Dynamic Lights - Shape (2005)

Melodías conmovedoras y dramáticas para un heavy neo-progresivo sinfónico de raíz italiana liderado magistralmente por teclas y piano, acompañado de una base asombrosa y unos juegos rítmicos deliciosos. Aquí el único disco de una banda que se merecía perdurar y seguir asombrándonos. Disfruten de esta joyita perdida que volvemos a rescatar en el blog cabezón!

Artista: Dynamic Lights
Álbum: Shape
Año: 2005
Género: Heavy progresivo sinfónico
Duración: 50:36
Nacionalidad: Italia

Lista de Temas:
1. In the hands of a siren
2. Between two parallels
3. Remembrances
4. Density
5. Going to nowhere
6. One thousand nothing
7. Connecting
8. The big show

Alineación:
- Marco Poderi / guitarras
- Raffaele Mariotti / bajo, fretless, stick
- Matteo Infante / vocales
- Simone Del Pivo / batería y percusión
- Giovanni Bedetti / teclado, piano y coros
Músico invitado:
Jamina Jansson / voz

Hacía tiempo que no publicaba algunos de mis álbums internacionales favoritos, el últimos fue el de Anglagard pero lo tengo medio descuidado, vamos entonces con otro discazo.
Hace poco tenía gans de publicar un post sobre una muy buena banda italiana llamada Areknames, con la particularidad de que cantan en inglés y que podeen una excelente instrumentación, liderada por un excelente tecladista. Bueno, como es mi costumbre, no encontré sus álbums en mi pila de DVDs de backups :P
Pero cuando estaba buscando me encuentro con este álbum, que he de decir que me gustó muchísimo, me rompió la cabeza hace años, creo que lo conozco desde el 2007 más o menos. Casi el mismo cuadro que Areknames encontraremos en este álbum, con la diferencia que el grupo en cuestión se llama Dynamic Lights, y que hacen metal progresivo en lugar de progresivo con sonido setentero, y que es mucho, muchísimo menos oscuro.

A ver... dejo una buena descripción de lo que se van a encontrar aquí:

Uno de los mejores discos que he escuchado últimamente…
Dynamic Lights es una banda nacida en Pesaro, Italia en 1997 que nace de la formación de los integrantes de dos bandas diferentes que se juntaron.
La formación es una gran mezcla de todo lo bueno del rock progresivo, jazz, fusión, mucha percusión, voces a duo, y temas de larga duración.
Dueño de unas melodías conmovedoras la banda se autodefine su estilo como creatividad y libertad de cada uno de sus jóvenes integrantes y dan lugar a esta maravilla del progresivo italiano. Se puede destacar ante todo la gran variedad de recursos de composición, utilizando sintetizadores, panderetas, voces femeninas, pianos, música latina (como en el inicio del mejor tema del disco ‘’One Thousand Nothing’’)… y sin olvidar momentos de metal pesadito para que de lugar a decir que tiene ‘’un poco de todo’’.
Lo que mas me ha seducido de esta banda es la duración de sus canciones que no bajan en su mayoría de los 7 minutos… siento también que traen muchas ideas del rock sinfónico antiguo mezclado con un sonido contemporáneo y lleno de frescura musical, afianzándose aun mas con la voz de su cantante.
Sin dar tantas vueltas en explicarles lo que escucho de esta banda, lo mejor es definir su estilo con un gran parecido a Wolverine... sobre todo por parte de su vocalista principal.
Música muuuy progresiva y llena de frescura, para ser este su disco debut es algo mas que prometedor!!... espero saber mas de esta bandita pronto. Recomendado a muerte!! No hay forma de que no te guste esta joyita.
PUNTAJE: 9.5

progresivoyalgomas

O este comentario, un poco más corto:

Metal prog tano del bueno. Me recuerda un poco a la propuesta de Sieges Even: un metal progresivo no tan crudo, no tan rápido, pero con una calidad melódica y armoniosa impresionante. Por falta de tiempo, dejaré la review hasta aquí, hasta el próximo capítulo (?)

