CRISTIANO FILIPPINI “Flames Of Passion” (2011)

Cristiano Filippini is an Italian guy who just wants to feel free to compose symphonic music. Keepin’ it simple, we could say he’s a heavy metal dude with an orchestra in his own hands. His second album, called Flames Of Passion, is, as the first one, an instrumental concept about history of religion. This time, Cristiano decided to write music inspired by the Inquisition period and I have to say he did it very well!

If The First Crusade (his first full length album) was good, this one sounds really great! The album focus its sound on piano, but the orchestrations take care of the background component. The spirit and the heart of Flames Of Passion are pure power/heavy metal, but restyled with a “film-score treatment”.

The story so far is a great crescendo of emotions that gives its their best on Chains Of Inquisition, the best track of the whole Cd. While the listening is ended, the impressions of a new masterpiece from this talented guy is clear: the new John Williams? Maybe not, but wait a couple of years and let him do his job as well as possible. Good news, classical metal world!

Reviewed by Andrea Rodella