Freddy Delirio And The Phantoms
The Cross

Freddy Delirio is a charismatic character in his own way. He is surely known to fans of the Italian heavy metal and gothic scene as the keyboardist of the legendary Death SS. But he has also participated in numerous projects as a guest, such as in my beloved Il Segno del Comando by Diego Banchero. Now he comes out with a brand new project called Freddy Delirio And The Phantoms, and with an album titled The Cross. The material is entirely written and played by him, but for the occasion, he has enlisted the contribution of some guests, including Steve Sylvester of Death SS in one track. The press release for the album is frankly a bit pretentious: it mentions Pink Floyd and cosmic music, of which there's no trace in the listening, besides Opeth and Dream Theater. In reality, the music is gothic hard rock with dry, granitic rhythms that nods to the past but isn't far, on some occasions, from the typical heavy metal sound of Death SS. The quality of the compositions is uneven: some tracks, like the initial and overwhelming “Frozen Planets,” are engaging. “The Circles” is another great moment: spectral horror film-like keyboards and sharp guitars accompany the voice of Freddy Delirio. “In The Fog” is instead a beautiful atmospheric track where indeed there are echoes of the calmer Opeth. In “The New Order” we find the mentioned Steve Sylvester on backing vocals while the sounds lean towards gothic and heavy metal. “Afterlife” is, in my opinion, rather weak with its somewhat outdated keyboard arrangements, while in “Liquid Neon” the specter of Death SS's heavy-metal style emerges forcefully. After the evanescent “Cold Areas,” the closing is entrusted to the long “The Ancient Monastery”: we are in the realm of satanic and occult doom. Ultimately, we are faced with an album that has some good ideas but also reveals a certain lack of inspiration. The iconography and themes are strictly horror-focused and tend towards the esoteric and occult, speaking to us of the existence of another dimension. Recommended for followers of Death SS and lovers of gothic atmospheres.