Knyght - Destination Unknown (2007)

Knyght – Destination Unknown (2007, independent demo)

Stop Me
Neverland (2007 mix)
The Believer (2007 mix)
I’ll Live In Your Shadow
Destination Unknown

Band Lineup:
Tommaso Forni - Vocals, Guitar
Oliviero Forni - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dario Stagnitto- Bass, Backing Vocals
Paolo Montinaro- Drums
Francesco “The Doc” – Keyboards

Produced by: Knyght

Total Time = 17:46

Knyght is a young AOR/Melodic Rock band from Rome, ITALY that are starting to make some noise in Europe. When I say “young” I mean it, all the members are in their very early 20s. The band was founded in 2002 so the guys were teenagers when they started out. Knyght has released two demos already but DESTINATION UNKNOWN is their latest offering that gives fans a taste of what they are capable of.

The music is a blend of straight up AOR, mixed with a Bon Jovi influence and Geddy Lee style vocals. Of the five tracks, three are new songs and the other two are re-recorded versions that appeared on previous demos. What you hear right away on ‘Stop Me’ is that the guys can write a song with a melodic hook. It’s very catchy but the mix seems a bit sketchy, the vocals and keyboards are way out front and overpower the rest of the band. Same goes for ‘Neverland’, there are catchy moments but the mix makes the song disjointed. I like the guitar solo on ‘I’ll Live In Your Shadow’ and the song has major potential.

Here’s what the guys need: a good producer and engineer. I’m not faulting the band for producing the demo themselves, money is probably an issue for such a young band. Get a decent producer/engineer that can tighten the mix and give the sound a balance and I think that the songs will sound a lot better. Tommaso Forni has a major Italian accent when singing in English but a good producer could cover that with an even mix. Right now, Tommy is way out front and the accent can be distracting to U.S. ears. He also has a very high voice that reminds me of Geddy Lee (Rush) but there is a lack of control that Tommy needs to work on. Same with the keys, push them back a bit and let the guitar, bass, and drums be heard. Each instrument should complement each other, not drown each other out. These are small critiques but they could help a hungry young band get to the next level because there is potential.

Bottom Line:
Add an experienced producer/engineer, tighten the mix, and get more experience in the songwriting and performance departments. If Tommaso can make his voice stronger and have more control on top of the rest, I think we could see Knyght get signed in the next couple of years. Frontiers Records is from Italy, maybe a developmental deal could help the band? I hear potential and there are parts of each song I like…..I will be keeping my eye on Knyght in the future. For a young band, they have a good start.

Thanks to Kissmar and Lostryder for this