Labyrinth
Freeman

The year that's ending has seen the birth of a great album in the Italian prog/power scene: I'm talking about the beautiful "Freeman" by Labyrinth, an album that encapsulates a blend of completely different musical styles and genres but perfectly compatible with each other. Born as a fundamental turning point in the career of these fantastic musicians, "Freeman" encompasses elements predominantly from metal but also from progressive rock, even reaching actual jazzy breaks; this fusion of genres has been achieved so well thanks to the technique of the individual musicians, who, thanks to a high level of instrumental preparation, manage to compose soundscapes made up of the most diverse musical influences.

Consisting of 10 songs, the album flows wonderfully, alternating between calm and introspective moments and others more aggressive and intense, thus determining a strong overall heterogeneity that (fortunately for us) never plunges into compositional chaos: a clear example of this is the beautiful opening track "L.Y.A.F.H.", which among thrashy parts and others close to a more melodic power, is structurally complex and well-articulated, adorned with particularly pleasant and sophisticated lyrics that perfectly align with the song's melodies. Excellent is the following track "Deserter," which after a very delicate intro accompanied by a dreamy guitar arpeggio, bursts into a powerful song reminiscent of Labyrinth's early period: after this explosion of energy, the song returns to more controlled and calm territories, with a verse where bass and vocals are in the foreground, accompanied in the background by guitar and drums. The chorus is fantastic and moving. The 3rd track and more great emotions, this time less delicate and more oriented towards intertwining power and progressive metal, this is how "Dive In Open Water" presents itself. The description of each individual song unfortunately becomes useless because such beauty is truly rare to find, but I want to spend a few more words on "Face And Pay," a song with undeniable charm that, amidst sudden changes in tempo and tones, transforms thanks to a splendid intermezzo with a strong jazz/fusion flavor before returning to the much-loved progressive/power tones.

Having said this, I can also conclude the mere description of the tracks by talking about how happy I am that this time they opted for a true sound, neither using plastic and computer-corrected drums, nor an excessive use of overly futuristic keyboards. As for the rest well... the vocals are always fantastic, the guitar and keyboard solos are amazing. Unfortunately, the production is really lacking, potentially detracting from the listening experience if we view it from a long-term listening pleasure perspective. Now it's up to you to try to embark on this timeless journey without fear of never returning. Enjoy the listening.