By: Jesse Striewski
Italian-based metal project Sweet Oblivion are back with their second full-length effort to feature original Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate at the forefront, which proves to once again be a winning combonation.
My appreciation for Tate’s work in his former band has only grown over the years, and each track here sounds as though they could’ve come straight from a classic Queesryche record. I knew the second I heard the first single from Relentless, “Another Change,” that this would be a promising album.
“Once Again One Sin” is a fitting opening song, and is quickly followed by the strongest track on the album by far, “Strong Pressure.” Other highlights among the ten tracks here include “Wake up Call,” “Aria” (impressively sung by Tate completely in Italian), and the ballad “I’ll Be the One.”
It’s strange how new, unheard music can seem so familiar upon first listen, but that’s exactly the case here with Relentless; some of the lyrics manage to hit so close to home that they feel like they’ve actually been there with us all along. That is what makes for a good listening experience, which is precisely what Sweet Oblivion have provided listeners with here.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
