FORTUNATO are a band bringing 3 very talented musicians from Lyon in France, they are defined as a neoclassical heavy metal band. As they incorporate melodic rock and keyboard making them a very exciting band to watch out for. Up until this year, they have released 2 albums, Liberty in 2012 and Restless Fire in 2015. Now they have brought us a third album fresh off the press called INSURGENCY which is out now and I found myself listening to this band with huge enjoyment and enthusiasm. The album begins with "Carry On To The Depths Of The Sea", plus we can hear what sounds almost like a harpsichord in the intro to this album and progresses into sections that focus on the rhythm elements of the band. The influences of heavy metal, melodic rock and 70's/80's keyboard playing is certainly an interesting combination for this band.

"Blood Of The Unknown" comes with outstanding vocal harmonies, steady drumming and colourful textures coming from guitar or keyboards again. The tonality of this track comes from the bass guitar as it ends with choral voices. "For Eternity" begins with that classic rock feel with drums, guitar and bass that reminds me of the classic sounds of the 70's or 80's with bands like Bon Jovi or Journey. However the difference here with FORTUNATO is that there is a focus on rhythm with drums and keyboard then the guitar with vocals carrying the melody. The bass guitar also blossoms through accenting certain notes and parts of the song l. "Fly Away" opens up with the guitar providing the melody as always which is strong and exciting with energetic solos that cover a range of notes that sound almost synthetic but sustain very well too.

"The Sun Shall Never Shine" with an even keyboard rhythm marking each individual beat along with guitar and vocals taking the narrative role making this track stand out. There is a switch also from a moderate tempo from guitar to a sort of galloping gesture. This says to me there are a lot more ideas and suggestions of themes of war, conflict or charge of some kind to rally the troops for battle. "Everywhere" comes with a focus on bass guitar and gentle vocals bringing out the neoclassical influences that makes this track more subtle than the previous tracks. But once the drums are introduced later on this also merges all the other instruments along with the shrieking of guitar which rings out harmoniously. "A Star In The Sky" I did very much enjoy for the drumming patterns and the bass guitar playing a bigger role than before, almost like a classical guitar, the clarity is nice.

"A White Cross On A Norman Field" carries on with similar melodic sequences with guitar and keyboard. A breakdown section or instrumental for guitar and drums to work their magic stands out here. "Big Time" brings in that 70's/80's keyboard sound we know so well now which is more prominent now, the slow intro with drums as there is a cymbal rhythm making way for the vocals and guitar to come in. The correlation of guitar and keyboard is absolute bliss. "My Mother Of A Who" is a real kick ass track and comes with conviction and brilliance which actually now seems to bring out the glam rock style into play. The emphasis on the lyrical content with those words and harmony of the vocals when they shout "My Mother Was A Who" howling through the mix.

The very last track of this extraordinary album is of course the name of the album, "Insurgency" which is certainly sounding like the final encore and the last hurrah of the band as they close out the album. The controlled sound of drums driven by the electric guitar and bass guitar with keyboard providing the atmosphere we crave for. The galloping gestures we heard before are still there, before we hear the climax of the track. Guitar solos are amazing as we hear more of a contrast and more of a dynamic approach with the various sections. Nevertheless this band has hugely impressed me, the neoclassical and heavy metal sounds from guitar and drums are mesmerizing. The addition of the keyboard really brought out the energy and charisma of this band. It was an absolute pleasure and honour to listen to this fantastic album, just incredible and I am dying to hear more from FORTUNATO so now we wait till they release another album, already excited now!