No Gravity is the new band put together by Moonlight Comedy guitarist Simone Fiorletta, and he's joined on their debut Worlds in Collision by Davide Perruzza (Guitars), Andrea De Paoli (Keyboards), Andrea Casali (Bass) and Marco Aiello (Drums). Instead of getting a full time singer, for this album the band has employed the help of an assortment of vocalists from the Italian power/prog metal scene, including Michele Luppi (Killing Touch, ex-Vision Divine), Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire, Vision Divine), Mark Basile (DGM), Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth) and Emiliano Germani (Moonlight Comedy), with the only non-Italian participant being Andy Kuntz (Vanden Plas).
Most of what you'll hear on Worlds in Collision is epic sounding power metal with progressive flourishes. The music is of superior quality, but the emphasis is put on the vocal passages, as each song has room for a few of them to shine, giving all the tunes some nice variety due to all their styles being different. In that aspect, No Gravity have given us an album that in theory is not too far removed from what we have come to love about Ayreon, Avantasia, or Star One, though I'll go out on a ledge and say that Worlds in Collision is a bit heavier than any of those acts. There's a nice balance between crunchy, riff heavy pieces like "Sailing in Sight"with the more melodic, progressive "Can't Dream Anymore", which is a great vehicle for Vanden Plas' Andy Kuntz. "Voices from the Past", is a raging guitar/synth/organ behemoth, and "Religious Beliefs" mixes spacey synths with Middle Eastern guitar patterns for an odd vibe that really works. For all out, epic progressive metal, look no further than the grandiose "Unexpected Gift", a soaring extended number that features a wide assortment of complex riffery and intricate arrangements.
Worlds in Collision was a real surprise, and signals the arrival of a new powerhouse on the power/prog metal scene. It will be interesting to see if Fiorletta will keep the multiple guest vocalist pattern going or seek a full-time singer in the future. Either way he has a lethal band here that is definitely going to turn some heads.
Track Listing
01. Sailing On Sight
02. The Killer
03. Can't Dream Anymore
04. Voices From The Past
05. Religious Beliefs
06. I'm Bleeding
07. Nowadays
08. Touchin' My Enemy
09. Unexpected Gift