The Sense Of Change opens the cd with a fusion groove remindin' me of Greg Howe. Alessandro has a beautiful tone, big and warm. Obviously he's listened and absorbed all the masters of the rock&fusion genre...His playin' favours a smooth, legato approach, with some truly cool chromatic passages...
Eternal Dream starts out with a mysterious mood. Cool piano backing and some tasty acoustic lines before the theme comes in. Alessandro has a very melodic style, and this again reminds me of the older Greg Howe's albums, where he started to explore the fusion realm with tons of melody. Alessandro also plays some cool passages with tappin'. At 3:45 he switches to a more melodic rock approach, a bit like Vai maybe. As always, I'm not tryin' to categorize a player who has a personal style into a "he's a clone of this and that guitar-hero", I'm just tryin' to give you an idea of what the music sounds like.
Time Has Come has some hauntin' start. It features also a drum solo. Alessandro's technique shines thru the solo.
EgoCentric is my favourite track of the album. Great groove, and a funky vibe that will make you shake your head even if you're not into fusion. Every line is full of rhythmic strength...Wha wha and muted strings at 2:27... Instant Funk!!! =)
A good amount of sweep pickin' to keep your ears busy =) This song is so energetic.
The Golden Cage has a more 'modern' sound, it's pure fusion. Great melody line at 0:59. In the extended solo Alessandro shows once again he's a monster player with tons of chops and a melodic ear too. He's soo good at playin' over chord changes...
7 Reasons To Love Her is an unusual ballad in which Alessandro alternates between slow passages and more aggressive playing. It's a clear proof of how Mr. Benvenuti manages to play with personality and originality even without missing his roots and players who inspired him.
10Km More is another great track with a groovy riff which fuses good ol' rock riffs and a funky attitude. Great phrasing, I love this kinda stuff! =) Then melody is always right behind the corner, and Alessandro knows exactly when to take it out of his hat. The solo has some cool use of pauses and whammy bar abuse.
Jamà closes the cd with lots of mood. Some more cool melodies. =) Bass interlude and solo too. Again some good funk to spice up the song.