Vitaly, Tommy: Indivisible

Indivisible is the third album from Italian guitarist and composer Tommy Vitaly, his latest ten track outing coming replete with appearances from a variety of big names of the symphonic power metal scene. After all, any album that can boast vocal contributions from Fabio Lone (Angra/Vision Divine), Apollo Papathanasio (Spiritual Beggars) and Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz (ex-Domain) must have something going for it. Composing his pieces in the style that best suits his guests, the ex-SevenGates man sets down a style that reminds of everyone from Hammerfall to Nightwish and much in between, while also offering a few surprises.

However, things don't really hit the ground at full velocity, an admittedly frantic guitar barrage accompanied by a slightly messy vocal mix that dulls the impact of Schulz's first appearance, as Vitaly blazes away for all he's worth on the opening title track. Ex-Firewind man Papathanasio then does his best with a mid paced thumper that struggles to really come to life, before the shred-strumental "Duel" finds Vitaly and keyboard player Gabriels facing off in a note-fest of fret flurries and key-crescendos. It's all good fun, but even a reinterpretation of Paganini's "24th Caprice" (possibly best known for its adaptation by Andrew and Julian Lloyd Weber for BBC TV's The South Bank Show) at the track's end can't stop it all sounding as though it was much more fun to play than it is to listen to. With "Macabradanza" blatant in its Nightwish homage, there's a real danger of things slipping into forgettable oblivion – if, that is, "Forever Lost Acoustic" didn't pull back on the histrionics to reveal the sort of acoustic ballad John Lawton era-Uriah Heep revelled in, Henrik Brockman's (ex-of Royal Hunt) vocals perfect on what is an absolute and completely unexpected stunner.

"Wings Of Doom" perfectly about faces back into speed metal territory, Alessio Gori's vocal snarl and snap providing a Kiske era Helloween air that's most convincing, and leads nicely into the excellent Jan Manenti (The Unity) sung "Coraline", which proves to be an almost theatrical mid-paced slice of Maiden. The more focused instrumental "La Bestia" decides to head down a less notes-per-minute route to create a much more song based interest grabber, before "Sinner" and Fabio Lione point things back into an early Dickinson era Maiden direction. "Joan Of Arc" takes things further, basically lifting a whole host of Powerslave era licks, flicks and solos and has Schulz holler over the top of them in fine style.

Indivisible is a real mixed bag, the first half of the album hanging on for dear life as things veer far too close to the discard pile. A superb mid-album punch quickly turns things round, before the obvious Iron Maiden worship keeps the ship safe and steady. Flawed though it may be, this latest effort from Tommy Vitaly is still worth a shot, even if it does often slip just a little too wide of its intended mark.

Track Listing
1. Indivisible
2. The Lodge
3. Duel
4. Macabradanza
5. Forever Lost
6. Wings of Doom
7. Coraline
8. La Bestia
9. Sinner
10. Joan of Arc

Added: December 9th 2017
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Tommy Vitaly online
Hits: 1334
Language: english

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