Eddy Antonini
When Water Became Ice

One day, while aimlessly browsing the internet, I stumbled upon this strange page that I link here:

My reaction was quite odd, after all, it's not every day you come across a black page containing a mysterious Italian-American name and a strange funny face of a man wearing a t-shirt featuring a face more beautiful than his own. Who is this Eddy Antonini? What does Eddy Antonini want? Damn, then I dig deeper and rethink, and discover that rather than having an authentic amateur trash page of a strange guy presenting himself to the public with some homemade metallic ideas, I have in front of me the great Eddy Antonini, "pianist, keyboardist, and harpsichordist" of Skylark, an Italian group still current, but much more popular in the mid-90s.

The Skylark, playing in the wake of Domine, Rhapsody, and the likes, have (or had) a keyboardist, namely: Eddy Antonini. However, one cannot judge a character if one does not know well what he proposes. And what he proposes is an album deserving of only one judgment: Very Nice. We don't have in front of us a spectacular CD or a fundamental masterpiece for anyone who loves metal music, but a pleasant and simple album relaxing and entertaining, sweet and great as a pastime. Yes, curiosity drove me to procure "When Water Became Ice", a nice collection of covers, ballads, and power melodies particularly curated in what concerns the keyboard, after all, what else could I expect from a solo work of a power metal keyboardist? Eddy Antonini, along with Roberto Potenti, delights us with a sweet, melodic single that, despite being in the end metal, is listened to with simplicity and taste.

The solo album opens with a very well-done cover of a Bach piece "English Suite No. 2; Bourree 1", a cascade of elegant sounds and refined notes in a very graceful and classy rhythmic play that will please keyboard and piano lovers. It follows with "Sun (Keeper Of The Dreams)", where the keyboard pumping the right sense of epicness is flanked by a powerful guitar and an equally powerful drum in drawing a fusion of classical music and metal; Eddy's voice is suitable for the genre, warm and expressive, the song keeps the power soul alive but is in itself very progressive due to the frequent change of times, atmosphere, and climate, indeed beautiful technical instrumental moments alternate with more classical and melodic ones, with an excellent chorus. Then comes "Twilight", already very epic from the start, and even as it continues, there are indeed those typical "baroque style sound duels" that give a special touch to the melody, with its typical rhythm in the Rhapsody manner, it is remarkable how Antonini is capable of raising high notes like Kotipelto even if sometimes a slight "strain" is noticeable.

It's the turn of "Dream", slow and calm, a typical ballad but particularly focused on the sophisticated and elegant rhythm of the piano, played with great talent and class. Beautiful synthesized sound effects announce "Fear Of The Moon", a very energetic and adrenaline-filled, sweet and romantic song, obviously needless to say: melodic. More poetic is "The Crypt" preceded by a rather prophetic classical intro, very calm and fluid, sweet both in the choruses and the overall flow. More of a "melodic speed power" nature is "Rufus", a typical Stratovarius style piece, but already very heard, tired, and worn out while "Andromeda" on the piano is a beautiful "play piece", delicate, melodic, and fun. Then comes the cover of one of the most famous power songs, "I Want Out", by Helloween, here much modified and preceded by a "Shooting Star", a very beautiful piece, perhaps the most worthy of the entire album. To conclude, there is the title track, certainly more lively and energetic than all the other songs, very promising and valid, with good rhythms and solos that draw heavily from the foundations of the most classic projects such as the pioneers Stratovarius, and another revisitation of a classical piece: "-J. S. Bach - English Suite No. 3; Prelude - No. 2; Saraband".

You don’t need to be a genius to realize that Antonini and Skylark do not have significant budgets to provide professional means, hence the album carries with it all that "Amateurish air" that makes the CD appreciable in its simplicity in a good way. There’s not much to say, it’s a CD that tickles that light craving for power melody in its most classic form, that is with easy melodies and sing-along choruses, you either listen to it without many problems or you shun it.

Those who love the power metal of Domine, Rhapsody, and the like, and are delighted or play the keyboard in similarly styled groups can take this album as a cue for arrangements and chords.