Metal Underground.com

There's a lot of potential evident in Rhope's "Turning Maybes Into Reality," even if sometimes the songs feel like they could've percolated a bit longer. It's a better-than-decent debut, though sometimes the seams show as the band transitions between harsher and more melodic styles.

Granted, when the band gets it right on tracks like album-opener "Slaves," "Comedown" and a few other tracks, it's hard to believe this is a debut disc. Particularly impressive is interplay between singer Giammi Giuliani and guitarist and backing vocalist Diego Minach.

Less impressive is the way songs like "Into The Box" and "Cut The Pressure" and "Extinction Is Forever" seem to lurch along both vocally and instrumentally. "Cut The Pressure," in particular suffers in a long section in which melodic vocals and harsh screams form a cacophonic duet.

On the other hand, one can't help but admire the delightful weirdness of "Entropy Of Brain" and "Now," which combine a funky feel, courtesy of bassist Paolo Minach, with vocals that feel reminiscent of System Of A Down's Serj Tankian. Now also features Diego Minach's best solo of the album, and culminates in an excellent shift from gentle melodies to an ending frenzy.

All in all, Rhope's "Turning Maybes Into Reality" fulfills at least one of the main functions of a debut album, that of hinting at the potential of what's to come. If this band can work on fusing the disparate harsh and melodic elements of its sound a little more seamlessly, great things may lie ahead.