Review by Andy Hawes for MPM
Secret Rule are another brand new name to me, so I decided that the best thing to do would be to just take this album solely on its own merits before delving into their background. That way I’d have nothing to colour my perceptions other than the music as it stands here and now.
Secret Rule certainly know how to make a monumentally huge modern Symphonic Hard Rock/Metal noise! There are heavy symphonic influences in the colossal layers of down-tuned guitars, pounding double-kick drumming, powerful female lead vocals and orchestral keyboards but there is more to this album than just this.
Opening track ‘The Answer’ comes at you with all the subtlety of a nuclear strike. A colossal modern Metal riff comes scything out of the speakers flattening everything in its path before everyone else piles in on a mighty piece of modern Heavy Symphonic Rock. I don’t know what the question was, but ‘The Answer’ is an explosively emphatic statement of intent.
Next up, the title of ‘Walking Down The Street’ may suggest a nonchalant evening stroll, but the music itself is rather more akin to the sort of massed warrior charge you’d expect to see in an epic Fantasy movie. The band go all out on this one, with everyone playing and singing as if their very lives depended on it. The energy rush is palpable, the power very tangible and one has little choice but to allow oneself to be steamrollered into submission.
‘In The Silence’ starts out with interesting keyboards, leading into an epic sounding mid-paced extravaganza with a sound that, when the chorus kicks in, is so dense it’s almost impenetrable. The layers of massive guitar chords and symphonic keys almost drown the vocals before a most inventive middle section that sees almost rapped lead vocals, symphonic holy choirs and a soaring guitar solo! Very impressive composition and production on a track that is already standing out on the first few plays.
‘Echoes of the Earth’ is up next and is Symphonic Rock of the highest order, with echoes of Nightwish and Within Temptation lurking in the mix of scything, pulverising guitars and swathes of massed keyboards. Supremely melodic, but with enough double-bass drum wallop to satisfy the demands of the most hardened Symphonic fan, this is an track that proves that the album shows no signs of letting up on the quality. What is also very impressive is that this track, like all of those that preceded it, does not outstay its welcome. Secret Rule certainly seem to know what they are doing when it comes to maximising the impact of each track. Nothing is wasted or over-extended here, which is a very good thing.
‘Eternal Symphony’ is another that starts all gently with huge choral keyboards before the spell is broken by thundering guitars. Wonderfully dynamic and superbly melodic, the title of this one sums up what Secret Rule are all about. Once again, the band drag out the big gun techniques of heavy Symphonic Rock without ever sounding generic. The energy is vivid and you can tell that they mean every single note! Slightly more progressive than the preceding tracks, this song exudes class.
Up next is ‘Silent Pain’ which is just massively heavy, with demonically downtuned guitar riffery and galloping double bass drumming coming on like the aural equivalent of the tsunami following an asteroid strike and destroying everything in its path. This one takes absolutely no prisoners whatsoever.
‘Collapse’ is next and is probably the closest Secret Rule get to a Euro-AOR/Melodic Rock sound. The chorus to this one is as cheesy as they come, with a chord sequence that we’ve all heard a zillion times before, yet somehow it still manages to work because of what they wrap around it. Very clever writing and, while it’s not my favourite on the album on first listen, it grows with every play and certainly doesn’t dip the quality one bit.
‘Lost in Paradise’ starts out like a ballad with duet male and female vocals crooning over a keyboard backdrop, but the huge guitar sound is never far away. The duet vocals work superbly in this one with another extremely melodic approach throughout, especially on the chorus where the vocals soar out of a dense morass of guitars and keys. The ‘call and response’ part after the guitar solo showcases both vocals very well before the chorus plays the song out.
‘Destiny Reloaded’ is in a slightly similar vein – mid-paced and once again quite dynamic in its production with some interesting arrangement touches. The melodies are a little less obvious on this one, although it does grow with repeated plays, helped considerably by a clever time change into the rather excellent guitar solo and Metal breakdown. Just when I thought we’d got a weaker track on our hands, the band prove me wrong. Very impressive!
‘Just a Sacrifice’ has a mid-paced tempo, but a fabulously cinematic vibe to the massive riff and keyboard embellishments. There’s a hint of Queensryche circa ‘Operation Mindcrime’ about this, albeit with slightly heavier guitars. This is clearly no bad thing. The whole track reminds me of a dark post-apocalyptic or dystopian movie and there won’t be a happy ending. The production is quite brilliant – operatic choral vocals adding a sinister edge to the darker feel of the track in the breakdown and the choice of (I think) harmonic minor musical mode gives a real air of tension that is never quite resolved.
‘The Storm’ finishes the album in quite some style. Operatic choral vocals, massed symphonic orchestral keys, colossal downtuned guitars, huge melodic chorus, massive Metal breakdown… Everything you’d want from a Symphonic Rock track is here in spades and it finishes this quite superb album on a real high note!
Phew! What a scorcher of an album! I’m not normally a huge fan of a lot of Symphonic Rock/Metal, but this album resonates massively with me. To me, the band (vocalist and lyricist Angela Di Vincenzo, Andy Menario – who I presume plays guitar and keys and who writes, arranges and produces/mixes everything – plus new bassist/backing vocalist Sophia Basili and new drummer Andrea Miazzetto) do pretty much everything right here. ‘X’ is apparently a reference to their tenth anniversary as a band. I may have to delve into their back-catalogue after this, as this album is an absolute belter. Heavy, melodic, symphonic, dynamic, inventive, lyrically clever and topical and just downright classy, this album needs to be heard. Do yourselves a favour and check this one out pronto
ALBUM ORDER from Rockshots Records store / Digipack – https://rockshots.eu/products/secret-rule-x
Track Listing:
1. The Answer
2. Walking Down The Street
3. In The Silence
4. Echoes of Earth
5. Eternal Symphony
6. Silent Pain
7. Collapse
8. Lost In Paradise
9. Destiny Reloaded
10. Just A Sacrifice
11. The Storm
Album Length: 42:30
ANGELA DI VINCENZO: Vocals
ANDY ‘MENARIO’ MENARINI: Guitar
SOFIA BASILI: Bass
ANDREA MIAZZETTO: Drums
More info:
https://www.rockshots.eu
Website: https://www.secretrule.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secretruleband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secret_rule_official
