THE GRANDMASTER – Skywards

Frontiers President and A&R director, Serafino Perugino has put together another Melodic Heavy Metal Project. This time around he pairs Brazilian singer Nando Fernandes and Edguy guitarist Jens Ludwig, with his go-to point man Alessandro Del Vecchio, to form The Grandmaster. Skywards is their debut release. Nando’s first appearance with Frontiers Music was on the 2021 Brother Against Brother self-titled debut. Coincidentally, Del Vecchio was also involved on that project.

The Album

Frontiers describes Nando Fernandes voice as similar to Ronnie James Dio, Jorn Lande, and Russell Allen. They hit the nail on head with that description. On the opening track “Lunar Water” Fernandes pushes his pipes to the limits, while his trusty axe man Jens Ludwig steals the show on “The Tempest.” Alessandro Del Vecchio’s keyboard work is haunting and piercing on “Cannot Find The Way.” Fernandes really channels Ronnie James Dio here, but high high-pitched wails may rival him.

“Song of Hope” mixes up the tempo a bit and has a little Blues swagger to it. “Skywards-Earthwards” is a power ballad full of passion and emotion. Ludwig is right there with a solo just as expressive. “Surrender” has an early 1908s feel to it with it’s pulsing keyboards and melodic vocals.

The Verdict

Skyward is presented as a mystical fantasy adventure full of powerful vocals and fiery guitar work. The problem is the adventure isn’t very exciting and you’ll swear you’ve heard this tune before. Once The Grandmaster gets a hold of their identity, they are sure to take us to far greater places.

Tracklist

1. Lunar Water
2. The Tempest
3. Someday Somehow
4. Dead Bond
5. Cannot Find The Way
6. Song Of Hope
7. Skywards – Earthwards
8. True North
9. Surrender
10. Turn The Page
11. The Source

The Grandmaster is

Nando Fernandes – Vocals
Jens Ludwig – Guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio – Bass & Keyboards
Mirkko De Maio – Drums