Adagio stirred up a wasp's nest worth of controversy over the direction of their third and latest effort,
"Dominate". The new additions and changes are really not that far fetched, but it has been enough to stir up the community that is into this sort of music. What we have here, like the previous installments, is finger smoking neo-classical bent music with a virtuosic edge. Ah not to mention a hefty dose of power metal to fuel the fires. But the loss of David Readman and the gain of Gus Monsanto in the vocalist position caused quite the uproar. Throw in the introduction of growling cookie monster vocals from guitarist Stephan Forte and you can easily see that this is not the same
Adagio that gave us "Sanctus Ignis" or even "Underworld". Those two albums were very different from one another, just as
"Dominate" is a seperate and unique entity of its own. Threads of familiarity run through the trilogy, but the latest takes bolder steps into darker territory, and these changes have not rubbed the right way with some.
But its these same tweaks to the formula that makes this
Adagio's most interesting, varied and exciting album yet. Heavier and darker, the changes that took place have enriched the overall audio package. It steers the band further away from typical neo noodlings and the songs themselves seem more cohesive and carefully prepared in places. They present a tempting mixture of symphonic progressive metal, power metal and even a little death when you take the growling vocals into consideration. The keyboards are painfully absent here, whereas they had been a driving force of the previous albums. Keys can be heard in bursts throughout the album but they don't just elbow themselves in and take over like in the past. There are plenty of other bands that represent the genre where keys are the governing force such as Artension and Royal Hunt, that seeing
Adagio take a seperate path is no great loss.
As for the players, simply put, Gus has a wonderful voice. Very forceful and clean, he can be easily compared to the likes of Russel Allen (
Symphony X) or Ripper Owens (Iced Earth) in the way he soars and then just completely dominates the music with an aggressive twist of the vocal chords. He has the perfect pipes to drive this type of music home with style, impact and passion. He settles in with the material more naturally than Readman did on "Underworld", and don't get me wrong... Readman is a masterful singer in his own right. Forte's guitar is as fabulous as ever. He shreds, he solos, he reminds me of Michael Romeo crossed with Yngwie Malmsteen, a little dash of
Timo Tolkki in there too. All of them are stamped from the same cookie cutter so that's no surprise, but it does mean he has talent, speed, and a crystal clean guitar sound.
The play between the cookie vocals and Gus' magnificent pipes is one of the main elements that gets the blood boiling. On the title track
"Arcanas Tenebrae/Dominate" they play off of each other nicely and the song itself gets points for having a killer catchy sound. All turns into shades of shadows musically as the darkness creeps in. One of the highlights of the disc by far. Thundering drums, roaring vocals, and speedy guitar riffs make for a headbanging romp. The spooky, haunted epic
"R'Lyeh the Dead" has high pitched vocals on the verse and then morphs into the majestic domineering voice for the chorus. Death growls pierce through at times, adding texture to the eerie, creepy mood that has been well established before the appearance of the growls. Again this is used on
"Terror Jungle", a mid paced piece that has a nice rhythm to it and guitars that sear all around. The bass line is worthy of attention and in the manner it contrasts to the guitars. Slick and well played all around.
Elsewhere on the disc there's the unremarkable
"Fire Forever", a run-of-the-mill, straightforward fast and blistering excerise in power metal. It moves through the motions and makes little impression.
"Children of the Dead Lake" makes the listener feel like this band is
Symphony X in disguise, with keys and piano out and about in abundance and another lightning like pacing.
"The Darkitecht" is classy and most resembles the previous works of
Adagio which should please fans of those releases. Gus really outdoes himself here vocally. He shakes the rafters with that splendid voice and makes you crave more. A fierce focus on the metallic presentation.
"Kissing the Crow" represents the ballad and
"Fame" the cover song.
"Kissing" is gorgeous and tender, delicate like a flower. The piano cries and the accompanying vocal weeps right along with it. You can feel the emotion right to the soul here.
"I'll be forever screaming...your name." Windswept, short and bittersweet and done in the spirit of Edguy's "Another Time".
"Fame" on the other hand is a delightful foray into turning pop into power. The original song from the 80s was a guilty pop pleasure and
Adagio turns it into a slamming, blistering rocker of a track. The spirit of the original is caught and then released like a hammer, thundering into the chorus. A tongue-in-cheek way to end the disc on an anything *but* serious note. The band had alot of fun tackling this one, and that sense is very contagious.
Adagio's
"Dominate" takes a few chances and comes out all the better for it. In retrospect, this is their most diverse release as they stray from the established and try out some new things. It all comes together quite nicely and the album is very reminiscent of
Symphony X. Their third singer, Gus, is a force to be reckoned with and brings alot to the table. Without such a powerhouse voice to lead the music, the album would seem much more pedestrian. His vocals push it over the edge. Those looking for a nice slice of power metal with progressive tendencies and can embrace the shadowy side, then this is definitely something to look into. Very enjoyable and surprisingly addictive, this is a worthwhile entry into the genre that shows its true depth only after further exploration. "Underworld" was a good disc, but with time,
"Dominate" will likely live up to its name.
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, August 22, 2006
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