Of Infinity is a new name on the melodic/progressive metal scene. Don't let that fool you, though as they have a lot of talent. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarist Nazareth Sando (formerly of Fallen Empire) and vocalist Alessandra Zinicola. Eventually they added bassist Kurtis Kyllo and drummer, Carlos Teller to finish up the lineup. "The Essence of Infinity" is their first release. It is a three song EP that showcases a band that is quite adept at both songwriting and performing. The only two real drawbacks to this are the fact that it is so short, and the production. In my book the hardest instruments for a producer to get right are the drums and the vocals. Well, on this release the drums are fine, the vocals, though come across a little harsh at times. It has nothing to do with the vocal performance or quality, but rather with the production. Doing voices right takes a special touch in the studio, and obviously this group should have opted for someone else at the controls.

Still, Zinicola's voice is powerful and beautiful. At times she calls to mind such female vocal powerhouses as Lana Lane, Annie Haslam and Doro Pesch. With a list like that you can't go wrong. And, as the fact that two of those three are prog singers suggests, much of the material here leans heavily toward the prog end of the spectrum. It definitely is heavy metal, but there are a lot of intriguing song structures, attention to melodic sounds and intricate layerings to give this one a major prog touch. Overall this disc is quite good. I'd really like to hear more from the band. Next time I hope they get a better production on it, and give us more than 3 songs. For more information or to purchase the disc (upside of it being an EP - only 5 bucks), stop by their website at www.ofinfinity.com.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2005 Year Book Volume 3 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2005.