Album review : FALSE MEMORIES – Hybrid Ego System

Frontiers [Release date: 09.06.23]

Guitarist, Francesco Savino founded False Memories in 2015, but it was only when he recruited vocalist, Rossella Moscatelli in 2018 that the band’s career gained some momentum.

We reviewed the debut, The Last Night Of Fall two years ago, saying “most songs on the album, to a lesser or greater extent are energised, if that’s the right word, by the soul sucking twilight zone that we seemed to inhabit during the tightest lockdowns.”

Hybrid Ego System has taken a tiny step forward, merging a malleable form of power and prog metal with symphonic rock darkness. It takes a lot of listening to get there, but once you’ve tuned into tracks like ‘Holding On’, ‘Stains’ and ‘Shed My Skin’ then you begin to see the light shining through the gloom.

Elsewhere, there’s little variation in pace, even on the album’s standouts, ‘The Storm Inside’ and ‘Rising Tide’. Each one underlines the unhurried intensity of Moscatelli’s dramatic vocals, frequently switching her sturdy mezzo soprano to a gutteral growl, usually signposted by the dissonant musicality of Savino’s arrangements.

It’s a formula, no doubt about that, but it’s of the band’s own making. One that might need a little more fine tuning to achieve a real breakthrough. ***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)