In life there are distinctive sounds that most humans recognize, birds chirping, the sound of rain and Geoff Tate’s signature vibrato rich vocals. Tate is gifting the music world with his phenomenal vocal prowess in the form of Sweet Oblivion’s new album, along with uber talented Italian musicians Simone Mularoni on Guitar and Bass, Emanuele Casali on Keyboards and Paolo Caridi on Drums. The album is deliciously reminiscent of Tate’s early indelible work with Queensryche enhanced by the unique song writing abilities of Mularoni.

The album mostly follows a distinct formula: guitar heavy songs, with prominent vocals, which is apparent in the opening track, ‘True Colors’. There are really no dynamic surprises in this album, each track complements it’s counterpart making this album a beginning to end listen. Track four,.’Hide Away’ does switch up the mood of for a moment with its sullen vocals and futuristic yet retro vibe.The seventh track, ‘Transition’ did tug at my social conscience just a little with it’s presently relevant lyrics. Track eight,’ Disconnect’ gets an honorable mention for it’s stripped down production. The intro has a dreamy quality that will float you back to the days when power ballads were king. The final track, ‘Seek The Light’ wraps the album up in nice little Melodic Metal bow.

In all honesty, this album is a beautiful reminder of what an amazing asset Geoff Tate is to the world of music. Fans of Melodic Metal should heed my words and make this album part of their life.

7 / 10

SKULLGURL METALCHICK