Label: Frontiers Music Srl.
Release date: December 9, 2022
Production: Rob Moratti
Album length: 45.10 min
Genre: Melodic Rock / AOR Revival
Rating: 9.0/10
Rob Moratti, the top-notch Canadian vocalist known for his work with Canadian art rock icons Saga and AOR sensation Final Frontier, is back with his fifth solo studio album, “Epical”. Anyone who follows this singer knows they’re getting the best he can offer in the new millennium’s melodic rock and AOR revival scene. Especially the latter. Apart from his short career stop with the cult band Saga, Rob Moratti has always leaned toward the expressive starting points of the AOR/west-coast genre. Way back in the nineties with his band Moratti. And more. The format of his compositions often adds even more substance, tending to swerve away from the predictable AOR songwriting recipe, so his albums also carry an art rock character, which gives the artist a highly coveted touch of instantly recognizable expression.
Rob Moratti is an outstanding vocalist. For that reason alone, his musical career is worth following. His voice keeps its astonishing power even in the extreme high registers. In the world of modern melodic rock and the AOR revival craft, Moratti is regarded as a singer with one of the widest vocal ranges around, especially when it comes to hitting those highest notes, which simply blow you away. Because the vocal stays clean throughout, the musical payoff of every track is that much bigger. Add the build-up of atmospheric bombast from the pre-chorus into the chorus, where an ever wider range of vocal harmonies joins the lead vocal, and the result is a record with an outrageously grabby musical hook. The musicality is literally invasive. This time too. On the fifth album, that is.
Moratti is a perfectionist. Once again he’s gathered excellent musicians around him. Reb Beach didn’t have time (he was busy with Black Swan and the new Winger album, and there was also a partly aborted Whitesnake tour), so Beach’s Whitesnake bandmate Joel Hoekstra (ex-Night Ranger, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) stepped in to help Moratti out. So guitar perfection is guaranteed on “Epical” too. The solos are poetry of their own kind and a chapter in themselves on this album. The production is warm and the full spectrum of the sound is put to use. The bass lines were once again contributed by the superb Tony Franklin (ex-Blue Murder, The Firm). One more time. “Epical” has an exceptional (heart)beat rhythm. AOR fans simply have to add this album to their collection. No second thoughts.
The songs carry the pompous charm of the signature drama theater that adorns AOR records. Moratti grew up on the sounds of Journey, no doubt about it. After all, in 2015 he released a compilation of Journey covers, “Tribute To Journey”. But this is by no means copying. It’s about the vibe (Hold On, Masquerade). One that carries you deep into the eighties. Moratti has his own distinctive vocal sheen. You recognize him instantly. If you’re looking for a comparison, someone who might come close, a sensible parallel is the late Tony Mills, and especially the charisma of the Shy albums “Unfinished Business” (2002) and “Sunset And Wine” (2005). This is a crew of musicians with fully formed character. Besides the aforementioned stars (Hoekstra, Franklin), three experienced Swedish musicians also take part. Pete Borg plays drums. The key figure is Pete Alpenborg (ex-Arctic Rain), who is regarded as an excellent songwriter. Check out his track record on a series of albums by bigger names in melodic rock and AOR revival. On keyboards, his songwriting stamp is definitely noticeable. Then there’s Fredrik Bergh (Bloodbound, Street Talk), another hugely experienced and talented musician, who also contributed keyboards to the album. With a team like this and a voice like this, it’s clear that “Epical” has its own musical track record and image too. Not only does it hold the outstanding quality of Moratti’s previous achievements, it also shows real inspiration and is a new document of creative inexhaustibility.
The songs steal the spotlight from one another. It’s hard to pick favorites. But the standouts are especially the tracks where the chorus is driven into a bombastic drama crescendo. That’s really a general observation about AOR, meaning it applies to every song on “Epical”, but the more convincing ones are simply those where this bombast grabs you extra intensely on the first listen. That includes the opener Can I Hold You For A While and the closer Strangers. Easily joining them (in order) are Masquerade, then Nothing Left To Say and the wildly positive Valerie, which is joined in that kind of charisma by For The Rest Of My Life and the album’s second single Love. Then there are the especially dramatic choruses of Hold On and Crash And Burn (both with a similar charisma to Masquerade). And that’s almost the whole album listed, which means I’ve said nothing (or everything).
So? With “Epical”, Rob Moratti remains a musician who delivers the best albums of these new times built on the cues of eighties AOR. With outstanding songwriting talent, bottomless vocal virtues that have no equal, and a great team of star musicians backing him in the studio, “Epical” keeps up the exceptional creative power and momentum that the excellent album “Victory” thrillingly embodied 12 years ago. Believe me. In 2023, it’s hard to do much better in this genre.
Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Can I Hold You For A While
2. Masquerade
3. Nothing Left To Say
4. Valerie
5. Hold On
6. For The Rest Of My Life
7. Stay The Night
8. Love
9. Crash And Burn
10. You Keep Me Waiting
11. Strangers
Lineup:
Rob Moratti – vocals, backing harmonies
Joel Hoekstra – rhythm and lead guitars
Pete Alpenborg – rhythm guitars and keyboards
Tony Franklin – bass guitar
Felix Borg – drums and percussion, keyboards on track no. 11
Guest musician:
Fredrik Bergh – keyboards on track no. 6
