THE BEAST

One of the advantages of being part of a webzine like Allaroundmetal.com is to always discover groups that otherwise you would probably never have the opportunity to listen. It happened to me for Fugatta, who were formed in the now distant 2007 in Mexico, but only in 2008 they managed to have a complete formation; of that line-up, the only singer Daniel Viña remains (however not among the founders of the combo), while the other members have entered over the years. The Mexican band has made only three full-lengths in its career, among which the latest is this "The darkest planet", released in mid-November 2021 by the unknown Mexican label Shamash Records. The album, with pleasant artwork (of which the author is not known), consists of twelve tracks for a total of about 50 minutes in duration; there are numerous guest artists, including our legendary Ivan Giannini (Derdian and Vision Divine) and the guitarist of the Spanish Avalanch, Alberto Rionda, as well as a real lyrical choir, with sopranos, tenors, basses and altos. As often happens, the comparisons included in the accompanying bio are literally airborne: the sound of Fugatta has nothing to do with the heavy of Iron Maiden, the prog of Royal Hunt or the epic of Eternal Champion! The only comparison that could have been made was not made: Rhapsody. Yes, because the symphonic Power of Fugatta owes much to the lesson given by Turilli and Staropoli in their various bands created over the years. To this we could add a pinch of theatricality of Symphony X and Angra, but basically the band moves on typical sounds of the Symphonic Power of european and Italian school in particular. Nothing particularly innovative, but something that is played with extreme skill, quality and class (the guitar solo parts are made really well!); certainly Daniel Viña does not reach the levels of Lyon, Conti or Voli (just to stay on the singers of the various incarnations of Rhapsody) but, all in all, he gets away with it discreetly, without making the miracle cry out, especially on the highest notes; it appeared to me a bit 'in difficulty, however, on the lower and warmer notes, as in the piece "Lethal virus". For this kind of sound, you need a singer of exceptional level and the good Viña comes close only to certain standards. On a musical level, however, as mentioned, the band shows remarkable qualities and good taste for melodies, fundamental characteristics for a convincing Symphonic Power. "The darkest planet" is a really interesting record, which you can listen to very pleasantly, especially if you are a fan of certain sounds; it could be an excellent starting point to allow the Fugatta to make themselves known around the world. - All Around Metal