A while ago I was honoured to receive Lucid Dream's third album Otherworldly for a review. Musically the band just slightly touches the edges of progressive rock music, but in a way I was charmed about their music from the first album on. Visions From Cosmos 11 (2011, see review) was a nice and solid album, really worth listening to and the successor The Eleventh Illusion (2013, see review) showed a band that has grown. Otherworldly is their 2016 release and composition wise the band remains in an almost old school metal vein, but the technical abilities of the band did grow, resulting in a very fine sounding retro metal/ hard rock album, with a foot steady founded in the seventies and early eighties. Mastermind of Lucid Dream remains composer and guitar player Simone Terigi, who created a steady line-up with bass player Gianluca Eroico and vocalist Alessio Calandriello. Only drummer Paolo Raffo doesn't appear in the band's current line-up, his parts are played by another Paolo, Paolo Tixi appears as a guest musician. Otherworldly basically takes off, after the short soundscape: Intro, with Buried Treasure. I guess I have to repeat myself, but I can't get rid of the Budgie meets Killer Dwarfs feeling I got when I came to know Lucid Dream's music for the first time. Personally two bands I appreciated very much, back in the years. Therefore Lucid Dream might be a kind of personal trip back in time, when things were simple and actors could become president of the USA. Qualifications that have been upgraded to clowns nowadays. But politics aside, Otherworldly shows us a perfect blend of old school hard rock and the melodic rock and metal side of the early eighties and they really do a hell of a job. I totally love Simone's guitar riffs, where hunches of Michael Schenker can be heard, listen to the solo on The Stonehunter and the song Magnitudes. Both songs that are nicely built, opening smooth and gently building momentum, finishing in a guitar fest. The highlight has been left for the final track on the album, The Theater Of Silence stands out by the use of an additional trio, performing the violin parts on this song, which adds a classical, folky touch to the song. Lucid Dream didn't let me down with their third effort; Otherworldly, the band has matured, which shows in the great sound and production. A production done by Simone Terigi and Mastercaslte's Pier Gonella. **** Pedro Bekkers (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
