titular album for Rainbow.
"Duel" is an instrumental, and it's really classic similar to Manowar's "Today is a Good Day to Die". "Macabradanza" is a chemical perfection of so many distinct elements, that Tommy masterfully juggles with and manages to mix in an amazing melody and strong presence, further enhanced by the brilliant vocals of Roberto Tiranti and Chiara Manese. An amazing and memorable song with operatic elements and beautifully complementing voices. "Forever Lost" is slow and beautiful acoustic ballad, brilliant and emotional.
"Wings of Doom" is a typical fast Power Metal song, also heavily dominated by guitars, this time remembering early Rhapsody Of Fire. "Coraline" is a uniquely beautiful song, seemingly inspired by "Phantom of the Opera", among others. The song is rich and complex, moody like an Avantasia track, brilliantly performed by Jan Manenti, eerie, emotional and soaring - a true masterpiece, and the second song on this album after "Macabradanza" that any band would be proud to have. "La Bestia" is another instrumental, this time slower and more atmospheric at start, and more rhythmic and energetic later on, definitely giving off more pleasant vibes than "Duel". "Sinner" is a fast and hard Power Metal track, bearing the familiar voice of Fabio Lione. The final track on the album, "Joan of Arc", is an anthem for our favorite badass woman of history. Again, a very pleasant song, with just the right proportions of fast, epic, hard, and melodic. The back vocals reminds of 90's Iced Earth, while the very beginning bought to another great song - WASP's "Widowmaker". After an emotional mid-section, the song is very rhythmic and captivating.
"Indivisible" definitely is a very rich, very solid and complete release, that beams with inspiration, energy, complexity and emotion. "Indivisible", "Macabradanza" and "Coraline" are the high points of the album; they far surpass the quality of material we have come to expect from some previously legendary bands. The album plays around familiar Neoclassical and Symphonic Power Metal, and develops a new meaning, utilizing the talents of a small army of guest vocalists, each performing admirably!
SG Records, 2017 (SGCD102). Made in Italy. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Indivisible 06:06
2. The Lodge 06:24 
3. Duel 04:36
4. Macabradanza 05:06
5. Forever Lost (acoustic) 05:05
6. Wings of Doom 04:35
7. Coraline 06:04
8. La Bestia 04:14
9. Sinner 04:46 
10. Joan of Arc 07:21
Total playing time: 54:37 min.