In-Side is an Italian AOR band founded in 2017 and the band has two keyboard players on board. Namely Saal Richmond and Dave Grandieri. The rest of of the band members are Abramo De Cillis on guitars, Gianni Cuccureddu on bass, Marzio Francone on drums and Beppe Jago Careddu on vocals. This album with the title Life was released in 2019 as a download only, so digital only. Now in 2020 a physical CD is finally available. As soon as you hear the bombastic, majestic keyboard intro of the album opener Life you immediately think/feel that you are back in the eighties. The intro even reminds me of good “old” Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but also of Europe , after a minute the title track evolves into a classical eighties AOR piece with a massive chorus and it really sounds a bit overproduced...So, In-Side, is really a good example of classic AOR mixed with a pinch of prog rock and a pinch of melodic rock and I absolutely hear musical influences from bands like The Alan Parsons Project, Toto, Europe, but most of all Asia. So, if you like(d) these mentioned bands then I can really recommend this album. Especially guitar picker Abramo de Cillis does a great job, just listen to his more than excellent guitar solos in songs like Save Your Mind, I Remember and the best one, being sparkling and long, in the ballad- like Eyes Don't Lie. Vocalist Beppe Jago Careddu does his utmost but his range and diversity is not what I normally would expect from a true AOR singer. Furthermore I think that the eight compositions/songs sound a bit too much alike, so there the band has an improvement point for the next album. But overall this is a great melodic AOR album! Listening tips: Eyes Don't Lie and the title track! *** Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
