The Dogma
A Good Day to Die

An air of novelty shakes up the norms of heavy metal, brightening these last spring days caught by a sudden wave of rains, which now seem to have run their course to make way for the scorching summer heat. Are these the days most suited to die? Who knows... Let fate decide our solemn hour, and in the meantime, let's enjoy the new album by The Dogma, yet another revelation of the Italian metal scene, which had risen to prominence in previous years thanks to the demo "Symphonies of love and hate" and the flawless debut "Black roses", a true amalgam of heavy metal and melancholic, sometimes funereal, gothic sensations. Do not be misled by the release date of the quintet from Ancona’s new work (the album has been distributed since April by Drakkar Records), with "A good day to die", they return more convincing than ever to delight our ears, explore even the most hidden sensitivity, and, as it should be, overwhelm us with their impetuous melodic assault.

Driven by the booming voice of Dickinson-like Daniele Santori, the technical skills of guitarist Cosimo Binetti (who offers a beautiful solo in every piece), and the pounding drumming of Marco Bianchella (recently returned to the band's lineup after an injury that sidelined him, leading to the possibility that the legendary Mike Terrana, ex-Rage, recorded all the drum parts for "Black roses"), "A good day to die" unfolds through thirteen tracks that, from any point you analyze them, ooze pure perfection. The black and white drama perfectly framed in the artwork soon becomes reality, thanks to the intro "Beginning of the end", a short prelude with funeral rite verses and sad piano notes in the background destined to explode into the driving yet melancholic main riff of the title track. The opener settles on a nice mid-tempo and is played on the successful alternation between piano and guitar, with a nice orchestration insert and the pleasant voice of Lisa Middelhauve (Xandria) strengthening the team, perfectly fitting the role of singers of broken hopes and painful memories. And then, since our heroes decided not to repeat themselves, two injections of pure modern-power adrenaline ("In the name of rock" and "Bitches street") overwhelm us with their catchiness, thanks especially to the work of keyboardist Stefano Smeriglio, author of passages reminiscent of the latest Edguy. Do not think, however, that The Dogma's spirit has become cheerful all of a sudden; there remains a underlying bitterness and chiaroscuro anger evident in the refined lyrics of both tracks. The listener will then feel cold chills running down their spine when engulfed by the grandiloquent lyrical triumph of "She falls on her grave", the gothic moves of "I hate your love", and the movingly dramatized ballad "Autumn Tears", a stage from which to admire Daniele's laudable interpretative skills, in this case as gentle as a spring rain, touching in its emitted sadness. We are facing three masterpieces of melancholy, interspersed only by an anthemic and very heavy "Ridin' the dark".

Introduced by a riff from Smeriglio, "Angel in cage" soon puts the boldness of the verses in the foreground and turns it into dark languor in the chorus of Scandinavian memory, again featuring the Xandria singer. A slightly subdued interlude immediately balanced by "Back from hell", a track enhanced by numerous tempo changes and a chorus where Andrea Massetti's bass and Bianchella's drums seem intent on tearing the sky open with their vehemence, supported on this occasion by an imposing and damned lyrical choir. In the final part, guitar and keyboard solos follow each other wildly. May the notes of this masterpiece remain marked, as if branded into your memory. "Feel my pain" marks yet another attention to arrangements, which never become cloying or overpowering like in other metal acts but always contribute to creating a nice crescendo, like the one in this song, entrusted to the duet between Daniele and the choir. "Bullet in my soul" is the last metallic stronghold of the album: tenors and sopranos sing a Requiem, and the singer's voice cries to the sky, once again, its own despair. But this is only the prelude to the elegiac triumph of strings and sorrow in "Christine closed her eyes", the final act of a concept without hope, the epitaph of a gripping and memorable album.

With the second chapter of their saga, The Dogma affirm themselves again as an inspired and more than ever convincing band (though less complex compared to the debut), ready for the big leap now for already two years. "A good day to die" is an album that revisits gothic themes in a heavy style with enviable and disarming naturalness; this time it truly is a case to shout about a miracle. Italian music has a new great glory to be proud of.