Album review: SECRET SPHERE – Lifeblood

March 21st, 2021 by brianmc

Frontiers Records [Release date 12.03.21]

If Italy’s Secret Sphere aren’t the EU’s Power Metal poster boys, then they should be.

They are a relatively unsung band who’ve battled through multiple line up changes, and come up smelling of roses every time. Guided from the beginning by guitarist, songwriter, producer, Aldo Lenobile, the band has released ten albums in twenty years, with the latest, Lifeblood, celebrating the return of original vocalist, Robert Messina.

Many symphonic/prog/power metal bands favour the instrumental opener. Generally its purpose is to blur the boundary between classical and rock/metal. ‘Shaping Reality’ is the perfect example. It’s dramatic. It’s operatic. it’s cinematic. It’s enlivened by a brief but exciting passage of scenic cantata, framed by a dramatic string section.
It’s a great start from a band whose consistency and quality has never been in doubt, but not always acknowledged by the music press.

Then it’s business as usual, as the thundering hooves of a galloping rhythm section speeds over the Power/Prog Metal horizon to deliver the title track, ‘Lifeblood’.
The repetitive elements of Lenobile’s songs – the constantly recurring musical themes – add an hypnotic element to the music and provide cohesion. And in fact most of the tracks hang on a particular guitar and/or orchestral motif, expanded and embellished, twisted and turned into a full length song.

Even in the fast and furious power metal moments of ‘Alive’ and ‘Solitary Flight’, as much as in the Prog Metal variations of ‘The Lie We Love’ and ‘Against All Odds’, each movement merges fluidly with the last and the next. Messina’s voice swoops and soars and Lenobile’s axework, quick and agile, briefly zooms into orbit.

Sometimes things happen so fast you miss the transitions, a bit of magic. From the full blown symphonic orchestration of ‘End Of An Ego’, to the surging operatic undertow of ‘Life Survivors’, it’s clear that Lenobile has abandoned the limiting structures of heavy metal convention. No chapter and verse, bridge, chorus rules need apply here.
A breath of fresh air. ***1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)