Can you remember how it was like to discover a band that virtually no one knew anything about?  Venturing yourself into a completely unknown journey, only to obtain a more expanded taste and knowledge into your favorite kind of art. That seems to be rarely accomplished nowadays, with an overflowing amount of information plaguing every bands new release or upcoming tour, but Italy's LUCID DREAM obtains such atmosphere with its third full length album otherworldly. A touch of Classic Rock combined with Progressive Metal, this album depicts a unique and interesting approach to the music for which they say are only vessels channeling the voice and inspiration of a higher self, once you identify Albert Einstein speaking in the intro, you know what you are in for.

The voice of Alessio Calandriello resembles Joe Lynn Turner and Jon Anderson and in his lowest notes, even accomplishes the signature tone of Ronnie James Dio. The approach of the guitar, although a bit overtaken by the sound of the other instruments by some sort of production strategy, or exacerbated sense of humbleness by Simone Terigi, could very well be compared to those of the most enigmatic anthems of progressive rock, too bad for the low volume in which this was recorded, then again this only hurts the effect that is caused on the final listener, since Terigi's guitar playing well deserves to be enjoyed in the same level of the other two performers in this band along with the guest musician. Invoking the spirits of some of the most venerated heroes of both the physical and the ethereal realm this album is an invitation to discover the rest of LUCID DREAM's work if you have not done so already. The motto on their Facebook page says it all. "Lucid Dream Music comes from the Silent Knowledge and the Superior Powers to which we're only a means" a gorgeous view on how to crate music apart from the demons of egocentrism and greed.

"Theater of silence" is without a doubt my favorite track on this album; I was mesmerized by the intro and the way the string quartet (or maybe it's just a violin but I love using that term)   provides the listener with an almost hallucinogen feeling shredding through the climax of the song thus ending the album in a pretty organic and fluent state. I only wished this record could have lasted more so to enjoy a further depiction of talent by this Italian band formed in 2008. I have to say I truly like the esoteric imagery that accompanies the music and the lyrics, sustaining a fundamental structure in every direction taken by the band, as the evolution of the musical movements expanded fractally to stimulate the harmonic threads of balance and color like a mandala does. The album turned out to be a breath of fresh air for those of us overwhelmed with the daily turmoil as external references may shed a light over the concept that LUCID DREAM chose to embrace, but as always musical tags may not suffice to explain the versatility and intention of this Italian Progressive Metal band. In hopes of them finding a record label that can make honor to the quality of the music composed by Simone Terigi. A new release by the band can be found on the web right now under the name of Lo Zen del Suono, Metal directed to the most sublime part of our spirits, mostly to the awakened spirits, "Otherworldly" deserves a re-edit and one can only hope for that to occur in a near future.