GIANLUCA FERRO – Involution

Heavy Metal guitarists almost seem to come cheaper by the dozen, and among the many talented guitarists, it often seems the music has been lost at the expense of technical brilliance. Well, enter Gianluca Ferro, 27, out of Villa Pomini, Italy, with his solo debut album, Involution, he proves himself a talented guitarist and reveals a rare, exploring musical focus.

The Music

Gianluca Ferro knows his instrument well. More importantly, he also knows is musical ABC’s well and dares to leap into quite rough seas of harmony and to climb stormy mountains of syncopation. His music is somewhat derived from his educational background and knowledge, but he sparkles whenever he lets go of the terms and lets the music take him wherever it wants to.

All 10 songs on the album have a more or less defined focal point explained in the liner notes. However, to define his music stylistically is difficult, since each song is made up of a number of influences and directions, seasoned with quite avantgarde improvisations. Still, it’s instrumental and it’s electric, with doses of shredding, Fusion, and wordless poetry. The music ranges from brutality and speed in “Mechanized Consciousness Algorithm,” sheer insanity in “Ammonia Drink” and “Absratc Knowledge Level,” to peaceful bliss in “Lame’s Waltz” and “Aisthesis,” here mentioning a few of the best compositions on board.

Unfortunately, some of his songs have rather unnecessary fade outs (especially “Informal Logic” and “Jabba”), but given the ambient style production of the album, with most songs walking hand-in-hand, it is forgiveable. If knit-picking, the V-drums in “Q3” are a bit over the top when it comes to being static and precise. Given the desire to produce a sense of Industrial Metal, it still sounds less convincing than the same technique used in “Jabba.”

The Band

Although Gianluca Ferro handles a lot himself (guitars, bass, programming), contributions made by his colleagues on this album add a vital dimension to his sometimes static and synthetic expression. Worth mentioning in particular are Andrea Zingrillo (for dynamic drumming), Allesandro Del Vecchio (for extended atmospheric feeling and insane keyboard soloing), and Eliseo Bianchi and Alberto Bollati (both for magnificent bass work). Scott McGill also serves up some mighty nice “guest” solos, especially in “Q3.”

The Verdict

It takes a while to appreciate this album, due to its complexity and perhaps unusual expression. It requires your full attention and you ought to look beyond the unnecessary musical jargon in the liner notes in order to truly see where this is going. Thus, it is not everyone’s predisposition to enjoy his music, but if you like the avantgarde works of Steve Vai and Frank Zappa, chances are good you’d like Gianluca Ferro too!