Eduardo

El estilo que cultivan es muy particular, si bien tiene mucha de la dureza del metal la composición es básicamente rock progresivo con sonido metálico, algo así como Riverside o Pain of Salvation (creo que tiene mucho de este último), y como decían en los reviews de arriba, también tienen algo de Sieges Even o Wolverine, algo cercano al metal progresivo pero con muchísimo cuidado melódico y estructuras bien complejas. Si bien el guitarrista Marco Ponderi, el excelente baterista Simone Del Pivo (que arreglos!) y Raffaele Mariotties en el bajo y stick son músicos destacados que permanecen desde el comienzo de la banda, en este, el segundo o tercer álbum de la banda, es indudable que las riendas las tomó el magnífico tecladista Giovanni Bedetti, haciendo algo parecido a un metal progresivo pero liderado principalmente por... ¡UN PIANO!. Éste se nota que gusta del sonido del piano clásico, y de eso podemos escuchar en varios de los temas un metal progresivo liderado por este instrumento, cosa que me llamó la atención.
Su sonido es potente, aunque claro, y los riffs de guitarra no tapan lo que hace cada instrumento (característica aberrante del metal). Tienen cuidados desarrollos con buenas melodías, instrumentaciones emotivas, exquisitas y/o con mucha fuerza y virtuosismo, y en algunos temas una base de bastante complejidad, recuerdo estar trabajando mientras escuchaba este álbum y al mismo tiempo tratando de seguir sus ritmos, y tenía que dejar lo que estaba haciendo para ello. Se nota la influencia directa de Pain of Salvation en los coros, aunque también por la mezcla entre fuerza y melodías casi sugestivas, aderezadas de elementos de otras corrientes musicales en una fina experimentación.

Truth be told, I began writing this review several times during the past two months. Each attempt brought me closer to a conclusion, but I still have a tough time determining whether Dynamic Lights' Shape is a neo-prog album, a prog-metal record or an unlikely hybrid of, say, IQ and Pain of Salvation. Full of lush atmospheres, cascading pianos, flexible yet mysterious vocals and chugging rhythms, the Italian band has crafted a compelling debut that's taken me by surprise.
Shape opens with vocalist Matteo Infante duetting with the strong rock-chick voice (as opposed to operatic-chick or goth-chick voice) of Jamina Jansson on the nine-and-a-half-minute "In the Hands of a Siren," a song highlighed with Marco Poderi's searing fret work and Giovanni Bedetti's dramatic piano playing. Next up is "Between Two Parallels," which gives Infante a vocal workout set against a dark and heavy musical backdrop. That song lasts almost eight minutes, and all but two of the eight songs on Shape clock in at longer than six minutes; the other two are brief piano-only instrumentals that barely last two minutes each. The album's most accessible track is "One Thousand Nothing," punctuated by soaring vocals and dynamic, melodic interplay from all of the band's musicians.
Throughout Shape, Infante's voice alternately recalls Everygrey's Tom Englund, Symphony X's Russell Allen and Pain of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlow, while the rest of the band conjures aural images of Arena, Marillion and Wolverine. This one might sneak onto the lower half of my "best of 2005" list ...

Michael Popke

Bastante atinado el comentario de arriba, el grupo suena como una combinación entre neo-progresivo con metal y toques sinfónicos, como para darse una idea.

Two years ago I reviewed the self-produced debut of this young Italian band, called Resurrection. I concluded the review with stating that the band definitely had potential, but wasn't quite there yet. I must admit that since then I've not listened to Resurrection more than a handful occasions, and I had somewhat forgotten about them until this album got dropped through my mailbox. After hearing the new album, I doubt this will happen again.
Shape follows the direction the band took with Resurrection: prog metal with more than a hint of Fates Warning and Pain Of Salvation. Singer Matteo Infante does a good job in imitating the vocal style of Daniel Gildenlöw, though without coming across as a copycat. It is drummer Simone Del Pivo who keeps the music from falling into the metal category, with his very original and technically mind-boggling percussion work. His playing style is often very reminiscent of Mike Portnoy.
However, the real star of the album is keyboardist Giovanni Bedetti, whose keyboard work dominates the music on the album. With piano being the preferred instrument he gives the heavy rock music a special twist with his virtuosi melodies. It is as if Jordan Rudess himself plays on the album, as Bedetti's fast playing style resembles that of Rudess. Sometimes classical, sometimes honky-tonk, and sometimes swapping the piano to play a roaring Kurzweil solo. Fans of the style of Jordan Rudess will certainly find lots of things they like on this album. Bedetti even gets a solo spot on the album: the track Density is a two-minute classical piano improvisation.
Guitar aficionados may be a little disappointed in this album, as Marco Poderi's role is limited to rhythm guitar in most songs, with only a few solos. However, like the rest of his band mates, he too has a very varied style of playing. At times doing the 'Petrucci 100 notes a second thing' and other times, like in The Big Show sounding more like a Steve Rothery.
The music on the album is very diverse. Opener In The Hands Of A Siren is a good example. Upon the first opening bars it suggests pretty straightforward metal at first, but quickly turns into a more proggy affair, plenty tempo changes (mellow during the vocal parts, fast and heavy during the instrumental sections). Yet the biggest draw on this song are the guest vocals of Swedish singer Jamina Jansson, who already impressed as guest vocalist on Wolverine's The Window Purpose.
Cliché as it may sound, the 12 minute epic One Thousand Nothing is hands down the best song on the album. Infante's vocal melodies at the start of the song are almost jazz (punctuated by Bedetti's piano), but give way to a terrific long instrumental section which sounds as if it came from the same recording sessions as Dream Theater's Metropolis pt 1. Bass solo, keyboard solo, heavy guitar riffs, a Rick Wakeman-esque piano solo, more vocals and then one of the few guitar solos on the album.
My feelings on this album are predominantly positive, with only a minor note regarding the vocals. Infante suffers from the same problem as most of his colleagues from Italian rock bands: an accent. While certainly not as bad as some other bands I've reviewed, it is something people can have a problem with. I for one would not have mind if the Infante had sung in Italian, to be honest. But despite that one minor note: Highly recommended to all the fans of Pain Of Salvation, Wolverine, Fates Warning and Jordan Rudess.

