Mistheria : “Gemini” Digipack CD & Digital 15th December 2017 Rockshots Records. Italy virtuoso keyboardist . Being a guitarist and so fan of shredders albums I must say this one is quite a revelation to me. I never loved the keyboards first for that sound then because it has nothing interesting to me like a Piano has. (wood, warmth , presence..) so that plastic instrument is here used as a guitar and so you will get swallowed like a gutter gets flooded by water.
The man has talent and is also a producer and has many keys to its bow. I take it for him like a fun project where he actually plays with all the likes and influences from decades of music. Mixing his compositions with musicians as a band with covers slightly modified with his own sound. You might hear some Pop, Symphonic, Prog, Heavy… it has it all to conquer everyone into instrumental music album. Sometimes reminding Yngwie Malmsteen , little melodies from Mary Friedman, Yes, Dream Theater…even Jean Michel Jarre one of the french pioneer keyboardist including many sounds.
The man likes to say he’s mixing many music style has it’s a whole to him, so you will hear some R&B techno beats on one song…the usual ‘flight of the Bumbelbee’… The band recordings started on 2012 after all demo versions were completed, including songwriting and arrangements. John Macaluso has been the first musician entering the studio after Mistheria himself. John recorded drums in a 1-day long and exhausting session, an insane and legendary performance by the amazing american drummer! Afterward, Mistheria called the other members to move ahead: Steve Di Giorgio and Dino Fiorenza laid down “tank” bass tracks, Roger Staffelbach, Leonardo Porcheddu and Ivan Mihaljevic superb guitar tracks and the special guests Chris Caffery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage) and Roy Z(Bruce Dickinson, Halford) delivered fantastic guitar solos!
So with all these great musicians performing with talent it gives an addictive album to play as many time as you like for the pleasure of your ears. You will blow away by this amazing album that took years to make but worth the work and time. Speechless it lives me with just one word : brilliant 100/100.