Album Review: Udi Levy – Aleksandria

By Nick Leonardi on July 12, 2022

With the amount of records being released in the present era, ranging from the bedroom to high-class studio productions, it is quite a challenge to satisfy my hunger for music lately. Most of this has to do with the fact that the music being released today lacks sincerity. Maybe I am stuck badly to the old-school understanding of rock music, but even though I try so hard, it happens quite a lot that I cannot understand and enjoy the modern music. The sound of 1970s is my comfort zone.

The work of Udi Levy, a NYC-based guitarist and composer, on his newest offering Aleksandria could be described as a true progressive rock/metal band with touches of metal here and there and plenty of middle easter influences, offering well-thought melodies, arrangements, and passages that connect the dots that are quite enjoyable. Levy, who beside the guitar work also handles the arrangement of other instruments present on the release, absolutely shines.

After the lush opener in the shape of “Before the End,” the album continues with “Siege,” which shows that Aleksandria has a lot to offer. With often changes, Levy distances himself from delivering just a pure, lifeless showcase of technical proficiency, something that he definitely has, but rather presents the work that is alive, dynamic and above all, interesting.

References to various stylistically different artists can be heard in Levy’s music. His explorations within the classic era of progressive metal speak of that, but Levy is not afraid to delve deeper and expand his horizons. As Aleksandria flows by, a listener is taken to a sound-trip that gets more metal-esque. Each of the songs on the album has its own personality, and labelling this record under a single genre would do the artist a lot of injustice.

To summarise, Aleksandria is a record largely based on the progressive metal genre channelling many different elements. This is a true epic, both in length and amount of quality material, which requires quite a few listens to get into it. How far Udi Levy is ready to go? Time will tell. But for now he is on the right path.

Have a listen of Aleksandria on Apple Music.