Restless Spirits is the new project of Tony Hernando, the Spanish guitarist of Lords Of Black. This melodic metal band, author of a single album, was in the spotlight in 2016. This exhibition, mainly due to the presence of Ronnie Romero at the microphone, presented by Richie Blackmore himself as the frontman of Rainbow's return, allowed us to appreciate Hernando's six-string talents. That's all it took to get us interested in the first attempt of Restless Spirits.
It must be said that by consulting the list of musicians who came here to help him, any lover of melodic hard rock, even if the sounds proposed by Lords Of Black could have slowed his curiosity, could only be attracted by this release. Think about it, Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Sunstorm, Hardline), Deen Castronovo (The Dead Deasies, Revolution Saints) and Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell) are credited on this eponymous object, in short, the finest flower of singers of the moment in the melodic hard rock sphere. Hernando did the rest, including all the strings, keyboards, writing, mixing and production, which is called getting involved in a project.
The eleven tracks offer here are solid and hyper melodious hard rock, in the same vein as what comes out of Magnus Karlsson's talented imagination (Allen/Lande, The Ferrymen, Freefall). Stop Livin' To Live Online', where Gioeli reigns supreme, is of this calibre, as is the sensational'I Remember Your Name' where powerful drum parts mixed with sharp guitars fight with Hilli's involved vocals and from which deaf sounds bring to Revolution Saints. Also to be mentioned in this same register are the muscular "Live To Win" and "Lost Time (Not To Be Found Again)" where the shadow of the guitarist and composer aforementioned obscures the sky and "You And I" where the talent of Del Vecchio's illumine the sayings.
As for the rest, often when Catronovo takes the microphone, we flirt with what Journey, his ancient combo, used to do for us, or with what he now offers with Dead Deasies. This is the case with "Unbreakable" where his voice is close to Steve Perry's one or "Calling You" which is possibly the poor relation of the melodically speaking opus.
Despite of this so slight false note, here is a remarkable hard rock album easy listening combining power and melodic qualities where, and it is worth noting, a particular care has been taken to the guitars, whether the tempo is medium, energic or even languorous. This Hernando is definitely a hell of a composer and fretboard handler and Restless Spirits is a new combo to watch with interest.