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Alberto Rigoni: Overloaded
Chris Timms The Second Chapter CD Album Review

Alberto Rigoni: Overloaded

(Instrumental) Progressive Rock/Metal
4.5/5.0

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Any And All / Power Prog / Nightmare Records
Words: Craig Hartranft    Added: 23.08.2014

Arriving with his third solo project, Overloaded, is talent composer and bass player Alberto Rigoni (also Mistheria, Twinspirits). Much like his successful Three Wise Monkeys it's a return to form for him delivering a fusion of melodic progressive rock and metal with his bass leading the way. Also like the previous material there's a connecting musical theme: the nature and perils of fast-paced technological society. Alternatively, unlike the former album, this one's totally instrumental.

Alberto Rigoni Overloaded Photo

Alberto Rigoni: with weapon of choice.

That musical theme is sketched out in the several songs that have a rather dense, generally quick, arrangement. One, obviously, is the title track where it seems every instrument involved is thick and present, almost as if there's this competition for which can gain your attention. That's certainly a picture of media soaked and multi-tasking society. In this song, the attention grabber is likely Marco Sfogli's large riffs and lead guitar.

Another densely packed song, and generally heavy throughout, is Corruption. Once more the guitar riffs bombard, yet underneath Rigoni's bass line seems to offer a steadiness, something to hold on to, especially when Simone Mularoni rips off his leads. But toward the end it appears Rigoni's bass succumbs to the heavy mayhem, joining along. Could this be a reference to how, even with our best foundations, our technological society and overwhelm us? I wonder.

There are moments of respite, or it may seem so, against the pressing waves of media overload. Floating Capsule and Multitasking are the lightest of pieces. The former finds Rigoni's dexterity blurring the line between bass and normal guitar; the latter, a light synthesizer whirl of motion. It moves into Liberation, probably the one song that has the most positive, up beat, groove to it. Shrugging off some of the heaviness, it's a small contrast to the thick density of some of those other songs. Again, maybe this was Rigoni's intent, and so the name of the song, to free us from the often prevailing clutter of our instant reaction society. Or, perhaps, I'm reading too much into all of this. Maybe it's just best to say that Alberto Rigoni has created another progressive metal album to inspire and entertain both musicians and listeners. Good enough.


Alberto Rigoni - Corruption (in memory of Randy Coven)



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In Short

Much like previous solo projects, Overloaded finds composer Alberto Rigoni delivering a fusion of melodic progressive rock and metal with his bass leading the way.

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