Now, just taking a look at this thing, one has to think that Luca Turilli is either a Devin Townsend-like musical genius, or a Yngwie Malmsteen-like pretentious egomaniac. Adding onto an already impressive resume of Rhapsody and his own solo work, the guitarist/songwriter brings us an all new musical creation in Luca Turilli’s Dreamquest. Why would one do that, one may ask? In this case, it was due to a desire to return to his original instrument of choice – the keyboard. So Lost Horizons, then, is a collection off metal compositions written for keyboard. That’s definitely a change of pace, as he attempts to create another subgenre dubbed “symphonic electro-metal”. With one time Rhapsody guitarist Dominique Leurquin and board along with a female vocalist known simply as Myst, he makes a compelling argument.
The first impression as “Virus” kicks in is that this could be a most interesting hybrid of metal and 80s synthrock. Styles do change up throughout, but this one stands out for that intro synthline and galloping rhythms. Unfortunately much of the album wallows just above mediocrity – its not bad material, just not immediately attention-grabbing. “Dreamquest” sounds a lot like early Nightwish with an airy female vocal and gothic feel. “Sospiro Divino” is a piano ballad with a beautiful aria vocal and minimal instrumentation so as not to overshadow it. The album picks up again a bit later on with “Energy” and “Frozen Star”, just well-constructed tracks that again feature strong vocals, making one think that its actually Myst and not Turilli at the center of this band. The album closes with “Gothic Vision”, the closest thing you’ll find here to a Rhapsody knock-off.
If you’re into female vocals and adventurous music (I for one haven’t heard many keyboard-driven metal bands), then Dreamquest just might be for you. Those disappointed with Turilli’s recent The Infinite Wonders of Creation may also find some redemption here. Otherwise, this quest is definitely not one for the masses, but it still likely to find a respectable, devout following.
