HEXPEROS

"The Garden Of The Hesperides"

Equilibrium Music - 2007

CD

"The Garden Of The Hesperides" is the remarkable debut album of Hexperos, a project born by the collaboration of soprano Alessandra Santovito (founder member of now defunct dark ethereal duo Gothica, known for its release on Cold Meat Industry's sublabel Cruel Moon) and double bass player, keyboardist, guitarist and composer Francesco Forgione. Other excellent musicians, like harpist Francesca Romana Di Nicola and violinists Domenico Mancini and Alessandro Pensa, are also involved.

Like in Gothica, Hexperos music is able to create a contrast between low bass tone and the heavenly voice and it can be easily compared to historical bands like Arcana and even Dead Can Dance. This album speaks of love in different forms through melodies and arrangements reflecting ethnic style, baroque, ambient, gothic and others. Thanks to her several experiences in other musical genres, Alessandra can sing in different ways and evoke with her soaring voice the sounds of various musical areas, from ethnic north European elements to Mediterranean exotic fragrances.

Somehow the sober quality of this album reminds the classical chamber music sparsely coloured with Celtic tone that finds its way into some of the tracks through the contribution of harp and violin sounds. Very impressive is their version of Giulio Caccini's "Ave Maria".

Roberta T.

Website: http://www.hexperos.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hexperos