Michele Luppi's Heaven
Strive

Michele Luppi's Heaven.

Let's start by explaining who Michele Luppi is, because his conception of heaven might not matter much to the Debaser audience if we don't know who he is. His name is strongly associated with the Italian power metal band Vision Divine, which rocketed to success (obviously in the field) thanks to "Stream Of Consciousness" (2003 - Scarlet Records). Luppi is considered by many experts and non-experts to be the best metal singer currently around.

It's a pity that the genre of "Strive" cannot be linked in any way to any form of heavy or power metal. Luppi surprises with an album devoted to AOR / very melodic rock and easy listening.

Among moderate tempos and guitar work that is never too rough and powerful stands Michele's voice. This guy truly has immense talent and anyone who has had the pleasure, like me, of seeing him live knows what I'm talking about. What leaves you stunned is not so much his ability to "hit" high notes, but the disarming ease of performing the pieces. It's such an evident ease that it almost makes you angry when you see him in action, because what seems to you like an impossible note is easy for him to execute even at 7 in the morning. As technical as few, endowed with a crystalline timbre and remarkable vocal extension, Michele Luppi in this "Strive" moves you. For once, he is not confined to tracks with double pedals, tight riffs, industrial quantities of solos, and similar high notes. For once, his voice is the absolute protagonist and everything else comes after.

Thus, for the entire duration of the album, an imaginary beam of light hits Michele and his voice, delighting us for an hour during which the music flows away. The notes and beautiful melodies take a back seat because the added value of the CD is the interpretation behind the microphone: the ability to descend in tones and move us without having to necessarily deploy a high note from "La vita fugge" (listen to it and then close the mouth which will have dropped open in disbelief).

For this very reason, I would avoid boring you with a tedious track-by-track review. At most, I recommend the compelling opener Trust and the very light Tell Me About It, just to give you an idea. What counts is that "Strive" is sung superbly and for this reason, I dare to recommend it to those who are not yet familiar with this truly extraordinary Italian voice. A must-have.