Turilli / Lione Rhapsody – Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)

 From start to finish this album is an experience. The seamless combination of metal with symphonic elements (especially choirs and operatic vocals) and sparse electronic soundscapes gives the album a rich and nuanced sound while also being extremely cohesive and entertaining. The riffs are heavy, the rhythms are engaging, the orchestration is bombastic, the choirs give everything a larger-than-life vibe, the keys and atmospheric and big, all topped off by Fabio Lione’s incredible delivery. The first part of the album is more anthemic and catchy as their power metal affinities shine in the choruses and overall compositions of the opening track “Phoenix rising” and the title track “Zero gravity”. I particularly enjoy the duet with Amaranthe’s charming front lady Elize Ryd on “D.N.A (Demon and Angel)” as their voices contrast with each other quite well, adding layers of harmony to the song’s main melody. What I like best is that there are little to no clichés to be had here, everything is sounding so revitalized and modern (for lack of better words)

 The surprises the album has to offer start to appear half-way through, first with the guitar-driven “Decoding the multiverse”, which ebbs and flows between mellow passages and speedier moments, and the orchestral interlude “Origins”, which see Rhapsody exploring a more progressive sound without giving up on the backing symphonic orchestrations (somehow I am thinking of Epica here). The heavy and dark “Multidimensional” and the moody duet with DGM vocalist Mark Basile “I am” drive this new sound home with various time signatures and catchy choruses but also new and surprising arrangements that work incredibly well together (including that “Bohemian Rhapsody” moment on “I am”). Now with “Amata immortale” we get a proper ballad, with beautiful piano lines, and huge choral sounds coupled with all the drama and intensity that Fabio can conjure up, which could work perfectly as an opera movement. “Arcanum (Da Vinci’s enigma)” is the centerpiece of the album as far as I’m concerned, showcasing Luca Turilli’s penchant for huge symphonic arrangement and epic soundscapes as it blends orchestral and electronic elements to create such a powerful sound that is definitely into a category of its own. Josh Groban’s cover “Oceano” once again shows the beauty of opera, and closes the album on a majestic note.