Stainless is one of those releases I like calling safe ones. Those of you familiar with Mesmerize will like this, no doubt about it. The rest who never really bonded with the band will see nothing too different in here. Without lacking any progress at all Stainless sounds as if it was released a week after their previous work.
Mesmerize was formed back in 1988 and ever since they've only gone through one lineup change (the band's previous guitarist Paolo Chiodini was replaced by Piero Paravidino in 2003). In their early years the released two demo tapes RIP Memerize (1991) and Tregenda (1993) and performed live as much as possible. Their first full length release came in 1998 (Tales Of Wonder) and was followed by Vultures Paradise in 2000. However most people know Mesmerize as the band of vocalist Folco Orlandini, one of the most known and talented vocalist in Italy. He was the voice behind Time Machine's masterpiece Act II: Galileo and also a member of Skylark and Eddy Antonini.
Mesmerize play traditional Metal in the vein of mid period Iron Maiden / early period Helloween. What they do, they do it really well. Most songs are mature and there's no objection that the band has overworked over their compositions. The addition of some guest vocals adds extra color (Vanni Ceni, singer of Wotan sings in two songs and Paola Bianchi from Ludmila boosts the final song) while there is use of keyboards for the first time. Add to all this a folk touch given by a violin in some songs.
Problem is that apart from those additions there's nothing new in this one. No surprises, while only a couple of songs can be considered as strong in the test of time. The rest are pretty much common in classic Metal. So in order to make a perfect circle in this review (thus return to the start) Stainless is a safe album, after three years of silence Mesmerize seem stuck in the exact same place. I think it's time for them to move on...