Original Dream Theater vocalist Charlie Dominici returns with the third installment of his epic, conceptual trilogy. I must confess to ignoring the first two chapters strictly based on Charlie Dominici’s presence. I never liked his vocal style in Dream Theater, so I surmised that I would not like it in his own band either. I am happy to announce, in this case, that I was wrong. Dominici (the band) are a well-lubricated Prog-Metal machine, vocals included.Much of what is present here is your standard Prog-Metal fare. There are loads of shredding solos, from both guitars and keyboards. The music is a strong mix of metallic riffage and syncopated, choppy rhythms. They never get so chop-happy that they lose the groove, either. The melodies, both musically and vocally, are strong and memorable. We even have a post-apocalyptic, quasi-spiritual storyline. What makes this album enjoyable, aside from the standard elements, is that while they’re treading well known ground, they’re doing it with energy and conviction. This is a band that truly means it. The production is crystal clear, the tones are rich and the energy level is high. I dare any Prog-Metal fan to not be sucked in by the mood and sincerity of these performances.
Songs like “March Into Hell”, “Revelation” & “Liquid Lightning” are simply massive in both intensity and catchiness. The albums’ power ballad “So Help Me God” is strong and moving. The albums two 10-minute epics, “Enemies Of God” and closing cut “Genesis”, entertain, energize and never once get close to boring. There, I’ve said enough. Fans of Dream Theater, Threshold & others of this ilk should be grabbing this one up fast.
