Arachnes_science

19.02.2006

Ouverture
Gothic Description
Just Try And Hit Me
Dark Side Of My Mind
I´m Closing My Eyes

---Mediterranean Suite
First Movement
Second Movement
Third Movement
A Secret Sky
Schizophrenia
Nightmare
Blues Variation
Knowledge

Franco Caruso - Guitars and Backing Vocals
Enzo Caruso - Lead Vocal, Piano and Keyboards
Gabriele Baroni - Bass
Stefano Caironi - Drums

ARACHNES: "In Praise of Science" arachnes

release date 20.02.2006

Produced and arranged by Arachnes

Recorded at Phantom Studio in 2005, mixed and edited at Phantom Studio by Franco Caruso and Enzo Caruso

Primary Fear

preview -review by Marco "Norman Knight" Signore____

The last songs are very good and “intense” enough for my taste. The Suite is a sort of division line of this new Arachnes work.

Arachnes are at their 5^th studio album and are one of the best Prog Metal Italian bands. They are strongly influenced by the good old Progressive Rock a là Emerson, Lake and Palmer and by the Prog Metal of the last decades, and always manage to shine in the Italian Metal landscape. This new album, “In Praise of Science”, seems to fulfill again some of the promises this technical band always implies.

The album opens with an “Ouverture” with strong classical reminiscences in which the very good keyboards show what the man can do. An aggressive piano composition, in which the influences of Keith Emerson can easily be discerned, this song is a good prelude to the album, and introduces the theme that we will listen in the second song, “Gothic Description”. The voice Enzo Caruso is present with authority although not resorting to high pitched screams, but basing its strength mainly on interpretation – a good Prog feature. Drums and bass march together with almost a power tempo, with great weavings of synths and good rhythm and solo guitars. This song is extremely cadenced, and all in all it flows away easily to the listener’s ears.

The guitar scale ends with a keyboard sweep that melts into the following song “Just try and hit me”. Cadenced rhythm section herald a strange “Helloween-like” song which I did not expected from Arachnes. Interesting, although “slow”, this track is melodic and well conceived, and remembers me of the “Keeper of the seven keys” epoch…

“Dark Side of my Mind” is a strange song with ominous riffs coupled with clean arpeggios of guitars and a melodic lyric line. Interesting although in my opinion not the best song in this album.

Synth arpeggios with a chorus/phased guitar open the following track, “I’m closing my Eyes”. Decidedly heavy, acid, aggressive and powerful, with harmonic riffs of guitar, bass and keys, and a nice vocal line, this song features also quick synth and lead guitar soloes that closely remember bands such as Symphony X or Dream Theater.

And we come to the suite of the album “Mediterranean Suite”. Beautiful, evocative riffs of effect-rich guitar and powerful keyboard pads give an eerie feeling to this precious song. Soon the suite opens up with electric piano arpeggios supported by strings and orchestra percussions, giving way to an even more ominous section with ghostly vocals and a very good heavy rhythmic section, that ends with a solo series returning to the main theme for the closing section.

"Schizophrenia", the title notwithstanding is a sweet ballad, wth moving piano arpeggio with a carpet of strings, with a sad mood and the voice of Caruso getting to a very high pitch, good vibrato and interpretation crowing a great song that culminates with a heart-slicing guitar solo. Beautiful, moving, intense.

On a complete different shore is the following “Nightmare”, Symphonic Prog metal song with evil and wicked riffs rolling over synth arpeggios and a cruel vocal line. Quick guitar soloes, thunderous bass and good drumming create what I find the best song of the album. To this follows a splendid hammond organ arpeggio that clearly recalls Keith Emerson again, and opens the song “Knowledge”, that flows with a typical Prog metal style, slashing vocals and hammering rhythm with a hypnotic bass. As often happens… the best parts of an album are in the final section!

And (what a surprise…) Arachnes decided to include an Emerson, Lake and Palmer cover in their album. This time it is “Blues Variations”, from the excellent ELP live album “Pictures at an Exhibition”. As already happened with “Eruption”, the interpretation of this cover is very good, intense, faithful and yet innovative.

My judgement on this album is mixed… on one side the last songs are very good and “intense” enough for my taste, on the other side the first songs are a bit “weak”. The Suite is a sort of division line of this new Arachnes work.

Technically speaking… well, what can be said about one of the most technical Italian metal bands? Excellent recording, excellent performance, end with very little of the bitter coldness that characterises technical and yet “empty” works such as Dream Theater or Vitali Kuprij.

From a more emotional point of view, and on the light of the previous albums I expected something more “metal” from Arachnes; instead some songs are a bit on the slow side.

Anyway, this is a good album from a good Italian band that I always listen with great pleasure and… by the way, whoever can play ELP covers like that must be at least listened a dozen of times. Good work, Arachnes!

rating: 7/10

Marco Signore

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