'Odd Dimension' is an Italian progressive metal formation that is already around twenty years old but has only released two albums 'Symmetrical' and ' The Last Embrace to Humanity' in 2013 and since, nothing more until 'The Blue Dawn' released at the end of March 2021 and which is a concept album that plunges us into a science fiction story, I quote the words of the group : " two space travellers – Markus and Eloise – involved in a deviation from their original path caused by the attacks of an unknown population that makes them land on a new planet then called ‘The Blue Planet’ where they’ll have to struggle to live, to the point of creating an army with the very matter of that planet to help them restore order and save their children, who will eventually mix with the hosts created by them, generating a new race.". In addition to the singer of the group 'Jan Manenti', they called on three other artists including 'Roberto Tiranti' from 'Labyrinth' as well as two female singers 'Aileen' and 'Eliana Parodi', to flesh out the vocal register and the 'Dreamhater' keyboardist 'Derek Sherinian' was invited on the eponymous track of the album.
After the atmospheric instrumental introduction 'Mission n ° 773' which sets the scene for this saga, 'Landing On Axtradel' takes us on a long impactful instrumental part brought by the sounds of electronic keyboards and it is only in the second part of the title that we discover the very expressive and powerful vocals of 'Jan Manenti', the whole showing a resolutely progressive face with many changes of rhythm and intensity, then, 'The Invasion' continues in a progressive made of rhythmic breaks but with marked influences of hard-rock from the 70s with magnificent guitar solos. Change of scenery with 'Escape to Blue Planet' (see video above) which calms the ardor of the first titles and which takes us for the first half in a power ballad with the participation of 'Simona Aileen' responding to 'Jan Manenti', then, the tempo accelerates for an unbridled instrumental part with beautiful guitar and keyboards solos to end with a remarkable decrescendo part returning to the starting theme. 'Solar Wind' is then a short acoustic break in which, violin and piano form a very beautiful duo, then, 'Life Creators' continues with the certainly the least progressive composition of the album with a beautiful melody that we appropriate immediately. Then comes the masterpiece 'The Blue Dawn' which delivers us 10 minutes of original progressive with a fairly soft first part but which, after three minutes, evolves into powerful hard-rock which takes us back a new time to the seventies and then we follow. offers remarkable and varied instrumental sections in which each member of the group brings their stone to the building, the end of the title returning to the more relaxed atmosphere of the beginning. With 'Sands of Yazukia', the progressive side is still very present with beautiful alternations of intensities and tempos and with beautiful vocal performances, first of all from 'Simona Aileen' and on the end of 'Jan Manenti', then 'Flags Of Victory' softens the subject in a melodic and epic composition with a remarkable new vocal trio, 'Eliana Parodi', 'Roberto Tiranti' and 'Jan Manenti' and with a magnificent final guitar solo. The album ends in a beautiful way with 'The Supreme Being' which, apart from a robotic voice is entirely instrumental and continues to alternate different atmospheres with first, progressive metal close to 'Dream Theater', then after, a slower part with a 'Floydian' guitar solo and a refine finish with a piano that churns out a few notes.
In summary, the Italians of 'Odd Dimension' release a rich and varied album that mixes rock and progressive metal and which, like any good album of this type, improves itself listening after listening and offers on the one hand very beautiful vocal performances and on the other hand original and brilliant instrumental parts... | |
