A decent enough release that would more than satisfy those that like their Rock music melodic but with more than a hint of Hard Rock.

What do I know about The Rock Alchemists? Well, absolutely nothing really. A reasonably short biog that came with the album didn't offer up too much little information, apart from the fact that they're Italian and this is their second release. Therefore, I've approached this album with no preconceptions and a totally clean slate. 'Elements' is a short album, clocking in at a little over thirty minutes in length, but the must be, is it short on quality too?

'Panic Room' kicks off in good shape with big fat chunky guitars, and with some keys hanging around in the background to add some nice textures. 'A-Matrix' slows it down a little after the full-on opener but builds nicely. The guitars are pushed well up in the mix which really doesn't leave a lot of room for much else, and I have to say the vocals are not really to my taste. 'Cars' comes across all Alanis Morissette to these ears, in the vocal department anyway, which is a little incongruous bearing in mind the rest of the track.

The remainder of the album is tight and concise with some hints at both Prog and Metal, but generally comes out with little or no surprises. Production wise this record has a robust sound, although personally, I would have liked to heard the keyboards further up in the mix, but that's just me really. Without a doubt, the band know their way around their respective instruments.

A short review then befitting a short album, overall a decent enough release that would more than satisfy those that like their Rock music melodic but with more than a hint of Hard Rock.

Malcolm Smith