Review: Starbynary – Romeo and Juliet, Pt. I

Style: Symphonic metal, power metal, progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Therion, (Luca [Turilli/Lione]’s) Rhapsody (of Fire), Blind Guardian, Avantasia
Country: Italy
Release date: 26 September 2025

Few stories have been retold as often and as dramatically as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy still finding new life centuries later through reinterpretation in various media. Yet, its thematic centre of young love and family duty often elude our realm of heavy metal, whose focus post-1980s-Sunset-Strip-epicenter has generally stayed far away from the romantic and the amorous. Enter Starbynary, an Italian prog-power quintet with a penchant for adapting classical literature into a modern musical context. Five years off the heels of Divina Commedia: Paradiso, the last piece of a metal trilogy based on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, they shift their focus from a Florentine poet’s vision of the afterlife to an English playwright’s view of Verona, with Romeo and Juliet, Pt. I. Through compositional discipline, they treat the tale less as a romantic myth and more as a framework for musical architecture, enriching the story with the urgency of power metal and the thoughtful nature of symphonic prog.

Starbynary have built a career on concept-driven ambition, as their previous trilogy based on the works of Dante showcased a flair for operatic scope and narrative cohesion. Romeo and Juliet, Pt. I narrows this lens a bit, from the metaphysical to the personal, from cosmic judgment to human tragedy. Vocalist Joe Caggianelli delivers his lines with clarity and abandon, enhancing and giving weight to the text with appropriate theater, but on occasion getting carried away in the melodrama, sometimes making this reviewer have to consult the original text to figure out where in the story we are. Often backed up by guest soprano Anna Piroli in the role of Juliet, the interplay between singers unfolds in airy, lyrical arcs, and nevertheless echoes the album’s emotional pull without lapsing too far into excess.

With the bombast of symphonic metal front and center, the production here is clean but never sterile, and the complexity of their prog metal style can be heard in the verses between hooky refrains, as in “Prologue”, “Behind the Mask”, and “The Duel”. The tracks often start in odd-time and carry that feeling through to a vocal-centric refrain that leads into a speedy guitar/keyboard solo section. Keyboardist Luigi Accardo can also shred with the best of them and his playing is responsible for many of the memorable melodic lines on this album, his lead tone and melodic runs evoking some of the late, great Philippe Giordana (Fairyland). On the guitars, Alessandro Cossu’s riffing is tight and concise, but I find that when the guitar work isn’t playing leads it can often take a backseat to Joe’s tenor and Anna’s soprano vocals. Kind of typical for the style, but I digress. 

The rhythm section anchors the compositions with clockwork accuracy—the drumming of Alfonso Mocerino measured yet expressive, while the bass of Sebastiano Zanotto, despite being quite low in the mix, provides melodic counterpoint in true 17th century baroque fashion, rather than simply reinforcement. The orchestrations are equally disciplined: lush and textural rather than ornamental, with lots of flourishes accenting the tracks in the background, creating space when necessary, and resulting in a bombastic mix that’s grand but still has a lot of instrument separation. Special mention goes to guest cellist Nicola Brovelli and guest violinist Gian Andrea Guerra, whose playing adds a human touch and accentuates emotional moments, as in the intro to “Desperation”. 

For a band like Starbynary, the tragedy at its core isn’t dramatized by mere volume and tempo of the background symphony, but by how well these orchestrations can exhibit contrast: periods of delicate quiet, juxtaposed with dynamic, urgent crescendos. Romeo and Juliet, Pt. I resonates not in how closely it follows Shakespeare’s plot, although it does so pretty faithfully, but in how it translates the emotional weight into a progressive, symphonic power metal form. Soaring symphonic melody lines over guitars that cut like razors and drums that snap like steel under pressure propel the songs forward with purpose to inch the narrative forward to this album’s conclusion, which, being only part one, ends with Act 3 Scene 3, and the play’s turning point with our Romeo being sent into exile. 

Starbynary have put out a solid, thoughtfully constructed album with Romeo and Juliet, Pt. I, and with a runtime of under 40-minutes, managed to avoid the bloat that often plagues symphonic concept albums. The arrangements are sharp, deliberate, and well-paced, and balance technicality with restraint, although the vocal performances may slide occasionally into melodrama. Starbynary may not push the boundaries too far on this release, but they demonstrate a strong command of the genre, and a consistent artistic vision; the result is a complete (well, not conceptually, we’ve still more story to tell) and thoughtful reinterpretation of a timeless story — and one that shows the continued strength of Italy’s symphonic metal scene.

Recommended tracks: Prologue, The Duel, Exile
You may also like: Derdian, Opera Magna, Fairyland, Thy Majestie, Opera Nera
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Elevate Records

Starbynary is:
– Joe Caggianelli (vocals)
– Luigi Accardo (keyboards)
– Sebastiano Zanotto (bass)
– Alfonso Mocerino (drums)
– Alessandro Cossu (guitars)

With guests:
– Anna Piroli (soprano vocals)
– Gian Andrea Guerra (violin)
– Nicola Brovelli (cello)