Gioeli/Castronovo's 'Set the World on Fire' - Album Review

The Italian melodic rock label Frontiers Records really seem to have the monopoly on new AOR and melodic rock releases. Barely a Friday goes by without at least one new Frontiers album being released into the world, and many of them end up in my collection. They are a big champion of new melodic rock bands from all over the world, and many of the young bands who are writing music akin to the AOR giants of the 1980s end up on their roster. Many older, more experienced bands have also found a home at Frontiers, with bands like Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and Foreigner all working with the label at some point in their careers. Frontiers' third arm however is possibly their most prolific outlet, and that is their own manufactured bands and collaborations. The label's founder Serafino Perugino seems to have a knack of persuading various big names in the rock/metal/AOR worlds to work together on (usually) studio-only projects, often using songs from one of the label's in-house writers. While some of these collaboration/projects are enjoyable, the original Allen/Lande albums spring to mind as being pretty fun listens, the vast majority of them are very samey - to the point of sounding like they could have all been recorded in one session with the different singers coming in one after the other to record their parts! For this reason, I mostly avoid these creations from Frontiers, but occasionally one comes along that piques my interest. The latest release to do so was Set the World on Fire, a collaboration between singers Johnny Gioeli (Hardline; Crush 40; Axel Rudi Pell) and Deen Castronovo (Cacophony; Bad English; Hardline; Ozzy Osbourne; Steve Vai; GZR; Journey; Revolution Saints; The Dead Daisies). The two had previous worked together as members of the AOR band Hardline, but had not worked on an album together since the band's much-loved debut album Double Eclipse from 1992. Gioeli has kept Hardline going with various other members throughout the years, but is possibly best known now for singing for the German Ritchie Blackmore-loving guitarist Axel Rudi Pell for the past 20 years. His gritty, but melodic, voice has earned him many admirers over the years, and allows him to mix in well with Castronovo's smoother, more typically AOR, voice throughout this album. Castronovo is more well-known as a drummer, and in fact also drums on this album, but in the past few years has emerged as a competent vocalist in his own right with his own band Revolution Saints. Spearheading this collaboration, as is the case with many of these Frontiers efforts, is producer, songwriter, and keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge of Forever; Hardline; Eden's Curse; Voodoo Circle; Silent Force). He has written the vast majority of the songs found on Set the World on Fire, and the album features the usual sanitised, keyboard-heavy production that the majority of the albums he works on ends up with.

The album gets underway with a couple of really strong tracks, the first of which is the title track. A soaring guitar lead courtesy of session player Mario Percudani sits atop a driving rhythm section, allowing Castronovo to set the tempo with some pacy drumming. The keyboards take on more of a prominent role during the verses, which alternate between delicate piano-driven sections and tougher rock. Gioeli and Castronovo often trade vocal lines, but during certain parts they sing in harmony. The song's chorus is the best example of this, and the two singers' voices mix well together to sing the chorus melodies with genuine power. The song is certainly no world-beater, but it packs a punch and carries enough melodies to make it memorable. Lead single Through follows and opens with a piano motif that is soon joined by some delicate guitar leads. This simple backing really brings the best out of Castronovo's smooth voice who, out of the two, is probably better suited to singing pure AOR. His parts of the verses are excellent, and really showcases his talents. Gioeli is more suited to singing heavier material, but he still does a good job - before the two again team up for probably the album's best chorus. A simple, but effective, solo from Percudani adds a little touch of class to an already strong song, which all adds up to a strong opening pair. Who I Am is up next is not quite up to the same standard as the previous two, but is still enjoyable. The song slows things down a little, and really showcases some excellent vocals from Castronovo who owns the chorus. His years singing backing vocals (as well as the occasional lead) for Journey have clearly paid off, and his smooth melodies really shine over the song's keyboard-drenched chug. It is a short song, but one that still manages to impress. Fall Like an Angel is tougher, with a meaty guitar rhythm accentuated by Del Vecchio's twinkling keyboard riff. This contrast between the heavier riff and the sparkling keyboards works well, but the song seems to build towards a chorus which is ultimately unsatisfying. Much of the song is strong, particularly the dramatic pre-chorus melodies, but the chorus itself is a bit of a meaningless chug that fails to excite. AOR songs are often based around killer choruses, and the lack of one here really hinders the song from reaching that next level.

