Label: Mellow Records

Musicians:

• Fabio Zuffanti ( guitars, bass, bass pedals, keyboards, vocals )
• Stefano Marelli ( lead & classical guitars, choir )
• Osvaldo Giordano ( keyboards )
• Boris Valle ( piano and minimoog )
• Marco Moro ( Flute )
• Edmondo Romano ( sax, recorders, tin whistle, bodhram )
• Andrea Orlando ( drums, percussions )
• Claudio Castellini ( vocals on " The rime...", choirs )
• Victoria Heward, Loredana Villanacci, Marilisa Villanacci, Marzia Sidri hoirs

Tracks:

1. The Dream : (24:21) (Heward/Zuffanti)
2. Mirrorcloud (8:46) (Zuffanti)
3. Season of Eve (8:32) (Zuffanti)
4. The Rime of the ancient Mariner, Part II (8:51) (Coleridge/Zuffanti)
5. There's a Certain Slant of Light (2:21)(Dickinson/Zuffanti)
6. Ellipsis (17:25) (Zuffanti)

Hostsonaten is the project of Finisterre member, Fabio Zuffanti, who have just released a new album that will give much to speak about. But first, it's time to talk about the previous work of the group, "Mirrorgames".

"Mirrorgames" is Hostsonaten's second album (I still haven't listened to the first one), and frankly I can't say that it has nothing special at all. Classic symphonic rock well performed, but very predictable, with a notable shortage of ideas and a vocal work really horrendous.

Vocalist here is Fabio, and I think he should think twice before sing back again, because he's a bad singer indeed, and has not voice enough to do it.

In general, it is a progressive symphonic rock album, full of dark and enigmatic passages, and some Celt taste. It's plenty of keyboards, lots of keyboard atmospheres, mellotrons, flutes, etc., but somewhat boring. Everything sounds very similar, very monotonous and predictable. It contributes to the genre with very few new things. Perhaps in the last track they encourage a bit, but nothing more than a correct piece.

Summarizing, a weak album. Fortunately, the new album of the group, "Springsong", is another story.

Rating: 4/10

Ferran Lizana