ALIGHT - "Spiral of Silence"

Good evening fellow progheads and welcome to the Closet Concert Arena!  This week's installment finds the search for all things prog in one of my favorite prog places doing one of my favorite prog
things--listening to great prog music!  Italy is the setting on the GPS; Bolzano to be more precise as the Closet Concert Arena settles in for something a bit on the darker side...welcome to the gothic metal sounds of Alight and their new album, "Spiral of Silence," released April 27th on El Puerto Records.

Alight is described by drummer/founding member Mirko Montresor as "...melodic, gothic/black metal...electro and industrial prog metal...without stylistic boundaries..."  Gothic metal is pretty much new prog garden acreage for me; a female fronted prog band with lavish Italian heritage was the siren that lured me in.  The prog garden needs a larger female presence and this seemed like the opportune time to travel to Italy, so to the gothic metal section we go...

Serving up a large portion of "Absence of Essence" gets the party into full swing immediately. You  feel the guitars waiting to break out as keyboards hold the lid closed a bit--just a bit--and when the floodgates open the guitars pour forth across a layer of drums, pulling up just enough for vocals that have the stamina of Bent Knee's Courtney Swain.  The elegant, over-the-top trademark of Italian prog drips from this piece like warm chocolate running from a lava cake...so decadent...

With the taste of rich luxuriance that is gothic metal, I turn my attention to another hearty serving, "Walk to the Line."  Again guitars beat at the door as they accompany vocals that roll across the top with a velvet-like richness oddly reminiscent of Sonja Kristina of Curved Air.  With top notes of Delain and a whiff of Epica wafting through the headphones,  Alight delivers a multi-layered performance on this cut.

Catia Borgogno has the ability to simultaneously soothe and lay you to waste with her vocal range; her voice echoes down my auditory canals and reverberates across my spine.  Of course the drums are the foundation to another solid and stellar performance while keyboards dart throughout the entire arrangement.

Liner Notes...The current line-up for Alight is Catia Borgogno on vocals, Roberto Sieff on guitar, Monica Perulli on bass, and the aforementioned Mirko Montresor on drums.  Guest musicians on the album include Andrea Ferro and Giovanni Lanfranchi.  Alight released their debut "Don't Fear the Revenge" in 2009 and went through the obligatory line-up changes, growing pains, and self-discovery.  Refusing to adhere to musical or stylistic limitations, Mirko took Alight on a journey through the prog garden to find their niche...and goth metal seemed to be a perfect fit.

Learn more about Alight at Alight where you can purchase both albums in the band's "small for now" catalog.  You can also follow the band on Facebook Alight FB and Twitter @alightband.

The morsel posted below is the first single released from the new album, "The Portal."  Alight has mastered the fine art of anticipation; just as the song opens you are salivating for the head blows that are sure to come.  But the real thrill is while they do come through, they don't leave you stunned and dizzy.  Catia's vocals rain down like superbowl confetti as the guitars dance the perimeter and drums provide solid footing more than adequate to support the entire display.  Alight may dance macabre, but they still manage to fill the canvas with amazing colorscapes.

                     

Thus another stroll through the prog garden reaches the exit gate.  Alight has proven to be a worthy entry in the dark/goth/metal section...perhaps I will spend more time away from direct sunlight.  Nine years between album releases is a long time perhaps, but Alight used their time wisely, and "Spiral of Silence" is a testament of their dedication to the craft.

Now the Concert Closet will continue its dedication to searching out the best the prog garden has to offer...until next time...