Imaginaerium is a band orignally formed by Clive Nolan, Eric Bouillette and Laura Piazzai, who have created a concept centered on the historic Medici family from Florence, Italy. Titled “The Rise Of Medici,” it contains 12 tracks united by the narration of the story contained in the lyrics, where each character is interpreted by a different voice over symphonic Prog music. The opener “Festina lente” leads us to the beginning of this work giving immediately a marked Symphonic feel. Laura‘s voice is very intense and also opens the following track “Duty of love” over a background of keyboards and orchestrations. With the entrance of the rhythm section the track increases in intensity, offering a refined Progressive Rock full of tempo changes and accelerations that alternate with Symphonic openings. “House of dreams” opens with a baroque feel and Laura and Andy’s vocals weaving over a granitic and orchestral Prog with modern and Heavy veins. A track where both composition and vocals are enhanced, engaging and with refined sounds. Orchestrations that together with Clive‘s vocals open “The tide will change” where the singing is more aggressive and alternates with very engaging choral parts. The sonic impact of the song is remarkable, especially when it is developed with the rhythm section, counterbalancing the orchestral and Symphonic parts with a melancholic piano. “Never Close Your Eyes” is a short interlude with choral parts and Elena’s very warm and expressive voice. A fine interplay of voices that weave and layer with technique and qulity. Returning to Baroque sounds “Glass throne” features Laura on vocals and her powerful and intense singing, full of pathos. The theme is developed with a Rock sound to which is added the orchestral carpet and a solid rhythm section. A very engaging song, with sophisticated songwriting but accessible to the listener with a solo guitar insert in the finale. The longest track on the album, “Treachery,” has more Heavy features that blend perfectly with the Symphonic parts and vocal interlacing of Rinaldo, Contessina, and Contessina. The vocals offer very intense solo parts and interweaving between the 3 voices, supported by a pathos-laden and very refined sound, showing a harder facet of the band’s sound, without losing the orchestral and Symphonic touch. “Fall from grace” is another short track, with Baroque keyboards and Elena‘s vocals interpreting the lyrics in a crescendo that climaxes in the finale. Orchestrations and a pulled rhythm section open “Will I Never Return” returning with a more Heavy sound with the Symphonic touch that characterizes the whole work. Andy‘s vocals energetically interpret the lyrics, while solo inserts and interweaving guitar and keyboards create a very refined sound. “Fortunes reverse” begins with an introductory part with keyboards, and then in a musical crescendo it flows into Symphonic Prog with Heavy traits. The vocal interweaving between Clive and Laura is an added value, as are the constant tempo changes and instrumental sections with valuable solo inserts. In “Return of Medici,” all the voices on the album participate, creating a very interesting and pathos-laden whole. A solid rhythm section and orchestrations do an excellent job in creating a Symphonic and powerful sound where more Rock passages alternate in a pompous musical crescendo. The final track “Legacy” opens with a soft intro and then turns into a track that approaches Heavy Prog. Hard guitar riffs and a granitic rhythm section to which are added keyboards and Laura’s powerful and intense vocals. It concludes this excellent record perfectly, leaving us wanting to listen to it again in the future, a very positive element. The technique and experience of the artists involved once again is the real added value for this work that captures the listener from beginning to end. The intensity is always very high and the compositions always refined, with refined lyrics, interpreted to perfection by all the artists, with intense and pathos-laden interweavings. An album that combines Progressive Rock with a marked presence of Symphonic parts given by the orchestrations, the rhythm section is always solid and contributes to give that Rock touch to the record. Bad Dog Promotions & Anesthetize Productions have quality artists on their roster and when I receive albums from them to write reviews I have confirmation of the good work they do. This listen is also top notch, showing how the quality music is there, a recommended album and one of the best albums released in 2022.
Tracklist
01. Festina Lente
02. Duty of Love
03. House of Dreams
04. The Tide Will Change
05. Never Close Your Eyes
6. Glass Throne
07. Treachery
08. Fall from Grace
09. Will I Never Return?
10. Fortunes Reverse
11. Return of the Medici
12. Legacy
Lineup
Clive Nolan / Composition, Arrangements, Lyrics, Keyboards, Drum Recording, Vocals (Rinaldo)
Eric Bouillette / Composition, Arrangements, Keyboards, Violin, Mandolin
Laura Piazzai / Vocals (Contessina)
Andy Sears/ Vocals (Cosimo)
Elena Vladyuk/ Vocals (Lucrezia)
Marc Spencer/ Backing Vocals (Monks)
Scott Higham / Drums
Bernard Hery / Bass
Isabella Cambini / Harp
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[…] Read our review of the album here: https://progrockjournal.com/review-imaginaerium-the-rise-of-medici/ […]