SHAKARY – Shakary 2006

Cover	Release	Style
	2006-07	progressive rock
	Label
	SHK Records , Progfactory
	Website
	Shakary
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	Alya 2006: 52:01 The Last Summer 2006: 43:07	SHK 022006
	Review by	Rating
	Danny	9/10
nederlands	Review
Shakary from Switzerland released two CD’s (Alya and The Last Summer) in 2000 and 2002. The reviews were very positive, but there were some negative remarks about the vocals. Aloisio Maggini on the first and Michael Branzino on the second album are good singers but not top vocalists. Especially their accent was criticized. So Shakary decided to totally revamp these two albums. And this certainly has turned out to be a success formula. Noel McCalla, known as singer from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and ‘Small Creeps Day’ from Michael Rutherford, was asked to do the vocals. Arjen Lucassen and Steve Rothery both play a guitar solo on one track. Lele Hofmann (ex-Clepsydra) used some alternate tracks and some keyboard parts were replayed. After all this, the album was re-mixed and re-mastered by Mario Krag. And that’s not all. They picked the best tracks of the double CD “Alya” for the first disc of this double and put the whole re-mastered second album on the second disc. This whole package is sold for the prize of one CD. The songs aren’t only re-mastered. For instance, the first track of Alya lost the first and the last minute, making it a shorter, more to the point overture. The acoustic guitar solo in ‘Lost Angels’ has changed into an electric guitar solo. Apart from the re-mix, a lot of details have changed but all of this lies in the shadow of the overwhelming voice of Noel McCalla. He really lifts the band to the top level. Just listen to the title song, what a great ballad this has become!!! “Sentence” gets even a bigger push up by the extra guitar solos by Arjen Lucassen and Steve Rothery, the first a bit heavier, a real Ayreon solo and the second smoother and sensitive, spelled ‘Marillion’. “The Last Summer” received the same face-lift. The order of the songs is changed. “Masks’”, being the opener now, starts with a symphonic intro, which wasn’t originally there. Some songs are shorter. The superfluous intro of “Sparkles in the Dark” has been omitted. Again, the difference is huge and has turned the album into a masterpiece. A pity there’s no booklet with lyrics, although the original albums had one, but maybe that’s only in my promo copy? The new versions sound less neo-progressive than the earlier versions, especially due to the different timbre of Noel’s voice. It’s not often you get two masterpieces for the prize of one. And the best is yet to come, because the next album of Shakary will also be sung by Noel McCalla. This time the songs will be written for him. Expect something excellent, for which I’m already saving some superlatives!!!
Musicians
Lele Hofmann: composition, lead guitars, keyboards Scandy: composition, bass, keyboards Sandor Kwiatowski: lyrics Giovanni Galfetti: keyboards Noel McCalla: vocals Walter Calloni: drums Guest musicians: Arjen Lucassen & Steve Rothery: guitar solos on “Sentence” Carlo Cantini: Violins Gabriele Ferro: rhythm guitars Giorgio Borhini: percussions Stefano Pista Salvadè: trumpet Mario Krag: guitars Gabriele Martini: flute Ilario Garbani: bagpipes Vos da Locarno: female choir
Tracklist
Alya 2006 1. Sunset (3:07) 2. Lost Angels (6:19) 3. Time Trap (5:58) 4. Alya (4:47) 5. First inquisition (6:06) 6. Sentence (6:09) 7. Last drink (7:29) 8. Babylon (6:17) 9. Open skies (5:44) The Last Summer 2006 1. Masks (7:01) 2. Dreaming in L.A. (9:58) 3. Love warchild of 64 (6:22) 4. Different places (4:08) 5. The play of my life (4:47) 6. Two days left (4:48) 7. Sparkles in the rain (5:48)
Discography
Alya (2CD) (2000) The Last Summer (2002) Shakary 2006 (2006)


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