One of the best voices in rock and metal music, Jeff Scott Soto, famous for his extraordinary performances with Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, Sons of Apollo etc., is releasing his seventh solo album, in which he cooperates with Italian virtuoso Alessandro Del Vecchio. Standing at the intersection of melodic rock/AOR, hard rock and heavy metal, Soto delivers us a versatile music work, a collection of nice compositions, whose main characteristics are Soto’s soulful singing, the wonderful guitar work, the beautiful melodies and the crystal clear sound of the production. Indeed, the album is full of melodies, which, consolidated with the musicians’ technique and passion, make the final result so rich, multi-layered, diverse. All eleven songs of the album will satisfy even the most demanding listener, every track has something different to give – listen to the metal sounding “Paper Wings” and “Depserate”, the hard rockers “Love Will Find a Way” and “Mystified”, the AOR tune “Between the Lines”, the sentimental ballad “Without You”, everything is perfect! I would also like to mention that the most of the lyrics refer to love and relationships – if you combine these kind of lyrics with the emotive music and the beauty of Soto’s voice, you will understand why the final result speaks to the listener’s heart. To sum up, this new solo album from Jeff Scott Soto will please all his fans and every fan of hard n’ heavy music – if you aren’t familiar with the works of Soto, this album can be a beginning for you. Don’t lose the chance, “Wide Awake (in my Dreamland)” is waiting for you!
♦ 7,5/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
