SOTO: Origami (HEAVY METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If there is one singer who has the wind in his sails, it is Jeff Scott Soto. Driven by his participation in the super-group Sons Of Apollo, whose success owes him a lot, the American clearly showed the full extent of his talents and at the same time opened his audience beyond the strict melodic hard-rock. Thanks to this progressive experience, it is the home label of this group InsideOut that welcomes him for its third album under the name of S.O.T.O.

The guy is the hyperactive type and doesn't shake when it comes to going beyond his preferred style of melodic hard-rock/AOR/FM. And especially under the name S.O.T.O Jeff concentrates a modern metal writing that may have surprised aficionados during the founding act "Inside The Vertigo". This third album keeps these initial specifications which fixes a typology of doped tracks with modern sounds and powerful riffs with a strong melodic anchoring through very elaborate and powerful choruses. It starts with the groovy "HyperMania" crossed by energizing electronic devices and the asphyxiating "Origami" which pounds its hellish rhythm. The quintet is launched and will only take a break with the ballad "Torn", but before this candy he distributes the devastating tracks whose melodic peaks are called "World Gone Colder", "Detonate" or the mid-tempo "BeLie" with the interesting break.

In contrast to "DIVAK" "Origami", "DIVAK" relies on brighter tones and to increase this effect Jeff Scott Soto does not hesitate to vary the pleasures with some refreshing touches like "After Glow" which smells like funky big rock in the Extreme style. Jeff Scott Soto wanted to distinguish between S.O.T.O. and his other personal work to emphasize the collective aspect of this group. Indeed S.O.T.O is a convergence of talents at the service of music with the excellent guitarist Jorge Salan who illuminates each piece with his solos. But it is Jeff's performances that drive the album up. The giant brings density, groove and finesse with his deeply rock and soul iridescent voice. With each of his revisits, and this time it's the superb 'Give In To Me' by the king of pop, it's as if a new song emerges.

Jeff Scott Soto and his band offer us what we can expect from a S.O.T.O. album, without surprises or disappointment. While waiting for the release of the successor of "Psychotic Symphony" of Sons Of Apollon "Origami" allows to prolong the pleasure of hearing one of the most beautiful voices of today's heavy metal. - Official website

SOTO

ORIGAMI

INSIDEOUT MUSIC

HEAVY METAL