EGO

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.