Edge of Forever's Native Soul Is Another Melodic Rock Gem From The Frontiers Record Label

Edge of Forever is kinda like the Frontiers house band. The group's front man, Alessandro Del Vecchio is becoming a household word even here in the states. If anything Frontiers probably overworks Del Vecchio. His production and writing credits are on literally dozens and dozens of albums the label has put forth. In a way this article is meant as kind of a bit of an apology to Del Vecchio. I have misunderstood much of what he does and after hearing Native Soul and the new Rev Saints album I have gained a whole new level of respect for Alessandro. Carrying a record label on your shoulders can't be an easy task. And with rock music not selling millions of copies, (most people stream everything anyway) it can't be easy to run a record label if you can't reinvest your earnings and hire a songwriting team, or a large production team. Del Vecchio ends up being a jack of all trades and a master of them all. His over exposure is a result of being in demand. He might be spread too thin. Or a new song here might sound a bit a like a song you heard on a record he produced 5 months ago. So when Native Soul came out last month, I pretty much skipped over it. I had already convinced myself that I didn't like it even though I had only spent a few dismissive minutes with it.

As it turns out, this newest effort by Edge of Forever is an excellent hard rocking ride into subjects that are on everyone's minds these days. There are decent sized hooks on this record. But the band actually takes a more progressive approach on many of these songs. I can hear older bands, especially Kansas (Think Monolith, but harder) and Deep Purple and even Winger. And I'll say this, if some of this record sounds a bit derivative it might be due to the fact that this guy has created a signature sound. For better or worse he's created the "Frontiers Sound" and I'll still take his production over many of the minor league melodic rock offerings that are quickly becoming irrelevant. Native Soul ends up being an upper echelon album that gets better with repeated spins.

Del Vecchio is joined by Nik Mazzucconi on bass, Aldo Lonobile on guitar and Marco Di Salvia on drums. This is a powerhouse lineup. The rhythm section sustains Alessandro's passionate vocals. Del Vecchio has only gotten more confident as a singer. He is somewhere between Joe Lynn Turner and Steve Walsh (from Kansas). "Three Rivers" is the acapella introduction that does something unique - it gets your attention! It's actually one of the most creative moments on Native Soul. The song's echoes are heard at the beginning of the album's title track as Del Vecchio sings potent lines about faith, perseverance and overcoming adversity.  Today's melodic rock world has learned a thing or two about songwriting from heroes like Steve Perry and Rik Emmett who both typically wrote powerful, optimistic songs. I actually got a few goosebumps during this song. It rocks hard and has two really scary good chord changes that illicit the right emotion to go with the lyrics. "Promised Land" is a tad airier with Del Vecchio's vocal riding over a melody that gets progressively grittier as the song moves along. Again, the track is surprisingly accessible and would fit nicely on the new Revolution Saints album.

"Carry On" contains some fast chord progressions and relentless drumming. The intro of the song also has a very modern sounding keyboard.  I can hear bits and pieces of "Highway Star" or some other uptempo Deep Purple tune. Meanwhile Del Vecchio is preaching about doing the best we can in the face of trouble. Aldo then breaks out his guitar and does his best Judas Priest (K.K. Downing) impersonation. Aldo Lonobile is a beast on this entire album. "Take Your Time" maintains a high level of intensity airing on the side of progressive hard rock. Lyrically Del Vecchio is telling us to stop and smell the roses, basically slow down and savor the good things. This is fairly cerebral stuff for melodic rock. The pounding melody is briefly interrupted by a note bending guitar solo and a creative psychedelic keyboard solo. A curve ball from the late 1970's.

"Dying Sun" is a bit more derivative in it's approach taking generic parts from the preceding material. Still a worthy guitar solo and fine vocals and lyrics. "Shine" opens quietly with just Del Vecchio and his piano. Things transition into a progressive power ballad with some acoustic guitars and clean, clear piano. "Shine" is certainly one of the stronger and more memorable tracks on Native Soul. "I Made Myself What I Am" is more prog-laden hard rock infused with some classical guitar lines and drum power angst. Again I hear Kansas and Deep Purple but louder. "War" is another spiritual song that pivots between dark and melodic elements. Del Vecchio continues to write as if he's trying to save the world. "Wash Your Sins Away" brings back the modern keyboard introduction which segues into an open, straight forward rocker about repentance and thankfulness. The lighter flavor allows Alessandro to inject some emotion into the performance. And then comes another blistering guitar solo from Aldo. These guys will never be a soft rock band! "Ride With The Wind" finishes this rather exhausting set of songs with a more hard rocking drums and guitar. There are a couple of really moody chord progressions that set a darker, more serious tone.

I'd have to say that this album belongs in the grower category. It would be easy to pass over this material quickly or give it a once through and decide you don't like it. There are so many interesting moments when you'll find yourself getting lost in the guitar work, or intently listening to Del Vecchio's lyrics. Even if you end up not being a fan of this album, the musicianship can't be argued with. These gentleman can play and sing their asses off. The heart of the melodic rock world is Edge of Forever. Alessandro Del Vecchio is in demand because he takes familiar 80's themes  and marries them to classical and progressive elements. Furthermore, there is enormous pressure on Del Vecchio and his record label to properly represent the past while attempting to forge a new path. Give this album a fair shake. The more you listen to this record, the better it will get. These four individuals bring enormous musical chops to this music. At the very least, this is an album for people who admire great musicianship. At the most, it's perfectly constructed melodic rock for a new decade forged by the most sought after producer in the business.

Album rating 9.6