It happens - to those accustomed to navigating the vast ocean of free mp3s - to come across masterpieces that they would never have dreamed of buying in a traditional record store.

One night, driven by the wave of bytes, the entire demo of an Italian band called Frail Limb Nursery landed on my computer.

The few pieces of information traceable from the net say they have been active since 1998 and have been playing together since high school. Their music impressed me: it is fresh and lively and brings a touch of originality to the entire metal crossover scene; skillfully balancing technique, melody, and power with clean and deep vocals. The lyrics, strictly in English, flow smoothly over a wall of guitars that occasionally opens to support synthesizer inserts. The entire work, composed of 10 tracks, never falls into banality, covering different styles of classic metal: Down the Hole is a ride in pure Maiden style, Hidden resembles the industrial style of Marilyn Manson, Rebel takes us back to the times of Gun's. The tracks that best express the potential of this group are Intoxication and the title track: decidedly original, they demonstrate a personality and maturity that many already established bands have lacked for years.

For those who want to learn more about this young band, I recommend visiting the website www.download.com/fraillimbnursery

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