After their high energy set at this years ProgPower USA festival, Italy’s progressive thrashers Eldritch have returned with their eighth studio album on Scarlet Records, Gaia’s Legacy. After 2007’s thrashier sound, Eldritch has gone back to their earlier more progressive melodic roots. Gaia’s Legacy is a concept album. It is the bands social commentary regarding the topics of Global Warming, Greenhouse gasses, and man’s destruction of Mother Earth. The album is connected by snippets from Al Gore’s environmental documentary “An Inconvienient Truth”.

     The bands trademark heavy riffs by guitarists Eugene Simone and Rudj Ginanneschi are complimented by Gabrielle Caselli’s intricate keyboard work. The rhythm section of John Crystal (bass) and (drummer) Raffahell Dridge add a thrashy spark to the twelve tracks. Frontman Terence Holler’s charismatic vocal theatrics brings the subject matter to life. When Holler sings the lyrics to the song, “Our Land”: “Come console me Mr. Weatherman. Tell me what will happen to our land? Global Warming is increasing. I’d like to live before I die”, you can hear the passion and emotion in his voice. Other standout tracks include the first single “Everything’s Burning” with a heavy rhythm and an infectiously melodic chorus, “Thoughts of Grey” (with guest vocals by Italian singer Ilaria Geniola) and “Like a Child” (featuring a guest appearance by Firewind keyboardist Bob Katsionis). Thirst in Our Hands (Dry Tears) has a beautiful piano intro followed by Holler’s vocals and a softer side of Eldritch. It’s extremely well done and shows a different side of the band. The album closes with a bang with Eldritch’s kick ass cover of the Fates Warning classic “Through Different Eyes”. The arrangement is the same although Caselli’s keyboard work brings an added dimension to the original. Holler doesn’t stray far from Ray Alder’s original vocal melodies. All in all Gaia’s Legacy is a very enjoyable album that fans of progressive power metal will love sinking their teeth into. As I told guitarist Rudj at ProgPower, even though some of the band members may not speak that much English, they speak the international language of Metal!

Rating: 8.0