- 25 September 2009-

The new release from Beto Vazquez Infinity is a twelve track collecation entitled Darkmind (Beto Vazquez Music (Argentina) BVM002. The new album is the follow-up to Flying Towards The New Horizon (Beto Vazquez Music (Argentina) BVM001, 2006) and the band's self-titled 2002 debut that included vocal work by Sabine Edelsbacher, Candice Night and Tarja Turunen (interviews, review).

As with all BVI albums, Beto has selected a bevy of stunning female vocalists to contribute to his work.

Darkmind is packaged as a lovely tri-fold digipak that BVI fondly call the "triptik diggi format." It includes a large color booklet with complete lyrics, photos of the artists and lovely illustrations. The album runs just over 51 minutes and the twelve tracks play seamlessly from one to the next. The metal arrangements include BVI's characteristic vast electric guitar excursions, symphonic keyboards and glistening vocal work.

In Flying Towards The New Horizon, Vazquez augmented his female lead singer Vero Aiudi with guest contributions from Sonia Pineault (Forgotten Tales, Canada) and Quinn Weng (Seraphim, Taiwan) as guest female singers. However, he has taken a significant step forward on Darkmind. Eight guest female artists contribute to the project. They are: Austrian vocalist Sandra Schleret (Siegfried and Elis, Germany); Manda Ophuis (Nemesea, The Netherlands); Mexican singer Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion, The Netherlands); Sabrina Carrion (Heaven Falls, Brazil); Kiara Laetitia (Skylark, Italy); Ivana Anic Lara (Angelseed, Croatia); Elisa Luna (Last Union, Italy); Rute Feveriero (EnChanTya and Black Widows, Portugal). BVI's lead vocalist Jessica Lehto also performs on the album. What a great collection of female vocalsts!

Lucas Pereyra's classically derived orchestral arrangements and Jessica Lehto's stunning vocalise open the album in "From Your Heart," which moves swiftly into an operatically laced lyrical passage. "Kingdom of Liberty" is an upbeat metal-edged rocker sung by Sabrina Carrion. The blend of keyboard and guitar work provides an excellent foundation for Sabrina's live-sounding vocals. Listen intently for Olaf Thorsen's rapidfire guitar solo. The track "Magical Moments of Time" brings back fond memories of Nightwish. BVI's lead vocalist Jessica Lehto's stunning operatic vocals soar above the symphonic keyboard arrangement. A bit more bottom end would have enhanced the chorus.

Manda Ophius' lead and backing vocals grace the upbeat and short guitar-laced rocker "Mystic." Her crystalline voice, power and range are wonderfully produced, again with an almost-live sound. The darkwave style title track is sung by Victor Rivarola. Elisa Luna's layered harmonies work well atop the rich production of the upbeat and accessible rocker "For Time rune in my Veins." Listen for Rute Fevereiro's lead and rhythm guitar work in the track. We especially enjoyed the sax-laced ballad "Sleeping in the Shadows." Sandra Schleret's crystalline lead and backing vocals soar above the arrangements. Carlos Ferrari's guitar solo and Matias S. Yanucci's evocative sax work are wonderfully delivered in the song's mid-section instrumental.

Kiara's glorious vocal work graces the track "Chronicles of a world without Gods." The instrumentals, driven by Beto's guitar work, are at times overpower Kiara's voice. Jessica Lehto sings lead and provides lush backing harmonies to the lovely downtempo ballad "Close Your Eyes." "Follow The Moonlight" is another upbeat rocker with operatic vocals and further allusions to Nightwish is also sung by Jessica Lehto. The contributions by the band's lead vocalist is outstanding.

Symphonic keyboards provide an outstanding foundation to "Memories of Reinglow." Here Ivana Aric Lara provides a very powerful operatic vocal part when the electric guitars enter the metallic fray. She is supported by a male vocal part sung by Victor Rivarola and narration by Carla Bisioli. The album concludes with the so-called bonus track, a ballad entitled "The Tunnel of the Souls." Sung in Spanish by the stunning Stream of Passion lead vocalist Marcela Bovio, the production is absolutely superb, perfectly balancing instrumentals with the lyrical and vocalise layers.

Beto Vazquez Infinity have taken a significant step forward in Darkmind with the introduction of a significant number of guest artists with eight female vocalists that grace the album's tracks. As we go to press with this review, BVI are already working on a new project with a planned release in 2010. It promises to take yet another step in the band's development.

By Russell Eliot.

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