Artist: Vitalij Kuprij 
   Title: Glacial Inferno + Revenge (bonus album)
   Label: Lion Music

'Glacial Inferno' is the latest release from Artension and Ring of Fire keyboard maestro Vitalij Kuprij.  Once again see this wizard of the keys bring his own spin on the neo-classical sound with his impeccable and sometimes wondrous keyboard playing.

This new album comes as a limited edition double album that also contains the progressive metal side of Kuprij with his 'Revenge' album which was only previously available in Asia.

The 'Revenge' album finds Kuprij not only reunited with guitar wiz Michael Harris and with his usual rhythm section, consisting of ex-Malmsteen drummer John Macaluso and bassist Randy Coven, but also sees him accompanied by a wealth of vocal talent.  Namely Joe Lynn Turner, Dougie White, Goran Edman, Apollo Papthanasio, Chris Catena and Shaun Leahy.

But first ‘Glacial Inferno’.  Fans of Kuprij’s more neo-classical sound will be enthralled at the musical manifestation that is 'Glacial Inferno'.  As things get under way in usual flamboyant style with ‘Symphonic Force’, unlike some guitar albums, I find keyboard albums much more accessible to the layman, as the spectrum of sounds is generally more extensive and varied.  This point is made even more a dominant factor on this album as Kuprij unites his classical workings with his more progressive metal works, on what is in fact quite a spellbinding album.

The album is a wealth of fantastic musical works of art; I use the term works of art because Kuprij uses the listener’s ears as his canvas.

With some quite outstanding pieces on the album I would like to highlight some of my favourites.  Firstly ‘Liquid Rain’, this track oozes class as do most of tracks on the album, but this one is that little bit special as he mixes some fantastic classical sounds with the more metal guitar sound of Michael Harris to great effect, which results in the classical and metal genres united in one heavenly musical masquerade.

Another favourite of mine is ‘Divided Horizon’, which once again see Kuprij duelling musically with Harris.  This time with the outspoken talents of the rhythm section of Maccaluso and Coven acting as seconds to the duelling pair, but there is only one real winner in this battle, the listener.

The atmospheric tones of the title track ‘Glacial Inferno’ are another winner in my book, as this track slowly builds from humble beginnings into a flurry of keys and guitar all wrapped around a strong backbone rhythm section.

For those of you who like something a little mellower then check out the down right soothing tones of the shortest track on the album ‘Forgive’, which leads nicely into my final choice the quite sublime ‘Dying To Live’.  This time Kuprij brings some folkish elements into the mix for this one before Harris's timeless guitars break the serenity of the track as he and Kuprij unite once more on this very haunting, yet inspiring piece of musical fortitude. 

The second and bonus album is quite a different affair altogether as Kuprij brings in the veritable vocal talents of some of the finest singers around today on his 'Revenge' opus.

The album opens up with ‘Burning My Soul’, a stomping opener by any standards as the flurry of keyboards and drums leads into the mighty vocals of Dougie White, who also provides the vocals for the next track, the melodically metal tones of ‘I Don’t Believe In Love’, this is AOR with bite.

It's time to really put a more heavier tone on things as Time Requiem and Firewind vocalist Apollo Papathanasio lays down the vocals for the thumping progressive metal assault ‘Into The Void’, and the massive guitar fuelled ‘Revenge’.  This is like Phantom of the Opera with metal guitars and keyboards, great stuff.

Another vocalist worth his weight in gold is another former Malmsteen frontman Goran Edman who sings on the more sultry tones of ‘Just Another Day’.  Another guitar rich song interwoven with Kuprij’s evocative keyboards.

Kuprij doesn’t leave the classic material behind completely on this album as he shows his unrelenting love for the classics with ‘J. Haydn - Excerpt From Sonata In E Minor’, before really going to town with another instrumental this time the neo classical ‘Classic War’.  A track that wouldn’t have gone a miss on 'Glacial Inferno'.

The vocalists take over for the remainder of the album this time seeing Shawn Leahy lend his vocals to the dark heavy tones of ‘Emperors Will’, before the tone switches completely as Joe Lynn Turner takes us down the more traditional progressive metal road on the excellent ‘Follow Your Heart’.

The second track to feature Goran Edman on vocals is on my favourite track off the album the ambient metal throng that is ‘Stand Up And Fight’.  A real stomping bass ridden track.

The album closes with ‘Let The Future Unfold’, a real touch of class this one and a track that brings a real unity of feeling between both the keyboards Kuprij and guitars of Harris, and together with the one of the finest vocal performances of the album by Chris Catena, brings to a close a great album of mixed vocals styles and neo classical and classical and rock styling all in one unique package.  This together with the 'Glacial Inferno' album shows the vast talent of display of one of the finest all round keyboard players around in Vitalij Kuprij.  

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