Melodic rock band, Room Experience, is the brainchild of Italian keyboardist and songwriter Gianluca Firmo, fronted by British powerhouse vocalist David Readman. Formed in 2013, the band released their debut, self-titled album in 2015 and received plaudits from fans and critics alike worldwide. Work on the second album started in 2017 and the result is ‘Another Time And Place’.
The album opener is ‘Hear Another Song’, which immediately gets your feet tapping with screaming guitars and a thumping beat as Readman belts out the lyrics to give us a great melodic anthem.
This is followed by ‘Wild Heart’ which has a bit of an electronic feel to start with, but Steve De Biasi soon brings his guitars in and coupled with the solid rhythm section of Simon Dredo and Pierpaulo “Zorro” Monti, we are treated to another rocking track.
De Biasi lets rip to lead us into ‘Disappointed’ and once the rest of the band join in, we are into a track reminiscent of an 80’s rock anthem with plenty of screaming guitar and big vocals from Readman which are both carried through into ‘Strangers In The Night’, where you can hear the influence of the likes of Bon Jovi and Europe through both tracks.
Make no mistake these are original sounding tracks but with a nod to the past and those that bought the first album will be pleased to hear that they are getting plenty of the same again.
The introduction to ‘The Distance’ is a lot smoother and slowed down, with Reader bringing the volume right down before the track lifts and we get the full rock ballad treatment.
This is a track that carries you along and Reader shows his versatility with the slower tempo. We then get back to the hard rock of ‘Shout’ with Monti thumping a beat from the outset, Readman leading the cry and De Biasi throwing in some riffs to really push this along.
The title track is next up with another big melody and big sound, before ‘The Miles That Make The Road’ which once again slows us down but allows De Biasi to put a nice solo together and shows that Firmo knows a good melody when he hears it.
‘The Night Goes On’ is my favourite track on the album as it brings everything together; keyboards, drums, bass, lead guitar, vocals and a great tune that keeps it going through your head for an age after it’s finished. It’s also got that 80’s vibe once again which runs through the entire album, coming through a little stronger on some tracks.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hUaQeajbtI&w=560&h=315]The penultimate track on the regular album format is ‘A Thousand Lies’, which picks up the tempo once again allowing De Biasi and Readman to crank things up before bringing everything down for a gentle introduction to the final track of ‘Your Voice Inside’. However, just because it’s slower, it doesn’t mean the quality is reduced as both of them , ably supported by the rest of the band, give us a final track filled with emotion and packed with a punch.
On the European version of the album, there is a bonus track where Gianluca Firmo takes over lead vocal duties for ‘The Distance’ and proves that in addition to his many other talents, he can do a decent job as the frontman as well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhfn-sJ5_mA&w=560&h=315]Room Experience is a studio project, with the members involved in a good many other bands, so the chances of catching them live will be minimal. But If you like your rock melodic, well written and superbly arranged, with plenty of guitars and a big voice (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) then this album is a ‘must have’ in the collection.
‘Another Time And Place’ was released on May 22nd 2020
Reviewed by : Howard Whitelaw (for MPM)
Track Listing:
Hear Another Song
Wild Heart
Disappointed
Strangers In The Night
The Distance
Shout
Another Time And Place
The Miles That Make A Road
The Night Goes On
A Thousand Lies
Your Voice Inside
The Distance (Lead Vocals Gianluca Firmo – European Bonus Track)
Room Experience Line-up:
Lead & Backing Vocals: David Readman
Keyboards & Backing Vocals: Gianluca Firmo
Keyboards & Backing Vocals: Davide “Dave Rox” Barbieri
Guitars: Steve De Biasi
Bass: Simon Dredo
Percussion: Pierpaulo “Zorro” Monti
Connect with Room Experience:
Website: www.roomexperienceofficial.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roomexperienceofficial/
Reviewed by : Howard Whitelaw (for MPM)