Most of the songs on this album are sung as a duet, but It's all About You is sung by Gioeli alone. It is a powerful ballad that builds up around some piano lines which allows Gioeli to showcase that he can sing the gentler stuff as well. He excels at heavier music, but he can do ballads justice too. I like how the song opens up during the choruses, which sees the acoustic guitars of the verses turn to electrics to kick things up a notch. The melodies are fairly standard and unoriginal, but Gioeli sings them with passion so it is hard to not be drawn in. A couple of covers are included here, the first of which being Need You Now originally by the country music group Lady Antebellum. Gioeli sings the song in a duet with Giorgia Colleluori (Eternal Idol), and their voices mix together well. The song is another slower effort, with Castronovo's lumbering drums and Percudani's slow chug keeping things in the slow lane, but this allows the vocals to stand out nicely. The chorus is a strong one, and features the two singers delivering a fairly emotional performance. Lady Antebellum seems like an odd band for a singer like Gioeli to cover, but the song works well in this AOR format. After two songs without hearing a Castronovo vocal, he takes Ride of Your Life for himself and sings the song in his Journey-inspired way. The song is written by former Survivor mastermind Jim Peterik so it is, unsurprisingly, full of massive hooks. Dramatic piano chords dominate the verses, before the chorus explodes in a flurry of catchy vocal melodies that ensure it is one of the best parts of the album. Peterik's songwriting style is very recognisable, and it does really sound like a long lost Survivor song that has finally been unearthed after many years hidden from the public. Mother returns to the established duet formula of the album's earlier songs, and features a beautifully smooth chorus that Castronovo sings with passion, while his drumming provides a natural swing and groove which helps it sound slightly different from the norm. The verses are a little more overtly rock, with Gioeli's expressive vocals working well with Percudani's needling riffs - all while Del Vecchio's piano rolls away beneath them. It is a slightly strange sounding song, but it works well with the two singers helping to accentuate the different vibes created by different parts. Walk With Me is another Castronovo solo effort, and it is another aching ballad that borrows heavily from the Journey canon. It is another enjoyable song, but one that lacks that special something to really elevate it to being great. The chorus is pretty memorable, but I just feel that the song on the whole is a little flat. I often find it hard to put my finger on what makes a song feel this way, but this is certainly one that lacks a little flair.

Run for Your Life is a bit more upbeat, and was written by Del Vecchio, Nigel Bailey (Three Lions; Dirty White Boyz) and Steve Overland (Wildlife; FM). The main riff is very keyboard driven, with big synth stabs cutting through the mix to rise above the tougher guitar rhythms. Gioeli shines here, as the slightly more energetic feel of the song is better suited to his gritter voice. The two singers once again sing well together in the chorus, which is a strong one packed full of good melodies - including a memorable wordless section at the end which sticks in the brain. Remember Me is similar, and once again sees Del Vecchio collaborating with Bailey. The big synths of the previous song remain, although are toned down a little with the exception of a big riff during the intro. This song is not as memorable as the previous one however, with the subtle melodies not really embedding themselves in the subconscious. The chorus is a smooth one, and does not really hold its own when compared to some of the big riffs found here. A bigger vocal sound may have helped, but the harmonies are very subtle which means that the chorus fails to meet its full potential. Let Me Out is the album's closing number, and the final of the two covers. This time pop duo The Veronicas are the donor group, which is another unexpected artist for someone like Gioeli to sing. The song is stripped right back to its acoustic roots however, and basically sees Gioeli singing with a simple acoustic guitar and string backing. It works quite well, and Gioeli turns in a good version of the song, but I cannot help feeling that it would have been better putting this song somewhere else in the running order and closed the album with one of the more rocking songs. It seems a strange song to end the album with, which means that the energy from the previous two pieces really peters out. Overall, Set the World on Fire is an enjoyable album which has more than enough strong songs to satisfy any casual AOR fan. It is one of the better Frontiers project albums that I have heard for a while, and showcases two vocal talents doing what they do best.

The album was released on 13th July 2018 via Frontiers Records. Below is the duo's promotional video for Through.