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Luca Turilli. The instant you hear this name you may conjure up thoughts of epic heavy metal, swords, & fire breathing dragons. As the co founder of Rhapsody Of Fire (still Rhapsody to most of us) the guitar virtuosos has established a pretty solid name for himself in the realms of epic power metal. Dreamquest represents a side project for Luca and one might initially think (especially with a name like Dreamquest) that this project should carry over a good amount of those tantalizing guitar solos along with a few wizards and warriors. Well in the words of the mighty Lee Corso, “Not So Fast My Friend”.
Lost Horizons takes a completely different approach from any previous work Turilli has engaged himself in, this time around composing songs around keyboard while using elements of opera, techno-electronic music, & gothic-symphonic atmospheres. You can take that description for what it is, but luckily the press release has come up with a label for this new brand of music: Symphonic-Electro Metal. And while that might sound like something out of a comic book, I gotta admit that the description hits home after a few listens of Lost Horizons.
For Luca Turilli’s Dreamquest the pivotal players are the keyboards and the vocals. Apparently Luca has had a love for the keyboard as an instrument even before Rhapsody was ever born and he gives a nod to some classical masters on many of these tracks. The vocalist who just goes by the name of “Myst” is a soprano of the old breed and gives a vocal performance that is outstanding. Early Nightwish comes to mind as a comparison but then again songs such as “Sospiro Divino” sound like something that you are more likely to hear at an old Italian opera, and will instantly shatter any nearby glass. The majority of the tunes tend to carry a melancholy feel to them and contain mystical nuances such as a backing choirs and orchestral arrangements. For those of you who see the word techno in the musical description and instantly cringe, let me relieve you by saying that although these elements are present (in some of the drums and rhythms) they play second fiddle behind the vocals and keyboards, as these are the driving force on Lost Horizons. Song highlights include the enchanting “Dolphins Heart” & the finale “Gothic Visions” which may be the peppiest song of the bunch, containing a vintage guitar solo.
If you are wondering why this band is Luca Turilli’s Dreamquest and not just Dreamquest, it is most likely because there is already another French band that goes by that name. I cannot tell you too much about those guys at this time but Luca Turilli’s version is indeed worth checking out. No, Lost Horizons is probably not a disc for everyone, but those who enjoy gothic-tinged music with female vocals will feast on Luca’s latest creation.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Introspection |
| 2. Virus |
| 3. Dreamquest |
| 4. Black Rose |
| 5. Lost Horizons |
| 6. Sospiro Divino |
| 7. Shades Of Eternity |
| 8. Energy |
| 9. Frozen Star |
| 10. Too Late |
| 11. Dolphins Heart |
| 12. Gothic Visions |
: 53.52
| Buy other Luca Turilli's Dreamquest albums |
