DIVIDE ET IMPERA

A lot of the new prog bands that emerged in the 1990's were accused of retreading the 1970's. In the last two decades, however, I think there are many bands who are more inspired by bands of the 1980's. Italy's Rosenkreutz is a band who seems to wear its 80's influences on its sleeve. I once bought an album back in the late eighties by a German eighties hard rock band name Stone Fury, whose second album combined eighties pop sounds with the heaviness of a rock band - heavy guitar and powerful, full on synthesizer chords. Rosenkreutz captures a lot of that aspect.

"Freefall" is the opening track which is a bright uplifting eighties-ish track that sounds modernized. It's a deep, warm song with lots of punch and plenty of strong vocal melodies. "Imaginary Friend" features some heavy organ and exciting violin playing. It's a hard- hitting, charger of a track that still delivers fine vocal melodies.

Over the next three tracks, Rosenkruetz, impress us with gentler acoustic parts, more powerful guitars and vocals, and more of that eighties-sounding playing style. Especially the chorus in "True Lies", that eighties pomp kicks in big time! "Aurelia" is one of the big tracks on the album that takes you on a journey as it grows in power and drops a terrific piano solo before becoming tense and heavier.

Finally, "The Collector" is an action-packed 15-minute plus track that might sound to you like 1990's Dream Theater with once again more heavy guitars and also strong keyboard playing. It's a song that keeps changing direction much like how the title track from their "Back to the Stars" was always changing. Yet while "Back to the Stars" had about as many changes as "Super's Ready", "The Collector" reins in the multitude of twists to a more sensible number. There's enough action to keep you surprised yet not enough to spin your head round. And there are once more those fantastic vocals and their melodies.

I really loved the debut album, "Back to the Stars"; however it was mostly for three tracks that really stood out above the others. "Divide et Impera" doesn't have that incredible pinnacle that was the title track of the first album, but I feel the thrills on the album are more consistent and frequent.

If you're interested in a heavy prog album with strong eighties influences and synthesizers plus excellent vocal melodies and some great examples of action-packed progressive rock flair, head on over to Bandcamp and have a listen to Rosenkreutz's "Divide at Impera"!