Fuoco Fatuo - ...Of Light and Dark...
Self-released - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
Don't know much about these guys, but what we have here is a 6-track EP of progressive power metal, in the form of three metal covers, one classical cover, and two original tracks. I'll start with the covers, first -
Dream Theater's 'The Mirror' is covered acceptably well, with the clear, balanced production acquitting itself well to Petrucci's 'man of a thousand effects pedals' style. The performance is faultless, if a little lifeless. Sadly, the vocalist can't quite match LaBrie's set of helium-filled pipes, but nevertheless, nice effort.
Maiden's 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' doesn't come off nearly as well, managing to sound unimpressive and overblown, when compared to the epic majesty of the original. Also, hearing Bruce's lines delivered by an inferior singer with an Italian accent robs the track of any novelty value it may have once had.
Blind Guardian come off best here, with
Fuoco Fatuo's cover of 'Imaginations From The Other Side' sounding pretty close to the original.
As for the classical cover - well, normally, I hate it when prog metal bands tackle classical pieces, but the version of Puccini's 'E lucean le stelle' from 'Tosca' is actually pretty well handled here. The original material, however, is more impressive than the covers, consisting of well-played, compositionally arresting metal that leans more towards the progressive than the power. A marked
Dream Theater influence is evident, particularly within the keyboards. Every now and again their arrangements feel a little forced, but generally this is impressive, promising stuff.
6.5/10
Fuoco Fatuo Official Website
