Year : 2013
Style : Power Metal
Country : Italy
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 96 mb
Bio:
Mastercastle is an Italian heavy metal band that fuses traditional metal qualities with the grandiose skilled musicianship of neo-classical metal.Founded by guitarist Pier Gonella (also Necrodeath) together with vocalist , new-comer Giorgia Gueglio the band are rapidly developing a loyal fanbase and a trademark sound. The guitar work of Pier is sure to please fans of the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen with its strong riffs and explosive lead work. Whilst Giorgia Gueglio vocals are equal to task of matching Gonella’s guitar work with their great power and soaring qualities and also serve in giving Mastercastle their own unique sound. Mastercastle are completed by the rhythm section of bassist Steve Vawamas and hystorical drummer John Macaluso (Y.Malmsteen, James Labrie, Ark...) who combine to create a solid backdrop for all tracks.Mastercastle were born in January 2008 by Pier and Giorgia. The pair had had several music projects in the past and wanted to try something different. No fixed genre was chosen with the emphasis being on producing music in a natural way. The pair wrote a number of songs and then chose 4 to record for a promo to gain label interest. The first musician contacted to help complete the demo was drummer Alessandro Bissa (Labyrinth-Vision Divine). Having worked in the past with Pier and Giorgia, Bissa’s arrival changed the initial project into a real band. The line up was completed by Steve Vawamas on bass guitar and the name Mastercastle was settled on for the new band that went on to complete the recordings of the four song demo.On July 2008 they sent those four tracks to Lion Music, later signing with them. Mastercastle’s debut album “The Phoenix” was released on April 17 2009. The album met with widespread critical acclaim and the video for “Princess Of Love” rapidly clocked up over 150,000 views on YouTube. The album was licensed and printed in Japan under the label "Spiritual Beast".The band quickly set about entering the studio to record their second release "Last Desire" which saw release on June 18th 2010. Possessing a more straight ahead style the album once again met with critical success. The album had a second print as "special edition" with 4 bonus tracks.Wanting to build on the momentum gained from the first two releases the band set about writing and recording their third album “Dangerous Diamonds” which saw release on 18 November 2012 and saw the band merging the styles of the previous two releases to create a signature sound.Additionally the band contributed to new track “Sakura” to the Lion Music Japan Red Cross Benefit album “Embrace The Sun” (including artists like Jennifer Batten, Milan Polak and many more) and released a promo video to accompany the track.Mid 2012 saw Mastercastle regroup to write and record their fourth album. The album has the prestigious honour of welcoming of drum legend John Macaluso to the band with a release anticipated in early 2013 on Lion Music. Due to many engagements John cannot guarantee his presence in any gig so the bands founded another equally prestigious drummer for the rest: Francesco La Rosa (Thought Machine, Meganoidi, Extrema...)On 2014 the band have a deal with Scarlet Records for the release of their fifth album. This new work, inspired by the different meanings and aspects of "censorship", has been described by the band as their heaviest effort to date, while still maintaining their trademark sound and with a special mention for the strongest production the band have ever benefited from. With the very special guest appearance by Andrea De Paoli (Labyrinth, Vision Divine), the album will be released on 14 october 2014 under Scarlet Records.
Album:
One of my first reviews and one of the bands that made some impact on me since I started writing here in Metal Temple is MASTERCASTLE with their third album “Dangerous Diamonds”. It has remained a favorite one and I still like to listen to. It had great power metal compositions and I was in love with the guitar work of Pier Gonella and the beautiful voice of Giorgia Gueglio that were making that album really special. So obviously I was waiting their new album with anxiety and high expectations. And then in 2013, by the name “On Fire” comes the fourth album of MASTERCASTLE.“On Fire” has nine tracks and a running time of approximately forty minutes. MASTERCASTLE takes a heavy metal approach this time, omitting most of the power metal elements existing in the previous record. However the guitar work of Pier Gonella is at the same neo classical, technical style. Out of nine songs the two are instrumental as it is the tradition with the MASTERCASTLE albums. “The Final Battle” and “Almost a Fantasy” are indicative again of the technical skills of Gonella. Concerning the rest, songs like “Silver Eyes”, “Platinum” or “Titanium Wings” are perfect examples of the music direction of the record. “Quicksilver” is the only song that is going on super heavy speeds and is more reminiscent of the Power Metal style of the band and “Gold Violet” is a sympathetic ballad but nothing extraordinary.The lyrical theme of the record on the majority of songs is around metals with the exception of the instrumental songs. The lyrics are more or less ok but there were phrases like “I don’t give a shit” on “Titanium Wings” which were disappointing as I consider them like a cheap trick to finish a song. I find them unfitting for the kind of music and style I expect from this band. The vocal performance of Giorgia Gueglio is outstanding again and makes each song way better. Steve Vawamas is proving again that he is a solid force in the bass guitar while John Macaluso behind the drum kit is delivering a great performance in his first record with MASTERCASTLE. The production of the record is quite similar to the one on “Dangerous Diamonds” with guitars put on the front.MASTERCASTLE might not be the most original band on the genre but the excellent female vocals and the virtuoso guitar work are of the greatest pros of the band. As I said before, I believe that “On Fire” is more Heavy Metal oriented compared to its Power Metal predecessor. The record has some really cool tunes but I had really high expectations from the band and I can’t say that I am eventually satisfied. This doesn’t mean that “On Fire” is a bad record at all but I believe that the songs are not as good as what I would expect. Still if you are into neo-classical Metal and female fronted bands definitely check them out.
Line-Up:
Giorgia Gueglio - Vocals (2008-present)
Steve Vawamas - Bass (2008-present) - See also: Athlantis, Bellathrix, ex-Angels in Black, ex-Shadows of Steel, ex-The Dogma, ex-Tragedian
Pier Gonella - Guitars (2008-present) - See also: Athlantis, Necrodeath, Odyssea, Perseo Miranda, Vanexa, Verde Lauro, Wild Steel, ex-Amazing Maze, ex-Labÿrinth, ex-Synthphonia Suprema
John Macaluso - Drums - See also: Chris Caffery, HolyHell, John Macaluso & Union Radio, Masterlast, MCM, Stygia, Unwritten Pages, Symphony X (live), ex-Ark, ex-Fool's Game, ex-Jorn, ex-Magni Animi Viri, ex-Masi, ex-Powermad, ex-Riot, ex-TNT, ex-Vitalij Kuprij, ex-Yngwie J. Malmsteen, ex-Holy Mother, ex-Mullmuzzler
Tracklist:
01. Silver Eyes 04:08
02. Chains 04:53
03. Platinum 04:19
04. Quicksilver 03:29
05. Gold Violet 04:45
06. The Final Battle 04:16 instrumental
07. Leaden Roads 04:40
08. Titanium Wings 04:12
09. Almost a Fantasy 03:59 instrumental
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
