IVORY, “Italian melodic power prog”, originating in Turin, the band has survived several lineup changes from 2007 onwards and past releases, such as their 2008 Heart of Steel, received excellent critical acclaim worldwide, which was later followed by the album A Moment, A Place and a Reason, released 2016 and A Social Disease (EP) 2022. They have persisted in overcoming their early setbacks and have a new release titled Alien Nation. Current members are Davide dell’Orto, vocals, Salvo Vecchio, guitar, Luca Bernazzi, bass and Claudio Rostagno, drums. Their music is inspired by Van Halen, Extreme, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Eldritch and Athena XIX. Ivory has described Alien Nation as an ambitious concept much more progressive-oriented than their previous releases.
Fading Memories, a very, very short 44sec synth prelude, dark, contemplative and atmospheric yet a mystery to where it might flow.
On The Edge of Insanity, melancholic and mellow tones, clean singing, and a hint of melodic guitaring to ease us into this concept which is feeling quite alien.
The Mask reveals the competence of Davide’s vocals and when combined with the overall vocal harmonies and Salvo’s beautiful yet intricate guitar solos, we uncover the technical ability of Ivory’s songwriting which is essential to music of this caliber.
Liquid World Crunch, the emphasis is on more the rock style of prog rather than metal and it’s here we see the band slip into a groove that demands and deserves the attention of prog enthusiasts. Their technical approach, combined with their own unique style with the ample rock hooks and harmonies, are an exciting drawcard.
Feeding My Soul, where Luca’s beautiful bass work cuts right through this softer yet rich gothic rock ballad, the haunting melodies and rich vocals send a goosebump or two as I’m listening and enjoying where the music is travelling so far.
Empty Desires, somberness and melancholic, the glue that supports everything together, capturing the emotions that shine through from all involved both musically and vocally.
The instrumental, Odd Rails allows the band to freely experiment with the fundamentals of what prog is all about, drawing our attention to their musical inspirations and aspirations. The guitar is the focal point here and I’m really lost for words to describe how incredible the playing really is, mind blowing.
Walking Straight, Atmospheric, and melodic with a haunting quality to the overall sound, which flickers from bursts of heaviness to softer melodic metal that intensifies with an emotional lyric.
Alien Nation, cementing the Ivory sound I’ve heard shine throughout earlier songs on this album. This song has the strongest of all the hooks in this collection from a lyric perspective and in my opinion, is one of their best tracks, which displays both the light and the dark, the heavy rock and the modern prog metal with a twist of eclectic prog thrown in for good measure.
This is overall a very solid album, aside from the first couple of tracks which were really not here nor there. I’m glad that Ivory has managed to overcome the hurdles of the past, as they have the potential to become bigger than what they are if they can stick with the unique qualities heard from Liquid World Crunch onwards. I recommend you give them a listen.
Ivory: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Underground Symphony Records
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by GG Baf
