There are still people out there saying European melodic metal should be left to the Scandinavians. Well sorry guys, but Italy have long cemented their boot in the ground with Rhapsody of Fire but to name one.

 

San Miniato quartet, Corporain's debut album comes in with a marauding triple beat as 'Millenium' delivers a Maiden like opening salvo of sharp guitar rhythm. Massively not a speed metal fest throughout its nine song span, 'Purge The Purity' still works with a lot of the same ingredients yet adds unexpected spice to its recipe quite soon in the stages.

 

The strong old school flavour of 'Apocalypse', featuring a scarily Bruce Dickinson vocal part or two, and the Anthrax-scented Never Forget 'are amongst the strongest points, but likewise too is the snappy rap metal element that suddenly shoots up from nowhere in 'The Purge'.

 

While a lot of the tracks continue a slick, melodic metal frame ballad 'Hollow' laden with beautiful piano parts and some pristine multi-lead vocal work, 'Pitch Black' takes a turn in the Threshold direction with its developing prog mechanism. Corporain's sound comes made from the oven forged by multitudes of influences that largely please the genres existing fans, not least through its swirling keyboard melodies and masterly guitars but also some massive chorus parts that can be easily told aside.

 

Definitely the sound of our Italian friends showing all once again how its done... and who it's also still done by.