'Driftin'Line' is an Italian band that was formed in 2006 by keyboardist 'Valerio Città' and had a first period of activity under the band name 'Secret Inside' and resumed under the name 'Driftin'Line' in 2016, their debut album 'Born As Slaves We Die Free' being released a month ago and dealing with the theme of war. On their facebook page they define themselves as making "modern progressive metal made with passion and sweat. We try, with the research and care of sound, melody and songwriting, to create the perfect combination of the past and future of the genre, keeping our personal identity as a band alive". Personally, this metal label seems restrictive to me as they mix different influences with an alternation between elaborate progressive and much more accessible compositions which makes 'Born As Slaves We Die Free' a very diverse album.
Effectively, with the short introduction 'In Solitude', progressive metal is not necessarily the style that first comes to mind as this opener is a quiet, sparse guitar/vocal acoustic but, without transition, 'A Glimmer of Freedom' which follows, entirely instrumental and much more elaborate in several drawers, begins with energetic riffs close to 'Dream Theater' and continues in a more soothing mood with atmospheric guitar solos, then some sound effects cut the track in half which continues with guitars brought to the fore again this time in a 'Floydian' solo and the finale returns to the energy of the beginning with a raging rhythm section that abruptly stops to make way for some birdsong. After this dense composition that requires several listenings, 'One More Soul' delivers a catchy melody in a driving tempo while keeping a progressive approach thanks to several changes of rhythm throughout the track giving way to some sought after instrumental sections. Easier to access and quite far from progressive metal, 'The Old River' is a beautiful popish composition with electro sounds that puts forward the sweet voice of 'Francesca Polizzano' invited to interpret 'Liberty', then, back to more researched and energetic progressive with a rhythm section that alternates muscular passages and others much quieter, the vocals becoming more powerful. With 'Blind Madness', we have without doubt one of the most difficult compositions of the album to access but certainly one of the most imaginative with several interlocking parts that follow one another and that are typical of a more technical and complex progressive metal. A far cry from the style of its predecessor, 'A Prayer' begins as a melancholic ballad with the harmonious vocals of 'Francesca Polizzano' and builds to a crescendo with a central instrumental part that quickens the pace, the finale returning to the slow tempo of the beginning. The short 'Never Again' takes us into 3 minutes of atmospheric metal in a crescendo/decrescendo with electronic sounds and beautiful vocal harmonies and, as for 'A Promise' which follows, it is also a complex track in its construction with a melodic section alternating vocals and guitar solos in a crescendo which continues with a spoken part of 'Valerio Città' with a marked rhythmic and which falls in the finale in a peaceful atmosphere with the beautiful vocal duet of 'Guido Macaione' and 'Francesca Polizzano'. The album ends with the suite 'Gateway' which is divided into three tracks that are more direct with, firstly, 'Run for Our Lives' in progressive rock with melodic lines that get tamed quite quickly, then, 'Last Confrontation' starts with more incisive riffs but keeps a measured atmosphere with, again, beautiful vocal harmonies from the two protagonists and 'Run for My Life' concludes this progressive saga with a composition with a sung first half and a second one leaving a good place to an energetic guitar solo before finding again the sound effects of the beginning of the album made of boat noises at anchor.
In summary, the Italians of 'Driftin'Line' release a dense and rich album mixing progressive compositions and others that are much easier to access and this saga about war with very beautiful vocals (the mixed duo bringing a real plus to the theme) should appeal to an audience navigating between rock and progressive metal... | |
