Rockets The Final Frontier: A Major Cosmic Album

Written on 19 July 2025 - 1097 views

The mythical group Rockets is back with an album as awaited as it is symbolic: The Final Frontier, released on October 31, 2024. This opus marks a special milestone in the history of the Franco-Italian space combo: a deliberate return to their roots, with a resolutely forward-looking vision. Between tributes and new sonic explorations, The Final Frontier stands out as a pivotal piece in their discography.

The album is available for purchase or streaming on all major platforms: Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and also on Zamusica (Italy).

A Journey Between Past and Future

After revisiting their own history with Time Machine (2023), an album of covers and re-readings of classics, the Rockets are now back on the road of original compositions. The Final Frontier clearly draws from the space-rock repertoire of the ’70s and ’80s, while modernizing arrangements and textures. Fans of Plasteroid or Galaxy will find familiar sounds, but this time the production is cleaner, better balanced, and less compressed than in recent years.

The format choice is also telling: 10 tracks for the vinyl version, with 4 bonus tracks added in the CD and digital versions, including a three-part instrumental suite that elegantly closes the album.

Musicians in Full Command

The strength of The Final Frontier also lies in the cohesion of a band that knows its DNA inside out. Each member makes an essential contribution:

Fabrice Quagliotti, the band’s historic keyboardist since 1977, remains the master of cosmic atmospheres. He plays with textures, electronic layers, and vocoders with a subtlety that hits the mark.

Fabri Kiarelli, singer and guitarist, asserts himself as the creative engine of this record. He composed several major tracks (Ride the Sky, Break the Silence, Cyber Love) and delivers a more natural, less robotic vocal style than in previous albums. His voice reconnects with the human warmth of the early Rockets, while keeping the galactic aesthetic.

Gianluca Martino, on guitar, shines especially on more melodic pieces like Ballade pour la Terre, where his playing becomes airy, almost cinematic.

Rosaire Riccobono, faithful bassist, anchors the band’s sound with effective lines, sometimes classic, sometimes synthetic. He provides essential rhythmic depth on tracks like Flesh and Bones or Break the Silence.

Eugenio Mori, on drums, oscillates between electronic grooves and acoustic percussion, giving the whole album depth and dynamics.

A special thrill comes from the exceptional participation of Alain Maratrat, founding member and iconic guitarist of the Rockets in the ’70s. He delivers a poignant solo on Cosmic Castaway, a tribute piece that takes on a special meaning since his passing in May 2025. His performance, sober and emotional, is one of the album’s highlights.

Strong and Varied Tracks

The journey offered by The Final Frontier is rich and coherent. The album opens with Ride the Sky, an energetic track where catchy riffs and unifying choruses immediately plunge the listener into the Rockets universe.

With Flesh and Bones, the musicians unveil an emotional ballad, carried by Martino’s delicate guitar and Kiarelli’s subtle vocals.

Ballade pour la Terre offers a contemplative moment: an atmospheric instrumental where the piano-guitar duo works wonders, creating an almost cinematic ambiance.

On Cyber Love, the Rockets embrace a more electro-metal side, with a powerful riff and almost cyberpunk sounds, at times reminiscent of Judas Priest in space.

Finally, Cosmic Castaway rises as a sensitive homage, marked by Maratrat’s crystalline playing. This piece is undoubtedly one of the emotional high points of the album.

The bonus triptych Epilogue (Part 1-3) closes the album ambitiously: a progressive suite mixing retro synths, melancholic melodies, and soaring instrumentals. A way for the Rockets to connect their silver past with their electronic present.

A Packed Tour

On the live front, the Rockets have been busy. After the release of The Final Frontier, the band played about fifteen dates this winter across France and Italy, reconnecting with a loyal, intergenerational audience.

For summer 2025, six concerts are already scheduled in August, with appearances at several European festivals. But that’s not all: a new winter tour is announced for early 2026, with about twenty dates planned. Proof that the Rockets, far from running out of steam, continue to hit the stage with undiminished energy.

Conclusion: A Farewell or a New Beginning?

With The Final Frontier, the Rockets deliver a sincere and inspired album, reconciling long-time fans with 21st-century sounds. Far from the overproduced records of recent years, the band finds a new freshness in composition and authenticity in performance. Each musician finds their place, with no overload or showboating.

Is this a swan song or a new beginning? Hard to say. But one thing is certain: if The Final Frontier were to be their ultimate journey, it would be a dignified, luminous farewell—faithful to their cosmic legend.

See you soon, here or elsewhere !

Chrys