Drivhell
”Behind The Silence”
(www.drivhell.net)

Excellently played intellectual theatrical prog rock metal on this self released demo from Italy. The early ballards like ‘Some Sweet Word’ come across like early Rush being more guitar driven prog style rock, while the latter pieces remind me a lot of Dream Theatre. Some like ‘Nobody Knows’ sound more like a mellower version of Falconer characterised by the trademark theatrical style vocals. However, these Italians are less of a contrast (despite the album cover and their name giving off an initial impression of a somewhat more darkly focussed band) so they are definitely more commercially accessible than their aspirations.

-Shan Siva