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Sweet Oblivion/Geoff Tate: Sweet Oblivion
Sweet Oblivion Featuring Geoff Tate 2019 Music Review

Sweet Oblivion/Geoff Tate: Sweet Oblivion

Melodic Heavy Metal
3.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.06.2019 | Released: 14.06.2019

While you're checking out Geoff Tate and Operation: Mindcrime on their current Summer tour, be on the look out for his new project, Sweet Oblivion. It's essentially an Italian job put together by DGM wizard, producer, and guitarist Simone Mularoni, with Emanuele Casali on keyboards and Paolo Caridi on drums.

Geoff Tate - Click For Larger Image

Geoff Tate

Mularoni's intention with Sweet Oblivion was to give Tate a similar musical canvas to the Eighties Queensryche recordings. Honestly, whether past or present, while I've listened to Queensryche, I've never been a huge fan. I know that probably puts me in the heavy metal dog house. It also means I don't have a large contextual memory to compare past Eighties Queensryche with 2019 Sweet Oblivion. Nevertheless I will attempt some observations.

First, Geoff Tate is characteristically in fine form, singing strong with attention to song melody and harmony, with more than a little of his natural tremolo. That is when he's not nearly overwhelmed by the music, which seems often. That leads to the second observation. The tunes within the album are overwhelmingly riff raging and intensely heavy in the rhythm section. While you might find hints of rock groove within some songs, basically the heavy metal crush is on. Third, outside of Tate's vocal prowess, the standout musical element is likely Simone Mularoni's killer guitar solos. They are abundant and blazing.

Highlighting a few songs, you'll find that subtle rock groove within True Colors, Sweet Oblivion, A Recess From My Fate, and the galloping heavy metal rock of The Deceiver. Alternatively, songs such as My Last Story, Disconnect, and Seek The Light were simply heavy, plodding, and wrapped in riffage and so, not all that interesting. Whether Sweet Oblivion lives up to early Queensryche references will be in the ear of the listener. But, more plainly, if you can imagine Geoff Tate singing in riff bristling, guitar forward, heavy metal, you will probably enjoy Sweet Oblivion. Check them out and support the band.


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The Bottom Line

Whether Sweet Oblivion lives up to early Queensryche references will be in the ear of the listener. But, more plainly, if you can imagine Geoff Tate singing in riff bristling, guitar forward, heavy metal, you will probably enjoy Sweet Oblivion. Check them out and support the band.

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