VANADIUM TRIBUTE (E)

From the ashes of the popular Italian hard rock band Vanadium arose a new band called Fire Trails named after a track from the Vanadium album Race With The Devil (1983). Both ex-Vanadium members Pino Scotto (vocals) and Lio Mascheroni (drums) wanted to bring back the rock ‘n’ roll from the eighties by Vanadium and they have re-arranged nine original Vanadium-songs. They added three new ones. They found a line-up resembling the original five piece from Milan with the Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen adept Steve Angarthal, Neil Otupacca (keyboards, ex-Gotthard) and Angelo Perrini (bass). The music is ultimately in the vein of Deep Purple and Rainbow but with today’s technology. Fire Trails bring a bit more refinement in production as far as the instruments are concerned. The vocals sound very raw due to the fact that Scotto’s voice has become much more husky than in the eighties: you can hardly call it singing anymore, but I guess that’s a matter of taste anyhow. The powerful and well-balanced guitar solos are nicely alternated by solos on the unequalled Hammond-organ and an occasional synth solo. More than in the old days the keyboards come to the fore in the beautiful classical piece Moving Soul, an intro to the nice ballad Goin On. The third new track features the Hammond again as well as a solid synth solo in the steady rocker Wild Horse. Although I do like Deep Purple very much, but due to the raw sound of Scotto’s voice I don’t, and so this resurrection of Vanadium isn’t a must for me, especially because most tracks are just old ones, newly recorded.