Released by: Art of Melody Music
Release Date: March 22nd, 2204
Genre: Melodic Rock/AOR
Links: https://www.facebook.com/Nightblazeofficial
Line Up:
Damiano Libianchi
Dario Grillo
Federica Raschellà
Alex Grillo
Tracklist:
Sudden Blast
Take on Me
You’re Gone
Diana
Tell Me
Hold on to Me
Carry On
Fading Away
Fragments of Time
Daughter
NIGHTBLAZE is the brainchild of Italian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer DARIO GRILLO (PLATENS, VIOLET SUN), and Nightblaze is their eponymous debut CD. The other members of the band are Damiano Libianchi (PERFECT VIEW) on vocals, Dario’s brother Alex Grillo (PLATENS, VIOLET SUN) on drums, and Federica Raschellà (STEEL TYRANT, EVIL EYES) on bass. Although, musically speaking, nothing new is happening here, the combination of the solid performance, high level of musicianship, and the strength of most of the included songs make the album a true pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Dario is a gifted musician and songwriter, while his guitar work is phenomenal!
The artwork and sound of the album are pure ’80s, and ART OF MELODY once again shows they are one of the better melodic rock labels at the moment. Ten songs are included, and the opener, “Sudden Blast,” is a great faster uptempo melodic rocker in the style of MAD MAX and PRETTY MAIDS, while the following “Take On Me” (not the A-HA song!) is definitely going in a fantastic uptempo ’80s AOR/Melodic Rock direction. This is a really catchy tune with strong vocal work and a sing-along chorus that will definitely find its way to the fans of the genre.
As already mentioned, the stunning guitar work is also a big bonus! From this second song onwards, NIGHTBLAZE adopts the AOR sound, and they are then not far removed from the classic Scandi AOR/Melodic Rock sound of bands like WORK OF ART, W.E.T., ECLIPSE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, DAVINCI, TREAT, FATE, TALISMAN, etc., although ’80s American AOR is also around the corner most of the time (AVIATOR, DIVING FOR PEARLS, and AGENT come to mind sometimes). Other highlights are the ultra-catchy “You’re Gone” (earworm ’80s movie-AOR chorus of the year?!?), the JOURNEY-esque “Diana,” the superb uptempo ’80s classic AOR chorus-driven “Tell Me” (excellent harmonies here), and “Hold On To Me” (lovely AOR). I can easily conclude that this NIGHTBLAZE is a true winner if your heart belongs to ’80s AOR!
Written by: Gabor Kleinbloesem
Ratings: Gabor 8/10
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