When Frontiers proposes a new project with Alessandro Del Vecchio at the helm, the problem is that fans of the genre immediately fear one of the many productions calibrated by the talented transalpine. Inspired by the classic opera partnership of the Three Tenors, which brought together Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras in the '90s, Serafino Perugino's label now offers us T3nors, featuring the three vocal heavyweights of the melodic AOR/hard genre: Robbie LaBlanc (Blanc Faces, Find Me), Toby Hitchcock (Pride Of Lions) and Kent Hilli (Giant, Perfect Plan).
On the plus side, the frontmen don't overdo it, insisting on harmonies. Robbie LaBlanc is the only one not to have opted for a solo career alongside the various projects he's involved in, so he seems to be the mainstay of T3nors . On the other hand, if the whole suffers from no weak points, apart from the excessive fade-out at the end of several tracks, it clearly bears the mark of Alessandro Del Vecchio. Fans will be delighted by the power of the catchy eponymous song, the energy and unstoppable chorus of 'Nights', the majestic faux ballad 'I Could' and the Celtic and classic-rock touches of 'Mother Love'. But apart from the aforementioned titles and the discovery of talented guitarist Francesco Savino, who lights up several tracks with his contributions, "Naked Soul" seems quite limited, too calibrated and responding to a set of specifications which, while avoiding the risks, also prevents this opus from rising above the mass of releases in the genre.
Once again, "Naked Soul" proves that the combination of great talents rarely results in great albums. Despite excellent performers, the songs are too classic to hold the attention. Alessandro Del Vecchio has talent, but perhaps it would be wise for him to space out his productions, in order to rediscover the inspiration that gives him a little more originality?