Italy has its fair share of musical talents, so it’s no surprise hearing Rome guitar player Lorenzo Carrano come up with some tasteful, inspired tunes on his – extra weighty, at a whopping 16 songs – second record, Musicarium. We can’t know for sure if the name is a play on Dream Theater’s Octavarium, but it doesn’t take a close inspection of Lorenzo’s style to discern his love for the prog metal majesties. It’s seeping through both his rhythm and lead work, which pleasantly reminds us of Petrucci’s solo record from 2005 without sounding like a copyshop job.

The production on Musicarium is raw and real, the record sounding like sitting on the couch across Lorenzo as the man rips through shred runs intermixed with delicate melodies. Indeed, while he knows how to rock and isn’t afraid to show it, Carrano tends to go for a gentle and nostalgic mood. This isn’t going to jibe with everybody, but we’re pretty sure you will appreciate the feel and self-expression contained within each song.

It sounds like a cliche, but Lorenzo plays from the heart – a virtuoso he may be, but the music never sounds calculated. And with a whopping 16 compositions, the man has a lot to say with guitar in hand!

Thanks to Carrano’s expressive style, Musicarium sounds very personal, even though there’s not a single word to be heard throughout the record – it’s entirely instrumental, old-school in a way, and it feels just right. There’s a lot to hear from this Roman, so don’t miss out on this fine guitar work assembly!