Oberon is a two-man project of Yuri Crescenzio (acoustic & electric guitars, bass, keyboards, organ, synth, effects) and Alberto Baretta (percussion), along with guest singer Elena Dainese who takes part on some songs with others being instrumentals. The overall impression of this album is that it feels more like a collection of demos, and if this had been released some 30 years ago and sent to me as a cassette (those were the days) then I would not have been surprised. Musically the guys shift between some fairly heavy almost stoner vibes to others which are quite folky and acoustic in nature, and the use of Hammond Organ style sounds often makes one think of early Uriah Heep.
However, there is the feeling throughout that it needs to step up. Elena sounds good in places, yet in others does not have the cut through and bite one expects from a singer. The drums are too much in the background and while Alberto is a great musician, he never provides the support required due to the mix, and while Yuri is a competent keyboard player, he is primarily a guitarist and if they had a true keyboard player in the role it would have been better. There is a naïve innocence about this recording from 2016, with “The Golden King” being a highlight, with nice acoustic guitars although again I do wish the vocals had been a little stronger, with Blackmore’s Night being an obvious influence. The band were only formed a year before this recording so possibly they hit the studio a little too soon, but what will the Italians come up with next?
Rating: 5/10