DPRP - Bart Jan van der Vorst

It seems that there may have been a slight mix up at the manufacturing plant. What appears to be a cross-pressing of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory, Recreation Day, and BE has resulted in an ambitious progressive album called Shape. Okay, obviously that didn’t really happen but once you listen to this Italian quintet’s debut offering for DVS Records, you will find this theory to be a spot more believable. Clearly and shamelessly wearing their influences on their sleeve, Dynamic Lights are the missing link that connects Dream Theater, Evergrey, and Pain Of Salvation. Embracing the more moody side of the latter, Shape is brimming with atmospheric soundscapes that are diverse, distinctive and, well, dynamic.
When examining progressive music it is essential to dissect every last element, as each individual member plays such an enormous role in creating and completing an overall epic puzzle. Vocalist Matteo Infante is a near dead ringer for James LaBrie, but occasionally we hear him channel the overdramatic aura of Tom S. Englund or the steel pipe bark of Russell Allen. Infante’s melody lines are comparable to any of Dream Theater’s later releases where the vocals had improved.
With his phenomenal piano and keyboard passages, Giovanni Bedetti burns on the ivory, stepping into the spotlight more often than any of the other members. There is no doubt in my mind that he is capable of trading licks with Jordan Rudess if ever given the opportunity. The intimidation of battling such a huge talent may be the only obstacle he would have to overcome, but I am certain he would be up for the challenge. I could imagine that being a very fascinating contest.
Bassist Raffaele Mariotti is master of both traditional six-string and fretless instruments. Don’t anticipate monotonous root notes from his department. Mariotti makes use of every last inch of the board and really broadens the complexity of the music. Simone DelPivo is in complete control of his drum set and can make it do anything he feels fit. Setting the tempo for the rest of the band, he has a style of drumming that is reminiscent of Mike Portnoy and yes, even Neal Peart.
Last and sadly least is the guitar playing. While Marco Pederi has the theory end of things down pat, it looks as if the ideas get lost somewhere between his brain and his fingers. He has no problems executing the off time riffs, but when lead sections occur Marco seldom tests his limits. Most solos are slow, uninspiring and forgettable. To a certain degree I can understand that when stepping into the shoes of someone like John Petrucci, you’re bound to stumble, so conceivably he just wanted to spare that embarrassment. Pederi is the weak link in Dynamic Lights and because of his average performance, the musicianship score suffers where it would have otherwise been perfect.
As cliché as it may be, all but two of the eight compositions on Shape clock in between six and twelve minutes in length, with “One Thousand Nothing” and “In The Hands Of A Siren” being the most mammoth tracks on this disc. At just over two minutes a piece, “Density” is a mind-blowing piano improvisation by Bedetti, while “Connecting” features some of the only acoustic guitar work on the album and leads into the final song, “The Big Show”.
To be quite honest, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary from Dynamic Lights, but after several spins of Shape, I am very impressed with what I am hearing and there is little to complain about. I know he has it in him and I am optimistic that Pederi will find the confidence he needs by the next album, and will deliver some scorching million notes per second leads. All fans of progressive music will love this album; plain and simple!

Harley Carlson

En definitiva, Dynamic Lights es una banda sólida, con un tecladista fuera de serie, unos músicos que se llevan mis aplausos y para qué decir las voces... buenísimas. Un discazo super recomendado, ni piensen en perdérselo. Y si dudan escuchen la música de estos videos, y no lo van a pensar dos veces.

www.dynamiclights.net
www.myspace.com/dynamiclights