SOUL SECRET: 4

Rating: RRRR  Label: Golden Score  Review by: Martien Koolen   Although this is only their third album it is actually called 4, which is quite funny or maybe just weird.. However as I really liked the debut album (Flowing Portraits) and follow up Closer To Daylight I am "obliged" to like their third release as well? No, I am only kidding of course, I really like 4, maybe it is even their best album so far.  The third album of these Italian prog rockers also features a third new singer; Lino Di Pietrantonio is his name and he replaced former vocalist Fabio Manda. Lino's voice is more melodic than Manda's and maybe this could just do the trick for some listeners, although I actually preferred the voice of Manda; but who am I to judge??  4 is concept album and tells the story of Adam, who is standing on the roof of a large building, reflecting on his rather average, boring life. Opener On The Ledge already belongs to one of my Soul Secret favourite tracks as it really shows the musical capabilities of the band as this great song is complex, melodic and very versatile. Other highlights of the album are the two instrumental songs Silence and My Lighthouse where guitar picker Antonio Vittozzi and keyboarder Luca Di Gennaro show what they are capable of. But Soul Secret keep the best for last as The White Stairs, a 16 minutes epic track, is the absolute highlight of this album. This amazing track is a mix of rock, jazz, prog, great melodies, heavy guitars and the best part of it is that it all fits like a glove.  Of course the band sounds like you know who; an American prog metal band consisting of 12 letters?, but I do not mind that at all. 4 is a great progressive rock album and a must for lovers of great, diverse, daring music; it is also the best album of Soul Secret so far. Keep up this good work guys and come to The Netherlands to do some live gigs to convince the non-believers. Play at maximum volume!!