Adagio
Archangels In Black

THE REVIEW

There were not many bands that could count on the favor of critics like Adagio, who with works like "Sanctus ignis" and "Underworld" pleasantly surprised, providing power metal, but more generally the entire category, with a notable dose of compositional freshness.

They were one of the first groups of the "modern" era to develop their own philosophy, without merely rehashing the usual Stratovarius and Helloween-like stuff. The oppressive power/progressive sound of the early albums was then partially abandoned in "Dominate," the "artistic" precursor to "Archangels in black," the fourth album by the French band, released in early February 2009.

Many, perhaps too many, were the expectations surrounding Adagio's latest effort at the time: they had accustomed their fans too well to not think that sooner or later they too would encounter the quicksand of failure. But while for other bands the desire to change sound almost always coincided with difficulty in managing to emerge, Adagio shifted part of their offering in an attempt to do one of the most hated things in music, that is, the attempt to "gain new fans." Not content with their early good works and critical favor, they tried to soften and "speed up" everything: "Archangels in black" is the result of this choice. A choice that evidently didn't pay off...

The band members seem to have completely lost their compass: this affects a somewhat disconnected songwriting that too often relies on individual solos (the long "Codex Oscura", which in its instrumental wanderings in the central part shows all the lack of ideas that Adagio have sunk into). Each piece adds nothing to the band's history: it seems almost that, in reference to their name, the members have settled into a power metal devoid of any experimentation, far removed from the enigmatic darkness of "Sanctus ignis" and "Underworld."

The decline of power/symphonic metal is now undeniable. The key groups of the genre remain along the lines of the works that made them famous, thus continuing to maintain that group of followers still willing to follow them. Others, however (with the exception of those very few positive cases), are happy to hit themselves on the balls, believing that simplifying the songs and adding a few more choruses is enough to create noteworthy albums. It is an increasingly common mistake that is taking victim after victim and will continue to eliminate bands that we once would have called "worthy." Adagio (like others) have decided to crush their balls: "Archangels in black" is a poorly executed mix of everything that has circulated around for twenty years, starting with an ugly and useless cover. Another band to be done away with.

1. "Vamphyiri" (4:26)
2. "The Astral Pathway" (5:04)
3. "Fear Circus" (3:59)
4. "Undead" (4:40)
5. "Archangels In Black" (5:37)
6. "The Fifth Ankh" (4:43)
7. "Codex Oscura" (9:07)
8. "Twilight At Dawn" (6:23)
9. "Getsu Senshi" (3:42)