Artist : Winterage

Album : The Inheritance of Beauty

Release Date : 15-01-2021

Added : 18-02-2021

After 'Dragony', it is still a symphonic power metal album that has been released mid-January 2021 with this second baby from Italians of 'Winterage', 'The Inheritance of Beauty', after 'The Harmonic Passage' in 2015, whose theme revolves around the fight of beauty against decadence, I quote their website: "A divine harmony lives hidden inside of the human being from the beginning of Time and it preserves the real and pure Essence of the Universe. You have its inheritance, believe it, and one day the world will be a marvelous place.". For this opus, they did not skimp on the means since they invited an impressive number of artists, including a chamber orchestra and other instrumentalists bringing a variety of sounds with for example an accordion or bouzoukis but also male and female choirs which remarkably densify the vocal sections. Musically, they mix powerful metal with classical music, folk or even medieval music influences, all this being supported by melodic lines always very accessible.

It is with the symphonic introduction 'Overture' highlighting the orchestra and magnificent choirs that the album begins, the conductor 'Vito Lo Re' not being unknown in the world metal since he collaborated with 'Rhapsody In Fire' for their last album 'The Eighth Mountain'. The eponymous title of the album then launches hostilities in a symphonic and catchy power metal with two fast sections highlighting the double pedal framing a much calmer part, the violin of 'Gabriele Boshi' offering us a masterful solo in the second part of the title and the vocal arrangements being particularly sumptuous. With 'The Wisdom of Us', we continue in this imposing atmosphere with a new violin solo, this time in an Irish folk register, then, 'Of Heroes and Wonders' continues in the same style with omni choirs present and 'The Mutineers' changes register for an energetic atmosphere influenced by traditional Celtic songs. The following titles follow the same patterns, mixing symphonic and folk with always rich and imposing vocal performances and the ballad break is brought by 'La Morte di Venere' which puts forward the soprano 'Vittorina Leoni' in an interpretation in the style of 'Lori Lewis' (review of the last 'Therion' very soon). We can also note 'Oblivion Day' which stands out from the rest with beautiful alternations between catchy parts and others quieter, the piano bringing this peaceful side and with a little original Asian interlude in the middle of the title. And to end the album, the Italians offer us a magnificent symphonic fresco of more than 16 minutes which takes us on a marvelous story which alternates multiple atmospheres of narration, magical, theatrical, symphonic and cinematographic that can recall animated films of for children.

In summary, this latest album from the Italians of 'Winterage' is still a great success in symphonic power metal for this early 2021 and if you are a fan of symphonic metal with lyrical vocals or good-natured power metal, you should join 'The Inheritance of Beauty' which is a kind of cross between 'Luca Turilli' a> for melodic lines and power metal style and 'Christofer Johnsson' for the rich and imposing vocal sections...

Line Up / Musicians

Daniele Barbarossa (Vocal), Gabriele Boschi (Violin), Gianmarco Bambini (Guitar), Matteo Raganini (Bass), Luca Ghiglione (Drums) + Guests : Vito Lo Re (Chef d'orchestre), Gabriele Boschi / Alberto Mineo / Silvia Brusini / Emilia Gasparini (Violins), Giulia Subba / Benedetta Fabbri / Clara Mezzanatto / David Villaverde Navarro (Violins), Francesco Bagnasco / Alessandra Rizzone / Pietro Romagnoli (Violas), Delfina Parodi / Alice Ghiretti / Davide Di Blasio (Cellos), Davide Ritelli / Francesco Rocco (Basss), Elisabetta Boschi (Flute, Piccolo), Mirko Foschi (Hautbois), Ilaria Laruccia (Clarinette), Michela Bozzano (Basson), Majuran Chandrapatham (Trumpet), Dario Gisotti (Uillean Pipes, Whistles), Daniele Nicola (Accordion), Gabriele Caporuscio / Riccardo Gisotti (Bouzouki), Vittoria Leoni (Vocal), Francesca Torre (Choirs), Silvia Traverso (Choirs), Naomi Piga / Sara Sabatini / Fiamma Odorico / Alessia Bruzzo / Serena Agostini (Chœur Morena Campus), Roberto Tiranti / Daniele Barbarossa / Francesco Ciapica / Francesco Ciapica / Daniele Zampelli / Wild Steel (Chœur), Daniele Nicola (Bass), Emanuele Biggi (Vocal extrème), Mattia di Pasquale / Peter Coates, Martyn Owen (Narateurs)