EGO

Wow! That's the word that came out of my mouth when I finished listening to this amazing debut album by Italian keyboard wizard Alex Argento. The disc covers it all: prog, fusion, jazz extravaganzas, rock and metal... 1 hour of pure ear candy for us lovers of complex music. The 10 tracks feature the skills of fellow italian players Marco Sfogli (we all know who he is.. James LaBrie..), Fabrizio Leo (a total surprise! absolutely amazing player, i will immediately get his solo cd) on guitars, and Stefano Ruscica on drums (incredible! never heard so many talented players from italy on a single disc), but of course concentrating on Alex's multi-layered, multi-faceted playing. This guy really tops any player i have heard.. in technique and, most of all, in TASTE: there isn't a single note out of place on this cd. Unlike most of his colleagues, he doesn't focus on SHRED or mere technicalities.. he plays with style and total confidence with the instrument. Favorite tunes: "Brainsick", "Time Warning", and of course the more mellow moments - "Embrace to the World" and "Vibrations". BTW i will stop praising, and talk about the only complaint i have about this labum: while the overall sound is excellent, I can't help noticing that drums are kept behind in the mix.. or keyboards are way too ahead! Just my opinion though. Seriously guys, go ahead and buy this fantastic piece of music, you won't be disappointed!

Alex Argento's first album and I hope not the last from 2007 named simply Ego. To tell you the truth this is a kick ass album all the way, complex prog metal arrangemets, a lots of twists and great interplayes with jazz fusion. Argento is a young keybordist from Italy who is a well known musician these days in prog field, he is a master of keys delivering some very intristing and in the same time very fast and iteligent arrangements with a good doze of fusion. Here on this album he plays with some very fine musicians, totaly unknown to me, but this is not bothering me, they are realy skilled musicians, the musicianship is top notch, specialy the drumer Stefano Ruscica. All the album is instrumental , so another good example that you don't need voice to create something realy strong and valueble, indeed there are some scat vocals made by Ezio Citelli, but 99% of the album is instrumenta. Ego is more like a whole musician album, than a solo album of Argento, because not only the keys are predominant here, also the drums, bass and guitars have an important role, so a full album with a great atmosphere and well produce pieces. The music is more towards jazz fusion with prog metal elements than vice versa, do not expect at some Dream Theater interplays or Shadow Gallery arrangements, this album is in vein of Derek Sherinian solo activity or Planet X aswell DS solo project. So an excellent album who needs a better recognition by proggers, he realy is good here on this album from 2007. A truly shinig album this Ego in jazz fusion with prog metal elements and not totaly discovered yet. Recommended for sure, 4 stars.