Khali

意大利金屬樂隊，組建于1999年。
Last known line-up:
Folco Orlandini - Vocals (Mesmerize (Ita), Eddy Antonini, Time Machine)
Joe Taccone - Guitar (Moon of Steel, Time Machine)
Nick Rosetti - Drums (Time Machine)
Lorenzo Dehò - Bass, Keyboards (Time Machine, Wuthering Heights (Session))
Review:
Lorenzo Deho wanted to create a melodic metal disc something in the Queensryche-influenced style; sort of a break from the progressive metal machine he’d been riding on for so long. He recruited Act IIsinger Folco Orlandini, and other members of Time Machine and created the side project called Khali.
Indeed, the result was a nice blend of mostly melodic metal with some progressive elements compliments of Time Machine’s blood. Most people who have heard the disc likened it to Queensryche’s Empire, and although that is at least right in the influence dept, I believe it has to do more with the guitar arrangements than anything else. It was a pleasure to hear Folco return to the watered down version of Time Machine, and of all the TM singers, Folco has the least amount of accent in his style and pronunciation. When Lorenzo gave Claus Jensen (Intromental Management) our first listen at the music, here is what we wrote about it:
It’s interesting to see different bands playing in side projects, and members from bands doing solo projects, or even remnants of one band becoming another band. Such is the case with Khali. Khali hails from the remnants of Italy’s Time Machine, minus the keyboard player and sporting singer Folco Orlandini, who sang on Time Machine’s brilliant prog metal concept disc, Act II: Galileo. The closest comparison I can make of the two bands would be something akin to the sound of Time Machine’s Eternity Ends to the melodic song structures of Queensryche’s Empire. The obvious production skills of one Lorenzo Deho (Khali, Time Machine bassist) make this disc sound similar in tone to Eternity Ends, and the melodic song structures and twin guitar harmonies really make a lot of this sound like a less heavy, yet still accessible version of Queensryche’s Empire. It’s definitely more straight-ahead than any Time Machine material, and this was the intention of the band, not to sound so progressive as Time Machine, but to be as heavy and more accessible. The result is exactly where the band wanted to go with this project.
If you have heard any previous Time Machine, then you know what these guys are capable of. Although the Khali music isn’t as progressive as TM music, the guys still have a chance to strut their stuff in a more melodic approach, yet still manage to maintain some nice heaviness due to the solid bass punch and production mixed in with the clean and harmonized guitars. Keyboards are kept to a minimum, popping up here and there as strings when needed in various places that need accenting. The drums are as solid as they are on a Time Machine disc. Nick Rossetti gets a chance to relax and take things more in stride on this disc and play in a more straightforward style. The bass, as always, is kept clean in the mix so as to be able to "hear" the bass lines as well as feel them. This is due to the obvious attention to detail that Lorenzo Deho puts into his sound. The guitar is the standout sounds here, being the driving forces of the sound, and is placed well up into the mix precisely and clean. The vocals are placed nicely in the mix too, making it easy to hear the words of each song, thanks due mostly to the accent-less style of singer Folco Orlandini. Even when the music starts to get hard driving and thick, the vocals are clear every step of the way - excellent job in the sound dept here. Lorenzo Deho has always had a hand in making great sound for Time Machine, and he has taken some of his ideas from that experience and used them to his advantage here as well.
Folco Orlandini gets to sing in a different style here. The last time you heard him singing was in a band called Mesmerize, and before that you could hear him belting out one of the better prog metal discs on Time Machine’s Act II: Galileo. Here he gets to sing lyrics in a more accessible style, using his high-pitched voice and style a little less to carry the lyrics forward. His almost accent-free, operatic, clean voice really helps to complement the melodic approach of Khali. The best example of what he can is on the epic "Wind Of Change" found on the Khali disc, in which his voice is used in a variety of ways, from layers of harmonies, to single voice, driving to soft, convincing to desperate. Some people have compared his voice and style to Geoff Tate, but I think that comes from his higher range tone than anything else.
Khali has come up with a real winner here. If you like Queensryche’s Empire, you’re sure to like what Khali has done here. It’s not quite as heavy as Empire, but the song structures and guitar layers conjure up memories of Wilton & DeGarmo in their prime blasting out tunes from Empire, which Joe Taccone has pulled off nicely here. While pure metal heads may say the music is too light, and pure prog heads may be screaming for more Time Machine, those who don’t mind a nice balance in between the two will have a blast with Khali. It’s almost refreshing to see a band trying to find it’s way through the much and back to the fun part of metal, when it was plentiful on the radio and everyone had a chance to enjoy it. I believe Khali may be the band to bring back the "fun" and accessibility in this type of music.