Wonderland

Wonderland is a band playing epic power metal out of Italy. In fact, they are on the relatively new Italian label, Underground Symphony. This label is opening the door for several bands just getting their feet wet in the music industry. This is one of the stronger releases I've heard from this label. Two major gripes about Italian metal bands tend to be inferior production and lackluster vocals. The production on this album is adequate and certainly does not detract from the album as is the case with many lesser known metal bands. I would say this album is better produced than the majority of albums coming from Italy these days, with the notable exception of bands like Domine, Rhapsody, and Labyrinth. The keyboard sound ia a bit "disconnected" from the rest of the sound at times and the drums aren't as crisp sounding as they could be. Now this isn't something that makes the songs any less listenable, but some work in this area would only help the band's cause and is certainly needed to elevate them to the next level. The vocalist is also better than most Italian metal band vocalists. I can tell that he doesn't possess an incredible range, but he makes the most of the tools that he has and doesn't have any out of tune moments. His voice is quite melodic and emotional (see Summer Waiting) and somehow reminds me a bit of Kamelot's vocalist, Khan. The music itself is powerful, melodic, and has a nice epic feeling. I would have to say that Iron Maiden has had an influence on this band judging from some of the dual rhythm guitar work and solos throughout the album. The galloping riffs are and steady double bass show the band's power metal side, but the Maiden influence is undeniable. Each of the songs contain nice melodies that allows each of the songs to stand out on their own. The band is very consistent in that each of the songs is a quality offering. I could have done without the instrumental track since there are only ten total tracks on the album however. Other than that, there is absolutely no filler material and I can tell the band has put their hearts into their work. Wonderland is certainly on the right path with this release. Of course there is some work to be done (mainly to improve the production and mixing), but this album is an excellent start. If you enjoy a lot of the new metal bands coming out of Italy, I suggest you check out Wonderland's label, Underground Symphony (link is at the top of the review).