KLEE PROJECT is an Alternative Metal meets Southern Rock band from Italy. This is a project by a group of guys who are well versed in the musical world and have decided to put time in together. "The Long Way" is their debut album and is a "collection of songs entirely written and produced by Sterpetti and Scutti." It is a lyrical concept album telling the story of a young musician making his way through the musical world. "The Long Way" comes in with thirteen tracks and a listening time of about 50 minutes.

Track one, "Everybody Knows", is super interesting. There is a Heavy Rock meets Heavy Metal feel. The vocals are radio ready Rock, which makes these guys appealing to more than just one set of people. There is a grit and rawness to these vocals that make them, in all honesty, better than most on the radio right now. There is a complete musicianship shown just within the first track that I'm interested to see what the rest of the album holds. The drums, while I feel could have a little more noticeability, are preformed remarkably. The guitars and bass create this crunchy groove that hooks and holds the listener. There is an interesting use of synth in this track too, that gives an already good track an additional push.

"Southern Boy", track two, is a Southern Rock, meets Heavy Metal, meets the Blues that is an incredible ode to something old and something new. The loose guitars and the harmonica mixing with chunky bass and the riffing guitars create such an interesting mix of music. The guitar and harmonica play off throughout the track gives an alluring appeal. There is a little more accent in the vocals here, but that just helps create a uniqueness and authentic vibe.

Track four, "If You Want" is a slower love ballad-esque track. The tempo and tone is much more smooth and has more synth work that elevates this tracks uniqueness. The provocative elements here create an atmosphere of sorrow. The guitar solo helps accentuate the overall titillating feel of the track. As the music slows, the vocals Italian accent is empathized. It is really noticeable within the down tempo tracks while the faster and harder tracks get the grittier, a more raw vocal.

"Hereafter", track six, is such a fascinating track. There is a tribal undertone with an electronica meets orchestral elements. In order to really absorb everything this track has to offer, it takes multiple listens. While the tempo isn't exactly fast, the track is a bit harder and the vocals are muffled (you know the good kind, where it creates and intriguing change, not an annoyance). Creatively this is a masterful track.

Track nine, "Close To Me" is another track that has a bit of an alternative feel. The elements in this track are another that is similar to track six. There is a lot here. The guitars are reminiscent of 80s Metal; the drums are low, but heavy, and the over all sound is up lifting and light. The bass, however, is less noticeable than in the rest of the album. They are still there, but it's more of a chore to find them.

The final tracks "Lucrezia's Night" and "Lcurezia's Night (Reprise)" are beautifully written serenades that completely uproot this album in a great way. While both of these tracks are light and flow-y, they also have an unbelievable melody. The vocal range is put front and center. He has that grittiness that transforms into a more falsetto range. These two tracks go hand in hand. The musical dexterity in each track is different, and the "Reprise" is more creatively driven with its folk undertones.

KLEE PROJECT's debut "The Long Way" is simply beautifully written. There is a ton of different aspects to this album. We have the harder tracks and we have the softer tracks, and with both come an interesting creative endeavor. This is an album that doesn't fit into the standard genre hubbub.