Unlike most Italian Power Metal bands I’ve heard, which are typically symphonic outfits that are dedicated to worshipping Rhapsody Of Fire in every possible aspect, Future Is Tomorrow, a relatively unknown band, spawns a near-seamless blend of Power and Progressive Metal while creating lyrical themes involving the effect that death has on society. Using this, they’ve successfully crafted a well above-average debut in the form of a concept album called Fit to Die (Part I) (a great album title considering the band’s acronym), which tells the tale of a man who has died and is now watching his own funeral and observing his mourners. It’s quite an ambitious premise for an unsigned band, and FIT takes it on quite efficiently, with good production, solid musicianship, great songwriting packed with awesome melodies, and an all-male choir that reminds me of the one featured on Heavenly’s masterpiece Dust To Dust album. This really is one of the better Power Metal albums I’ve heard this year, and it flat-out rocks from start to finish.

The album begins with Dead (Requiem Aeternam), which gives you a good taste of the band’s sound right from the start; tons of proggy, Dream Theater-esque galloping guitar riffs, drums that alternate from being moderate to fast-paced, and melodic singing that is quite unique; The singer almost reminds me of Elvenking’s vocalist at times, which is not a bad thing by any means as far as I’m concerned (There’s also harsh, almost blackened vocals that occasionally pop up as well). As the tracks begin to blaze by, we’re given further tastes of FIT’s sound. On Another Soul (Kyrie), you hear the excellent male choir for the first time, and are treated to some excellent vocal hooks and great tapped lead-guitar riffing in the intro; All For You (Dies Irae) mixes things up a bit with acoustic riffing in the verse and more use of the choir throughout the track, along with a stellar guitar solo and nice vocal harmonies in the chorus; The title track amps things up a bit, with killer speed and big, big melodies, as well as some nice piano and acoustic guitar breaks; And 10 - minute plus closer The Day Of Retribution (Recordare) makes for a perfect ending, one that builds in speed and bombast throughout, even if it does fizzle a bit at the end. Even the “Filler” tracks have their moments, as FIT seems to have a natural talent for writing memorable hooks.

I can’t judge the lyrics as much as I’d like, since the songbook doesn’t contain them (only the Italian spoken segments are in it), but the bits I managed to catch sound well-written, which is good since the music itself isn’t all that varied. There is nothing resembling a ballad, and most of the riffs are fairly standard Power – Prog affairs, but the songwriting is so damn great and the tracks so instantly accessible that these problems are rather miniscule. Fit To Die is incredibly catchy and rather charming throughout; the production, while being good yet still having a bit of an “Underground” feel, does much to add to that charm. While most of the elements aren’t original in themselves, the band as a whole is remarkably unique in its simplicity because of how well they combine Power and Prog into one cohesive sound. Hopefully they will be signed to a label in the future where they will be given a bigger recording budget and a better opportunity to continue their ideas and the Fit to Die story. A definite must-listen for fans of complex Power Metal!

Fit To Die is available for purchase here: www.cdbaby.com/cd/FutureIsTomorrow