MASTERCASTLE – Dangerous Diamonds

Italy’s Mastercastle have returned with their third full-length album Dangerous Diamonds. Mastercastle was formed back in 2008 by guitarist Pier Gonella and vocalist Giorgia Gueglio. Both have worked on other music projects together in the past, and wanted to try something new. The result was the multi-genre Mastercastle, which contains bits and pieces of Neo-Classical, Progressive, Power Metal, and Hard Rock. This band has seen considerable growth since their first album, and has now achieved an all-encompassing formula for success.

Most female-fronted bands typically have their material revolve solely around the singer, thus making her the focal point of the band. This method generally leaves songwriting and musicianship secondary, which can make for a lackluster result. However, Mastercastle uses the complete opposite approach by putting their songwriting and musicianship at the forefront, and then blending it all together with their great vocalist Giorgia Gueglio.

However, the real star of Mastercastle is not the beautiful and talented Gueglio, but the multi-faceted, remarkable guitarist Pier Gonella. Gonella essentially creates the signature sound of Mastercastle with his clean cut riffs and precise guitar solos. After listening to Gonella’s amazing work on Dangerous Diamonds, it‘s difficult to believe his other active band is the Death/Black Metal band, Necrodeath. One of the best displays of Gonella’s masterful artistry is during the title track “Dangerous Diamonds”, which is an up-tempo song that features some fast licks and harmonies, not to mention a mind-blowing solo. The style and ferocity displayed in the track is almost reminiscent of George Lynch back in the prime of early Dokken albums.

Of course, singer Giorgia Gueglio cannot be discounted for her outstanding performance as well. She does not have the Operatic style, which is so common in many of today’s female-fronted bands. Instead, she has more of a straight-laced, Classic Rock style, which is evocative of Ann Wilson (Heart) or Lita Ford. She puts a great deal of heart and soul into her performance, and although she may not have an eight octave range, she provides 110% effort and can sing her proverbial balls off. She is able to take the aggression of Gonella’s heavy riffs, personify them, and take the songs to the next level. Her energy alone makes this album such an enjoyable listen.

Dangerous Diamonds is one of those albums that you actually want to listen to over and over again. It has many components of a great Metal album, most notably a classic feel that is simplistic, hard rocking, and full of vigor. This band continues to get better with each album, and they certainly haven’t reached their peak yet.