With their current record Italians finest NEVERDREAM definitely grow up to decade-chroniclers of the last century. While Christiane F - Chemical Faith was focusing on drug abuse in general and a private fate in detail, the band attends on Souls - 26.April - 1986 to a global catastrophe. The date behind the title of course refers to the ultimate worse case scenario at Russian nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, which gave live to an atomic holocaust in a twinkling of an eye. 22 years later NEVERDREAM build up a musical memorial to this event.
Heavy guitars á la Rammstein open very angry. But before any suspicion sprouts that here might reign simple Teuton metal, a bulky jazz-like piano set in and torpedoes straight rocking heaviness. Silence evolves to a song of manifold moods and breaks. And it all suits well: up from Fabrizio Dottoris saxophone, bringing in the dark moments of Roxy Music, up to Giorgio Massimis voice that perfectly supports the music, no matter if clean sung or electronically distorted. That’s the progression to the predecessor I was hoping for. The opening track acts as a perfect prologue, already owning all elements of the album. Wrath and mourning, horror and vulnerability, added by the perfect music, sometimes beamy and raw, sometimes gentle and restrained, but always spreading progressive vibes, hardly knowing fears of contacts and not stopping at occasional dissonances. That’s probably inevitable at such musical theme.
There are many reminiscences to find. Next to the already mentioned ones, also traces of Dream Theater are represent, especially in Victims, the heaviest track on this record, that casually and not affected makes a step towards Death Metal. Pink Floyd is to name, for example in the middle part of the otherwise harsh sounding Looking The Lies, without seeing the band ruminating. Musical echoes get perfectly integrated into the overall concept. But on Souls - 26.April - 1986 is no place anymore for sweetish Italian ballads. Spreading a rough charm the almost completely piano dominated Across The Tears comes sooner as a Tori Amos meets Queen mélange, than Eros Ramazotti with taste (nevertheless I like these moments on the predecessor ;)). Secret highlight on this record is the song Waterfalls with its emotional refrain and the impressing drumwork by Gabriele Palmieri.
If there is a need to compare this record (there is actually not) Arjen Lucassen and his project Ayreon inevitably come to mind, which likewise manages to merge such different styles and influences into an atmospheric conceptual work.
So do NEVERDREAM! They just cut out bombast and big opera; instead stay more experimental, wild and earthy. Souls - 26.April - 1986 is an excellent album that fortunately does not drown in kitschy consternation, but offers a thrilling journey through a gloomy chapter of the 20th century (and there are many themes that can be picked up by the band ;)). The best thing is: Souls - 26.April - 1986 grows with every new run and owns a damn high half-life.
Of course, I’m already curious with what theme NEVERDREAM will come up from the 90’s (…and the other decades. I already cleared the shelf ;)).

PS: Waterfall is a secret highlight, because it is primus inter pares. Also the finale owns a similar epic breath and teems with variety. Most of all Fabrizzio Dottori shines on Souls with his saxophone.
PPS: Produced by Achim Köhler („Akeem“ engineer of Accept, Brainstorm, Nevermore, Primal Fear and other ones) and the band itself, he cannot understand, why NEVERDREAM is still without a strong distribution partner. With the release of Chemical Faith a label should have been applied to them. I at least would have done so.