Reviews: The Chronomaster Project, Donna Cannone, Screamachine, SiN69 (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

The Chronomaster Project – The Android Messiah (Elevate Records)

Who doesn’t love a good metal opera? A big science fiction on is usually better. The one that jumps to mind is Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon project, but I also love the Docker’s Guild records written by Douglas Docker. So I did get a little excited when I saw that The Chronomaster project was an offshoot of Docker’s Guild, with a lyrical concept based around The Westphall Theory of a Unified TV Universe, based around the idea that TV show St Elsewhere could have all just been in the mind of minor character Tommy Westphall and therefore due to the numerous crossovers in TV land, all TV could just be from the imagination of one person. 

There’s a fine line between high concept and bonkers, with The Android Messiah edging towards the latter. The band consider it to be less a record and more a multimedia event, of which this is the musical side. Docker as I’ve said takes the lyrics, based on the story by Fabio Rancati, who also produces. The band are made up of main composer/rhythm guitarist Luigi Iamundo, bassist Giorgio Novarino, drummer Carlos Cantore, lead guitarist Leonardo Porcheddu and keyboardist Lele ‘Mr’ Triton all of whom are respected and experienced musicians. These five men make the musical numbers that are featured here, mainly keeping things in the prog/power metal vein, in quirk that doesn’t often happen with metal operas, they have a main vocalist in the shape of Enrico ‘Erk’ Scutti, who’s Russell Allen gruffness takes the form of the titular The Chronomaster, singing on The End Of My World, The End Of Your World and Nothing Left To Lose almost like the narrator of the whole piece. 

There are a multitude of guest singers as you’d guess from this sort of format, with the record opening with those intimidating pipes from Mark Boals, this is the most neo-classical sounding track on the record, while The Agonist’s Vicky Psarakis’s cleans and screams add so much to The Ancient Throne Of Tessevv. Elsewhere the The Invaders Chronicle Part 1 features Ayreon/Ania/Avantasia alum Amanda Somerville, as Part 2 has Gianluca Mastrangelo of Vivaldi Metal Project. For me though tracks such as Revenge Of The Last which has Nina Osegueda and Nothing Left To Lose where Marcela Bovio takes the duet vocals, are the best on the album. If a high concept, star studded metal opera featuring some slick prog/power/symphonic metal is your bag then I suggest seeking out The Chronomaster Project and journeying into the world of The Android Messiah. 8/10

Donna Cannone - Donna Cannone (Despotz Records)

Starting as a way to have fun and express themselves in a studio, Donna Cannone is a new band formed by ex Thundermother guitarist Giogua Cateri and vocalist/bassist Luca D'Andria, they played around with songs along with former Thunermother drummer Tilda Stenqvist in a studio attracting the attention of Soilwork/The Night Flight Orchestra vocalist Bjorn 'Speed' Strid who didn't want to sing but shred joing the band as lead guitarist. This debut album is packed with foot stomping, glam rocking with a punk attitude, shifting between the New York Dolls, Cheap Trick, The Struts, The Ramones, Hanoi Rocks and The Hives across 10 songs. 

The explosive opener Cross That Line has a cheerleader backing chant, a rollicking piano lick and a thrusting guitar riff with plenty of lead breaks from Strid. A definite first single it offers up what Donna Cannone do, sleazy, attitude fuelled, rock n roll dragged through the dirt and sprinkled with a bit of glitter. With mixing from Chris Laney and mastering by Dan Swano, it barrels out of the speakers with dual harmonies on NWOBHM-like Look Around You, Nothing To Do a power popper with yet more big background vocals as Whatever Comes Your Way goes outright heavy rocking. 

There's a feel good factor about this record that gets you out of your seat and bopping, Is It True especially a soon to be stage classic, especially with ex-Crucified Barbara singer adding her smoky vocals to this riffy rock ballad. Donna Cannone is surprising and impressive, a party record with a punk attitude. 7/10

Screammachine – Borderline (Frontiers Music Srl)

I wasn’t too fussed on Italian metal band Screamachine’s debut album back in 2021, despite being a band made up of experienced musicians, bassist/band founder Francesco Bucci is also the main songwriter of Stormlord, I found their style of heavy metal quite generic. Yes tall the influences of Priest, Accept and even thrash are there but nothing really captured the attention. So cautiously I approached their new EP Borderline. Four tracks in length it comprises a new song, an acoustic version, a remix and a cover from a Pandemic Live Studio session, so if you’re playing stopgap bingo that’s a full house.

The title track gets us going with more heavy speed metal that owes a lot to the Yanks than the Europeans in terms of style. Distorted thrash riffs, squealing solos and gruff vocals are all the order of the day, still not world changing but a decent track to start us off, The Metal Monster come next, and this is an acoustic version of a song from their full length featuring Visions Of Atlantis singer Michele Guaitoli on vocals, while the new version of Mistress Of Disaster is classic Priest, leading into a cover of Leather Rebel from Priest themselves, the fact that this is from Painkiller being a giveaway to Screamachine’s overall sound. Again its generic heavy metal, but saved by its brevity. 6/10

SiN69 – SiN69 (ROAR Rock Of Angels Records)

When you think about Swiss hard rock, the word Krokus comes to mind, but despite there are glut of hard rock bands out there in the land of cuckoo clocks and Toblerone. All the members of this band have quite the pedigree ranging from melodic rock to heavy metal, so that could be why this debut record from SiN69 has such a wide range of styles on it, Hang It Up has some swaggering R&B, while Around The World and Evil’s Place go all goth. 

In fact the 8 songs on this record are all quite different, in terms of style, making for an uneven listen that’s worsened by both neither vocalist, Marina or Thomas Schaller, having the best voice individually though on the NWOBHM inspired Angels Crying, when they sing in unison they are at least decent, but on ballads such as Cowboy when one takes the lead it’s awful. There’s plenty to like here, it’s played well with lots of throwbacks to rocks greats in the dual guitar harmonies and rhythm section, the addition of Six Pack keyboardist Philipp Huber, helps too but it doesn’t feel focussed at all and the vocals for me are not a joy to listen too. 5/10