ALBERTO RIGONI – Something Different

Twinspirits’ Italian bassist Alberto Rigoni’s first solo album is aptly titled Something Different, as that is exactly what Alberto had on his agenda here. This debut release, primarily instrumental, is truly something quite different when compared to his works with Progressive Metallers Twinspirits. On this mini-platter, Rigoni has decided to exercise his talents in directions not entirely related to “Metal.”

This solo “album” is composed of ten tracks and chimes in at a little over 35 minutes in length, which perhaps qualifies it as a mini-release. The ten tracks offered here are actually quite diverse, ranging from Progressive to Funk to Rock to Fusion to even “Ambient” overtones. This release is as diverse as it is technically proficient. There’s no doubt that Rigoni can play an entertaining and exceptional lead bass as some of his compositions and overall musicianship often remind of such greats as Jaco Pastorious. Rigoni manages to demonstrate immense control by being technical in the context of the compositions while remaining not as flamboyant as say a Billy Sheehan.

The difficulty will be in Metal Express Radio listeners keeping an open mind as the majority of the tracks here are not your standard Metal fare. Only those that are truly patient and appreciate mature musicianship will surely be rewarded with tracks like Glory Of Life and Roller Coaster, which are very palatable for fans with a Metallic palate. For the guitar aficionados out there, tracks like SMS should bring a smile to your faces with its pompous Funk attitude and upbeat “bass-nastics.”

While Something Different won’t be everyone’s “cup of tea,” it certainly is an entertaining and enjoyable, albeit rather short, musical feast. Recommended for bass lovers and techno-enthusiasts only … those looking for a major Metal injection will unfortunately have to look elsewhere.

Lineup

Alberto Rigoni – Bass
Lorenzo Nizzolini – Keyboards
Enrico Buttol, Marco Torchia – Drums, E-Drums
Tommy Ermolli, Daniele Gottardo – Guitar
Irene Ermolli, Daniele Conte – Vocals