F.E.A.S.T. – Strong, Wild And Free
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 23-10-2012
The second album from Italian hard rock band F.E.A.S.T. "Strong, Wild and Free" represents a tug of war in my mind. You won’t find fault with the production, arranging, and performance skills from the band. Singer Fabri Kiareli (who also plays guitars, piano, keyboards, and some bass on the recording) has one of those natural classic rock bluesy ranges, channeling the best of Robert Plant and David Coverdale. But the down side is the songwriting has blatantly obvious reference points that make certain songs a struggle to appreciate- the title track with its "Kiss of Death"/ Dokken main riff, "Rock ‘n’ Roll Flame" that has a Giant AOR feel, on down to the epic, 8 minute plus theatrical closer "Children of Beslan" with Savatage leanings.
With 12 songs and over an hour of material, "Strong, Wild and Free" provides plenty of food for thought. F.E.A.S.T. to my ears needs to hone in more on a selective set of influences and explore more original horizons, as the kitchen sink approach could prove difficult to develop their own ardent following.