Blade Cisco Is An Italian Melodic Rock Juggernaut!

The Italian band Blade Cisco has released their debut full length album entitled "Edge of The Blade". Musically speaking, this is a large overflowing boiling mixture of sounds and licks from days gone by. My guess is that English is not the band's first language. Lyrically they keep it simple. But they manage to harmonize and vocalize on these words in a way few if any new bands do.

"Memories" is a big pompous opener with gargantuan harmonies and guitar lines stolen from Neal Schon. The production is crisp. There is no noise or compression. Plenty of well choreographed vocal overdubs. "Anything (Without Your Music)" immediately feels like something Orion The Hunter would have conjured up. Andrea Zanini and Valario Franchi share vocal duties. Both have clear, powerful range. "Foolin' Myself" arrives with a locomotive like zing with the guitar train chugging at full speed while the band finds fertile, big melody lines. The vocals are strong, but not needlessly overpowering. Check out the amazing keyboard solo. Guitars follow.

"Rain Over Me" intros with atmospheric keyboards and big fat Survivor guitar grooves. It settles in as a mid-tempo rocker that oozes melodic goodness. The guitar subtleties bob and weave between soft and harder edged rock. And it all works seamlessly. "Life Is A Lottery" feels extra 80's with a new wave keyboard line that joins with some large harmony based mid-tempo rock. By now you've reached the conclusion that these guys understand what it is to write fresh new hooks with great vocal parts.

The title track is more bare boned with it's affinity for straight up rock but still contains enough vocal and keyboard mischief to color outside the lines. "Hungry For Love" feels like either Night Ranger or Guiffria. It guitars along but has some finely crafted keyboard parts. And those soaring vocals, they are literally everywhere on this record. "Grey" starts with a Journey keyboard workout followed by some explosive guitar work that settles into a memorable softer melody. The vocal harmonies tickle the inner ear and stay there even after the song is over.

"Invisible To Me" combines all of the aforementioned ingredients for another chugging, rocking, rollicking, rhythm guitar rocker. "We Are Still Standing" starts quietly but then builds into a melodic rocker that borrows heavily from Survivor. The guitar work on this album is very impressive. The solos are all very melodious and fluent.

The boys grab some acoustic guitars for "My Way", combining elements of Boston, Extreme and Mr. Big. This entire album is bursting with vocal arrangements and melodies that glisten. If Blade Cisco were a planet in the solar system, they would be either Mars or Jupiter. They glow with shiny goodness and can be seen even from here in America. Best of luck and well wishes for this Italian juggernaut.