Year : 2017
Style : Melodic Power Progressive Metal
Country : Italy
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 202 mb
Bio:
Altair is an italian power-prog metal band which debuted in 2013 with the first full length called "Lost Eden".The first single from the album won an important online contest whose first prize was the collaboration of Fabio Lione from Rhapsody, who recorded for Altair the track "Power of the gods".Altair played in clubs and festival all around Italy, sometimes sharing the stage with important artists like Freedom Call, Fabio Lione, Trick or Treat, Kaledon, Vanexa, Sabotage and in an open air festival in Kiev with Blind Guardian and Rotting Christ.In October 2016 after some changes of musical style and line-up, the band recorded at Domination Studio with Simone Mularoni the second full length, called "Descending: A Devilish Comedy", which is gonna be release at the end of springtime 2017 via Sleaszy Rider Records.Descending presents a much modern and heavy sound totally different from the first works of the band.It's a concept album who runs through the circles of hell, which exist only in our minds, where all the fears, vices, virtues and the dark side of the human kind are showed in the form of a theatre comedy.
Album:
Sleaszy Rider Records are on a role right now – churning out quality releases left, right and center. Coming up at the end of the month is the new album from Italian power metallers Altair who, four years after their solid debut Lost Eden, are well due another collection of mystical melodic compositions. Where their first record shone in its straightforward approach, follow-up Descending: A Devilish Comedy is at its best when pushing the envelope of power metal with its progressive tinges. Fans of Angra, Vision Divine and the like: hold on to your socks – Altair are about to blow them right off…The whole package is presented beautifully, from the eye-catching logo to the striking artwork; it all suits the feel of the music perfectly. Something about mythical creatures seems to correlate really well with keyboard-driven melodies and progressive structures. But Altair aren’t just heavy on these traits – they’re also heavy on … heavy! Underneath the silky smooth tunes and layers of synth can be found some earthy riffs that chug along with real gravitas. Plenty of headbanging moments to be found in the bridges of “Flame Of Knowledge” and the multi-faceted “Seven” (which is track four annoyingly!). The crystal clear production quality is what allows this aspect to shine – especially when things speed up to rapid-fire velocity in “Frozen Graves”.Simone Mala’s voice could not be better suited to this style. I’m often in awe as he bends and twists his voice around the peculiarly angular melodies, while retaining his smooth vibrato. The man isn’t afraid of getting tougher on occasion, and it’s a pleasure to hear growls dipping in and out – they provide much more emotional power. All the other band members are performing at the top of their game too. So much virtuoso ability is shown through Albert and Gianmarco’s incredible lead duelling and Enrico’s mastering of different timbres on the keyboards. I especially love the blaring synth brass in the middle of “Path Of Worms”. Even Luca’s bass gets some shining moments as it flitters up and down the fretboard with immense flair on occasion. Lest we forget Simone’s unfaltering performance behind the kit (who even goes full-on blast-beat at some points!).Altair prove their songwriting credentials after upping their game between Lost Eden and Descending… . There is less emphasis on a basic verse-chorus structure, and grooves barely ever settle into a boring 4/4 rhythm. Such courageous composition forces all listeners to perk up and listen, and my attention doesn’t waver for a second. If you’re looking for your average pop-song-mentality flower metal band who sing about rainbows and dragons, you’ve knocked on the wrong castle door. Altair are here to challenge the edges of power metal with their supreme songwriting chops, and Descending: A Devilish Comedy is the expansive beast the genre needs. One last point: fifty seconds into “Seven” – could that be the lowest a power metal vocalist has ever gone? Keep pushing, fellas…
Line-Up:
Simone Mala - Vocals (lead) - See also: ex-Nova Era, ex-Twilight Hall
Luca Scalabrin - Bass, Vocals (2008-present) - See also: ex-Blindrage, ex-Darisam
Gianmarco Bambini - Guitars (lead) (2008-present) - See also: Rising Dark
Albert Marshall - Guitars (lead) (2014-present)
Enrico Ditta - Keyboards (2009-present)
Simone Caparrucci - Drums (2013-present)
Tracklist:
01. Descending 01:05
02. Path of Worms 04:05
03. Limbo 04:18
04. Seven 06:31
05. Godless 04:00
06. Seed of Violence 04:28
07. Flame of Knowledge 05:46
08. Frozen Graves 04:40
09. A Lesson Before Ascending 06:11
+ Video "Seed of Violence" (Official Video)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
