How do you get people to buy a live album from you (after 4 studio albums) when you have not yet reached the premier division of power / prog metal bands? Well, you could add a bonus DVD with the concert. You ‘d also have to make sure the band is on fire during the show. And last but not least, you’ve got to have the songs that the fans of bands like Royal Hunt and Symphony X lap up.
Italian band Stamina, with principal songwriter and guitar player Luca Sellitto at the helm, decided to just do all that!
Recorded at their September 2018 concert in Zgierz, Poland, this album serves not only as a fine introduction to the band for those not yet familiar with them. It also is a clear statement that all around the world there are still bands delivering quality music.
The 9 songs on the audio CD and the DVD are packed with very convincing performances from all involved. Not just the guitars, everybody (drums, bass, keys and vocals) gets to shine in their mix of power metal, progressive metal and some touches of fusion here and there. There are also a couple of bonus features included on the DVD.
I’ve read online that there were some concerns about “fixing things up” afterwards, but Luca has assured me that everything you hear was recorded on that very day.
All that is left to say is that I was so impressed with this album, that I had to have their studio albums too. Says enough me thinks!