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by Craig Hartranft, 05.16.2011
It's likely you know composer and bass player Alberto Rigoni from his work with Twinspirits, the progressive metal project of keyboard player Daniele Liverani. However, Rigoni is a person of many musical facets. Besides the arena of prog metal, he ventures into electro pop with another project Lady & the BASS. Then this disc, Rebirth, finds Rigoni exploring a hybrid of ideas from rock fusion to melodic rock. If your only context for Rigoni is Twinspirits, Rebirth will likely trip you up; it's certainly not what I expected.
But, conversely, I was delighted. I've always loved the integration rock with other musical elements mostly that of jazz, and I've been listening to it for years. Rebirth offers nine tracks, seven are instrumental and two with vocals from Jonas Erixon (Alicate), Emptiness and With All My Forces. Twinspirits compatriots Daniele Liverani and guitarist Tommy Ermolli add their talents, along with a host of others (check out the website).
Mentioning the vocal tracks first: both Emptiness and With All My Forces are more melodic hard rock pieces and less prog or fusion. The former flares with a well-paced rock feel and solid fret work from Ermolli. With All My Forces is a heavier arrangement with a rather deliberate pace and near metal edge.
Returning to the instrumentals, the compositions turn on the rock fusion motif, and much of it rather light fare (especially against the two vocal tracks). The opener Free is probably the most spirited up tempo arrangement of all the instrumentals, with Ontogeny a close second. Most, but especially Rebirth and Story of Man, are exercises in Rigoni's bass prowess. Then at the end, Ontogeny and White Shine offer Rigoni's purest form of rock fusion. Both are blessed with vital keyboard work from Federico Solazzo (Alexia) offering amazing piano on White Shine and Andrea Pavanello (Centrica) soaring on synthesizer on Ontogeny. These two songs perhaps best show Rigoni's brilliance as a composer by the integration of all players and instruments into a whole, without making himself the center of attention.
Conclusion: Alberto Rigoni's Rebirth is an entertaining delight of real rock fusion, and casts him as a composer of great talent that transcends genres. I my only wish is that it could have been longer, maybe another vocal track? Well recommended.
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Alberto Rigoni's Rebirth is an entertaining delight of real rock fusion, and casts him as a composer of great talent that transcends genres. Well recommended.
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