Secret Sphere
Portrait of a Dying Heart

The most ambitious project so far by Secret Sphere based on a novel specially commissioned for this project that was written by you Italian author Costanza Colombo which is included in this album’s 40 pages booklet. That sounds fascinating and the funny thing is that it is said to be inspired by great stories like Queensrÿche’s Operation Mindcrime or Savatage’s Streets, they do not say the titles but naming those bands cannot mean other things than those albums. Sure they do not claim that Secret Sphere’s latest album is of that caliber but just the mention of these band’s and alluding to these titles begs you to compare. And one thing that joins these are the drab cover artworks that all these albums have, sure the one for Secret Sphere looks well made but is boring and so is their logotype. For a grande project the cover art is a bit underwhelming but then so was both Streets and Mindcrime but what about the music on this album?

It is a classic italian power metal album with the classical melodic sound that many italian power metallers show. Well produced album with distinct role of the keys and a quite typical choice of vocalist who is slightly high pitched but with a powerful voice and surprisingly enough he does not have that classical accent. For being this ambitious project I think this album is a bit subdued as I was expecting something classical italian larger than life stuff but no it was more of a rather typical power metal styled album. And the story? Well, I don’t quite think that it comes out through the words, especially not if you compare it to the two albums that I have mentioned before which are very story driven, this album does not feel like it is. It is a rather varied album though.

I think that this album is quite good, I am impressed with both the production and the singer who is an excellent vocalist for sure. But the songs are not as excellent, they are good but somehow the entire experience of this album is a bit lacklustre or should have been if they did not have those brilliant vocals. It is a weird album to think of as someone’s most ambitious project as it feels a bit common to be something like that, sure I am not saying that it isn’t good because that would be wrong but it is not what you expect from someone doing their most ambitious thing ever. I was hoping for something flamboyant, something amazing, something surprising and something quite good and exciting. Unfortunately this isn’t much of that but nevertheless it is a quite good album and the vocals makes it even better, I just think that the vocal work of this album is one of the best I have heard at least recently.

So, maybe a bit underwhelming this album is, if you are Yoda. But I like the album still as the vocals are great and the songs are good but nothing that will ever go down in history. But if you like italian power metal or if you like Secret Sphere you will probably call this great or amazing.