An Italian power metal outfit fronted by the two renowned vocalists Fabio Lione (Rhapsody, Rhapsody of Fire) and Alessandro Conti (Trick or Treat) is just bound to be an epic and thrilling musical ride, right?

 

This self-titled effort of theirs, which was written and produced by Simone Mularoni (DGM), boasts good melodies, strong vocals, and a sharp yet booming production. From a purely instrumental point of view, the album is highly solid and contains some cool layers and textures while the Lione/Conti pairing works quite well in that their voices complement each other brilliantly.

 

I sometimes fear the worst whenever these kinds of collaborations or projects are launched as there are so many lame and embarrasing records out there of this nature that bring absolutely nothing new to the table, but "Lione/Conti" packs a punch and strikes a nice balance between the bombastic and the fast-paced. Although there are a couple of tracks that do very little for me ("You’re Falling" and "Somebody Else"), the album as a whole is an entertaining and charming affair although that overblown climax that I was hoping for never really presents itself.

 

Having said that, wicked tunes such as "Outcome", "Misbeliever", and "Truth" make this one of those albums that you ought to investigate if power metal appeals to you. "Lione/Conti" might come across as clicheed and pompous to some metal fans out there, but to fans of the genre this could very well be a most welcome surprise. Give it a spin or two, folks. This is pretty good stuff.

 

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