Adagio
Dominate

THE REVIEW

The French land is reemerging, especially when it comes to metal, and it is also thanks to a band like Adagio that it can come out of anonymity.

Originally a band closely aligned with progressive metal in the vein of Symphony X, the group led by virtuoso guitarist Stefan Forté, reaching their third studio album with this "Dominate", decides to make fundamental and profound changes to their style, especially compared to their first album "Sanctus Ignis".

With the strength of an excellent production and an enviable individual technique of all members, these young yet promising guys create an album that is undoubtedly much more complex and dark than their previous work. Various outbursts with a strong melodic black flavor, accompanied by the excellent growl of the guitarist, alternate with parts closer to a power/prog of great effect, featuring a fine use of keyboards reminiscent in several moments of some melodies coming from "Dusk And Her Embrace" by Cradle Of Filth: this does not represent a sort of plagiarism though, as the group, while becoming harder, maintains the prerogatives of any prog group. It's also noteworthy that the clean parts are no longer performed by the previous singer David Readman, but the singing is done by the Brazilian Gustavo Monsanto.

Comprised of eight tracks, the album explores various metal fields; in addition to the already mentioned prog/power and black outbursts, we find drum parts close to the typical rhythms of Scandinavian death and also more symphonic and open parts, as well as melodic since melody remains the main feature of the album. The album flows until the end, tinged with neo-classical tones in the first part, like in the case of the first song, then moving to prog with black touches in the second two tracks, and finally transforming into a power/prog intensified by tight rhythms, growl parts alternating with a clean and crystalline voice, often accompanied by guitar solos (very fast, even if at times they seem more like exercises in style) that duel with keyboards that throughout the album will keep the listener company, delighting them in the more melodic parts and helping to increase the tension in the darker and harsher segments.

It's also worth noting the presence (quite unnecessary to be honest) of the cover of the song "Fame", which turns out to be truly superfluous in an album that might not go down in history, but that will surely satisfy many palates, even the most demanding ones.