In Italy, bassist
Alberto Rigoni is best known for his contributions to progressive metal. He has been a member of the Italian prog metal band
Twinspirits and was the co-founder of Ascra, a prog metal cover band that has performed mostly
Dream Theater songs. But there is no metal (prog metal or otherwise) to be found on
Rigoni's second solo album,
Rebirth; progressive rock, yes, but not progressive metal. And the prog rock that
Rigoni favors on this 2011 release is mostly instrumental. There are two '80s-flavored vocal offerings: the brooding "Emptiness" and the more energetic "With All My Forces," both of which feature Swedish singer Jonas Erixon (other guests include bassist
Michael Manring,
Porcupine Tree drummer
Gavin Harrison,
Ark drummer
John Macaluso, and
Twinspirits guitarist Tommy Ermolli). But most of the tunes are instrumental, and there are hints of jazz-rock fusion at times, even though this is a prog rock album first and foremost. "Story of a Man," "Free," "White Shine," and other
Rebirth instrumentals are not fusion in the strict sense; stylistically,
Rebirth has more in common with
Yes,
Genesis, and
Pink Floyd than it does with
Weather Report or
Return to Forever, but there are jazz overtones in some of
Rigoni's electric bass playing. Although
Rebirth isn't improvisation-oriented the way that fusion and other forms of jazz are improvisation-oriented, that doesn't mean that
Rigoni can't bring a little jazziness to his prog rock instrumentals. Listeners who associate the name
Alberto Rigoni with prog metal and expect
Rebirth to be in that vein will be disappointed, but from a non-metal prog standpoint, this is a decent and satisfying effort from the Northern Italian bassist. ~ Alex Henderson