ODYSSEA is the project of Labyrinth guitarist Pier Gonella. What was meant to be a speed metal album (living out his passions and skills and paying homage to his idols Satriani and Malmsteen) turned out into a power metal thing, recorded in free moments between different bands, projects and tours of all involved parties. Consequently Tears In Flood sounds scatterbrained, missing concentration and can hardly convey the passion of a Pier Gonella. Tears In Flood mutates to a callow ego trip, its main actor might be a good guitarist but lacks of mature songwriting and arrangements, making this record to a special experience for the listeners.
The guitars are of course commanding and stay selfishly in the foreground, reducing the rest of the music to a disdainful ufta-sound, especially when it comes to the overdrawn solos in every song. It really does not happen that often that the rhythm section can attract attention with groovy riffs like in Falling Star. Nevertheless the guitar lines are fast, enhanced with lots of tricky licks and hooks, running up and down the fretboard. Just the ballad Try Again calms down a little.
Keyboards are terrible, many spacy sounds and experimental lines misplaced. Singing gets contributed by Carlo Faraci, plus guest vocals by Labyrinth singer Rob Tiranti and Shadows Of Steel singer Wild Steel, ranging in clean power metal fields, not too high.
My plea: wank the fretboard back home within your own four walls!