Customer Reviews

Dominion Gate

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't know this band at all before I went to their "Dominion Gate" concert. I didn't expect much from them, but I quickly realized these guys are great. They gave a terrific performance- their group, including 5 members (2 guitars, bass, drums and a vocalist) performed their song with power and skill. They have been both professional and tremendously "crowed friendly"- Jo Amore, the vocalist, was great and funny at times, and singing along in "The circle of the dark" was really fun. Their songs themselves were excellent and well-made.
I really liked Nightmare, and the concert convinced me to get "The Dominion Gate".

The songs in this album are very good. The guitars are heavy and powerful, with a solo in each song. Jo Amore's power metal vocals are excellent and very emotional. Some of the songs are heavier than others ( "Heretic" for example), there is one ballad, "Haunting memories", yet gets heavy at some points(He begins singing this one with a non-power metal voice, and he doesn't sounds as good there, but that's the only time he does so in the album)."The Dressmaker" is a song that does well in expressing the terror in the lyrics. My favorite might be "Messenger of Faith".
The one problem I have with this fine album is the added vocals. Sometimes those are OK, but the female vocals don't fit- it's not that the woman who sang them has a bad voice, it's that it isn't a "metal voice". While it's alright in a single line in "A Taste of Armageddon", in "The Dominion Gate" she sings a larger part that sounds out of place. The choir in "K-141" also doesn't feel completely right, but Amore sings this one with emotion to make it good.
I would give them 4.5 stars if I could, but between 4 and 5 I chose the later- They are good, professional band that made a fine power metal album.

I suggest that you give Nightmare a shot. This album certainly worth it.

For once, I gambled on a power metal album and it paid off. I had never heard of Nightmare before but decided to try this CD just because of the cover alone. I was not disappointed. Bill O-Reilly would probably hate me for this, but I like these French rockers.

A lot of the power metal I've heard is so bland and generic, I almost hesitate to try anything new. In this case, it was well worth it. The music is excellent with plenty of twists and turns, and there are even some memorably melodies I can't get out of my head. They use some unusual chord progressions and timing changes that make the music unique and a notch above... make that several notches above... the genre.

This is quite enjoyable and I highly recommend it.