"Opus" is the fourth release of Italian power/prog metal band ADRAMELCH, and I must say it's one of the most fun albums I heard in a very long time.  The sound of the band reminds me very much of QUEENSRYCHE in "Empire", meaning a driving and groovy section that is relatively clean although very high energy, with many a-lead by the very talented lead guitarist and a lot of ambiance from the keyboards - all that with a clean and relatively high-pitched vocalist soaring over it. Sounds like the tried and true recipe for very cool rock music, doesn't it? That's because it is.

 The songs are usually either very driving and fun or power ballads, and both are executed flawlessly and effortlessly. The dynamic variety also keeps you engaged sonically in the music - with every song distinct, but flowing naturally into the next. The guitar leads I found very tasteful (a word I don't usually use to describe solos), meaning they rely on great feel and placing each note in its place. I'm not saying that there aren't shred-fests, but they are usually limited and are used to accentuate rather than be the star of the show.

The rhythm section is very impressive in this band - not only is every musician proficient on his own, but they work together very well, in perfect synergy (a word that does not mean the sinus of energy). The vocalist has a very good voice and vocal range (and uses both to great extents), but I feel at some points he's not really playing to his strengths, attempting parts that are very cool in theory but don't work very well with his voice. "Opus" is a Latin word meaning "A work of art, especially on a grand scale", and it is very fitting for the record. For me it was one of the records where I stopping a song in the middle because I want to hear the beginning again. I was hooked from the start - I think you will be, too.