Pathosray

Italy has not been as important a player in metal as the Scandinavian countries (at least as of late 2007), but that said, Italy has made some noteworthy metal contributions in the '90s and 21st century — and those contributions have ranged from goth metal (most notably, Milan's Lacuna Coil) to progressive metal (Luca Turilli and Rhapsody, for example). Pathosray have been part of Italy's prog metal scene since 2000, although this self-titled 2007 release is the band's first full-length album. Like other prog metal bands, Pathosray favor a hard-rocking yet melodic and intricate approach that combines power metal with progressive rock; the influences on this 52-minute CD range from Iron Maiden, Ronnie James Dio, Dream Theater, and Yngwie Malmsteen to Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Rush (the vocals are much closer to Bruce Dickinson than Geddy Lee, but melodically and harmonically, the Rush influence is certainly there). This album is firmly, stubbornly planted in a pre-'90s, pre-Nevermind aesthetic; from the shiny, glossy guitar solos to the keyboards (which clearly say '70s and '80s rather than '90s or 2000s) to the fantasy-based lyrics, Pathosray are caught in a stylistic time warp and make no apology for it. Some will say that tracks like "The Sad Game," "Scent of Snow," "Faded Crystals," and "Emerald City" sound dated, but dated isn't necessarily a bad thing; Pathosray, in fact, wear it like a badge of honor, and their '70s and '80s worship is never the least bit ironic on this generally decent, if less than distinctive, contribution to prog metal.