Ælian are:

Mark Aixer: vocals
Giulio Palamenghi: guitars
Maurizio Antognoli: keyboards
Paolo Benozzato: bass
Paolo Negroni: drums and percussions

Tracklist:
The flame of love (5:39)
Hearing the wind (4:46)
Dreaming what you feel (8:42)
A tree under the colours (4:55)
Underground (5:00)
Sweet and sour (4:44)
Come to me (5:11)
The old man in the garden (2:49)

Usually when I hear an Italian progressive band it’s bands like Museo Rosenbach, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Maxophone, A Piedi Nudi, Malibran and Biglietto Per L’Inferno, but Ælian is something completely different.

Their music is a melodic FM-rock mix between Foreigner, Journey, Kansas, Marillion, Saga, Styx, Survivor and 80’s era Yes.

Their first album ”The Watcher” was released on the Musea label (FGBG 4061 AR.) in 1993.

The production is very professional, especially for being a progressive bands that is still rather unknown. The sound is crystal clear, the musicians are skilful and tight and the compositions could equal any other, much bigger, AOR band.

The vocalist Mark Aixer has a very strong and powerful voice and the rest of the band is singing marvellous background vocals with great harmonies.

If all of this wasn’t enough, the 16-page CD-booklet is very beautiful too, complete with lyrics and band pictures.

This is a very impressive album from a band that deserves a breakthrough. Recommended to lovers of AOR, FM-rock in the same vein as Yes ”90125” album.

You can download a Mp3 version of the opening track ”The Flame of Love” from the Musea Web Site at: http://www.musearecords.com/Sounds/4326-Track1.mp3. This track is one of the album’s highlights.

A Tree Under The Colours is released by MUSEA (FGBG 4326)

Ælian Info: Ælian@tin.it

-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-