TOMMY VITALY / HANGING ROCK (2012)

Italian shredder, Tommy Vitaly (Seven Gates) after the pretty good "Just Me" he is back with the solid release of "Hanging Rock". For this album, Vitaly gatthered some 'big' names from the heavy metal scene such as Andrea 'Tower' Torricini (Vison Divine) on bass, Rhino (Manowar) on drums and Tommaso Vitali on keyboards, also, from Seven Gates.



Except the band's strong line-up, Vitaly achieved to collaborate with a great guest list of singers such as, hold your breath, Michele Luppi, David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage), the mighty Mats Leven and Carsten Lizard Schulz among others!! Really impressive guest list I have to confess!! So, with the talent of Tommy Vitaly and this amazing guests you can't go wrong, or can you? The answer, for those of you that have listen this album is simple. You can't go wrong!! This is a brilliant guitar driven release with some great tracks, a tight songwriting, powerfull performances and, of course, a suberb guitar work.

The track that impressed me most here is "Forever Lost". It is a ballad tune that David DeFeis shines here. His amazing and emotional voice make this track a highlight. This one brings to me some memories from the hard rock scene of the 80's.  "Idol" is a huge power metal tune and in this one we have Michele Luppi on lead vocals. Another highlight here with its catchy chorus and the fantastic guitar work!! Mats Leven is doin' an incredible work in the album's opener tune of "Betrayer". He achieves to give his mark on this neo-classical in-your-face rocker and make it sound like an Yngwie's outake!! "Hands Of Time" , with Todd LaTorre on vocals, is heavy and Vitaly's guitar smokes!!! Amazing!!!

Overall, this is an album that will make every guitar fan happy! It's not another instrumental album that tryin' to impress the listener only with its guitar playin'. A tight musicanship, incredible vocal performances and stunning guitar work from a guitar hero who knows how to offer a solid record! That's the ingredients of "Hanging Rock"!!! 
Heavy Paradise's Rating : 8/10

Track list :
1.Betrayer (feat. Mats Leven on vocals)
2.Run With The Devil (feat. Carsten “Lizard Schulz” on vocals)
3.Hands Of Time (feat. Todd LaTorre on vocals)
4.Forever Lost (feat. David Defeis on vocals)
5.Idol (feat. Michele Luppi on vocals, Norifumi Shima and Ferdy Doernberg solos)
6.Misanthropy - Instrumental -
7.Heavy Metal God (feat. Carsten “Lizard” Schulz on vocals, David Shankle guitar solo)
8.Hanging Rock - Instrumental -(feat. Ferdy Doernberg keyboard solos)
9.Icewarrior (feat. Zak Stevens on vocals)