One can't begin to talk about THE PRICE without first mentioning record producer Marco Barusso. The veteran guitarist / sound engineer has quite a storied career, having played and produced for historic British band HEAVY METAL KIDS and goth rock band CAYNE.  He's also known for working with LACUNA COIL, THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS, and COLDPLAY, among others.  THE PRICE finds Marco manning the helm of his own solo project, and getting plenty of help from Guido Carli - drums, Axel Capurro - Vocals and guitar, Claudio Sannoner - Bass, as well as several guest vocalists. The group's debut release "A Second Chance to Rise" is chock full of radio friendly modern metal hits, that are surprisingly likeable even to those individuals who moonlight very little within the genre.

I could start this review with an in-depth breakdown of the opening track "Tears Roll Down" then slide right into "A MG of Stone", "My Escape, and "Enemy", but you as a reader would pretty much get the same thing and fortunately, that's good news. Only a few songs in and its apparent THE PRICE have a knack for cranking out one good track after another.  By design, they're a lighter sounding Modern Metal band, easy on the ears, and very accessible. There is some punk and grunge influence here and there and even some occasional synth backings, but more less THE PRICE stays the course.

Each track is not just an exercise in clean, well-produced, mainstream ready content, but also a great example of how having a varying degree of diversity within your songwriting can make all the difference. Thankfully, unlike some other Modern Metal bands, THE PRICE's sound does not become stale as they don't rehash the same formulaic vocal melodies and chord progressions in pursuit of a catchy single.

It's evident that Marco Barusso is a pro who has been down this road before. Lead vocals and writing are shared with Alex Capurro and each track emits a different light. Along with this however is slew of talented guest vocalists; Roberto Tiranti (LABYRINTH), Max Zanotti (CASABLANCA), Alessandro Ranzani (MOVIDA), and Enrico Rugerri who really flesh out the album and make this a collaborative effort. It keeps "A Second Chance to Rise" fresh as you push through 12 tracks. One highlight for me was "On the Edge of Madness", a song that caught me off-guard with its level of immediacy. It's an operatic swan song; the final heroic push before the end. I found myself not only replaying it several times, but also singing the chorus to myself later.  Added to this is a great production, though not surprising given the credits of the man beyond the board. The vocals are crisp, there's plenty of punching base, and drums and guitarists don't drown each other out.

There isn't much on the downside of this album. At the end of the day though, THE PRICE plays to all the strengths of a Modern Metal band seeking to quickly expand and gain a mass audience, and because of this there isn't going to be a lot of experimentation. As a solo project for Barusso, the entire album pretty much plays-it-safe, choosing memorable choruses over instrumental prowess. While this is completely on purpose it does hinder some songs from reaching beyond a subtle feeling into anything, I'd consider "euphoric". This is not to say, "what you see is what you get", on the contrary, often I was surprised by how a song, such as "Enemy for instance, dug its fingers into my memory. That just goes to show how effective THE PRICE is as at writing, even when there's something telling me I wish they could do more.

As someone who tends to listen to more esoteric styles of metal, I can honestly say I was surprised by THE PRICE and "A Second Chance to Rise". I enjoyed listening to it. There is a level of sharpness to their writing that makes them a cut above many of their peers. The vocal variety and catchiness truly create a solid experience that any fan of Modern Metal will be able to embrace instantly.