Alessandro Del Vecchio is so busy producing, engineering, writing, and performing for essentially the entire Frontiers Records roster; one can easily forget that he has his own creative vessel. Not only this, but said vessel has been putting out music on and off for nearly 20 years. Of course I’m talking about Edge of Forever. This melodic metal supergroup sees Del Vecchio teaming up with a who’s who of Frontiers regulars, such as guitarist extraordinaire Aldo Lonobile, Hardline bandmate Marco Di Salvia on drums, and current Sunstorm bassist Nik Mazzucconi. In other words, it’s a foursome that could only be conjured by the likes of Frontiers label head Serafino Perugino.
The band’s latest album, Seminole, carries itself as a pseudo-concept album of sorts. It’s rounded out by 10 minute epic chronicling the plight of the Seminole tribe, but leading up to this is an album of songs pieced together by themes of empowerment, motivation, and standing up for what’s right. Yes, these are tropes that have been a fixture of AOR going back to the early 80s (Survivor anyone?), but as long as the music underneath is performed with a passion and spirit of authenticity, I’m all for it. No matter how much society crams it down your throat, there’s nothing cool about negativity, and that’s facts Jack!
Seminole wastes no time, storming out of the gate with the catchy and bombastic “Get Up on Your Feet Again”. With its aggressive riffing and singalong chorus in the vein of Eclipse, this track speaks for itself. “The Other Side of Pain” is a big slab of old school melodic metal, filled with dark, neoclassical guitar work and intoxicating harmonies, while “Make It Through” is a power ballad with meaning and purpose. The spirit of the 80s prevail on the high energy “Shift the Paradigm” and lumbering “Another Salvation” as well.
As is the case with so many releases in the melodic realm, I worried that come the second half, things would start to go downhill. Not only were my concerns for nothing, but if anything, the second half proved to be stronger than the first. This is thanks to the muscular “Our Battle Rages On”, subtle “Breath of Life”, and my choice cut, “Wrong Dimension”. As this 7 minute colossus of a track unfolded, I had to do a double take. Haunting synths, gothic atmosphere, doom laden riffs, and powerhouse vocals, seamlessly arranged to perfection? If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve sworn this was a lost Black Sabbath song circa Headless Cross (1989).
Del Vecchio’s talents are far too much to be contained behind a mixing board. If Edge of Forever were releasing music at the same pace as the two zillion other supergroups and projects he’s been enlisted for, there’s no telling what level of world domination they’d be capable of. The next Friday night you go to your local suburban watering hole, the one where the guys reminisce about their high school football days and the ladies try to recapture that youthful thrill of seeing Night Ranger in 1985, cue up a cut off Seminole on the jukebox. It’ll surely fit the mood.
8 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Melodic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Eclipse, Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen