Eleventh Hour | Memory Of A Lifetime Journey
Label: Independent
Release Year: 2016
Country: Italy
Genre: Power/Progressive/Symphonic Metal
Band Members
Alessandro Del Vecchio – Vocals
Aldo Turini – Guitars
Alberto Sonzogni – Keyboards
Black Jin – Electric and Fretless Bass
Luca Mazzucconi – Drums
Contact Links
Eleventh Hour Official Website
Eleventh Hour Official Facebook Page
Eleventh Hour Official Twitter
Eleventh Hour Official Youtube Channel
It appears that 2016 is starting out where 2015 left off as far as quality progressive power metal is concerned. Among a few bands that are or have already released great albums this year are Myrath Legacy, Redemption The Art Of Loss, and industry standards like Dream Theater The Astonishing have already opened up 2016 as 2015 came to a close. However there is a hidden diamond, a true hidden treasure that some how came to my attention way out of left field that being Italy’s own Eleventh Hour.
Eleventh Hour’s Memory Of A Lifetime Journey are among the new guard of power/progressive metal. Their clean approach is still a powerful reminder of the demand for quality vocal oriented melodic power progressive metal. Memory Of A Lifetime Journey is a true thematic journey in itself. Although not a concept album there is a common thread of various stories through the ten tracks that make up the album. Each track telling its own story while maintaining a epic journey in the album’s collective.
Eleventh Hour’s Memory Of A Lifetime Journey is one of those albums that come along every 5-10 years that really has a lot to say within the span of 60+ minutes. Every song on the album has a individual story within a common over all theme. While some power progressive metal bands like to grandstand and exploit virtuosity, Eleventh Hour bring it real and back to Earth by telling stories that the listener can either identify with or find escape in.
Although Eleventh Hour’s Memory Of A Lifetime Journey is the vision of Aldo Turini – Guitars, it is not a domineering monarchy. This is very much a democracy where the rest of the band has equal time and care with their respective roles. With a strong emphasis on the songwriting this also sets the band up quite nicely with potential live set lists. On some of the tracks such as the opener Sunshine’s Not Too Far Behind (Intro), All I Left Behind and Jerusalem Alberto Sonzogni – Keyboards perfectly compliments the string section of Aldo Turini – Guitars. Just as the deep rhythm section of Black Jin – Electric and Fretless Bass & Luca Mazzucconi – Drums certainly are within harmony, giving the album teeth and grit. Alessandro Del Vecchio – Vocals is also and certainly one of the best vocalists to come up in the last 15 or 20 years.
Eleventh Hour’s Memory Of A Lifetime Journey spends the first have of the album with a heavy emphasis on progressive metal the last half , five tracks more in a melodic power metal mood. There i a reason I left out my track by track analysis on this particular review. For one it is a debut and two after the listener buys this album and starts his or her listening experience they will realize that the album was made to be enjoyed as a whole album.
The very fact that Eleventh Hour are not signed by a Frontiers Records in Italy or AFM Records or even a InsideOut Music and are independent is way beyond me. Maybe it might be better this way for now. However any label really needs to take a real listen and consideration on Eleventh Hour. Memory Of A Lifetime Dream gets a 5/5 for having a little of something for every audio pallet within the melodic progressive power metal community thus having a unifying quality that is sometimes lost on this style of music.
