Customer Reviews

Last Days of Utopia

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

 

 

No, of all the epic metal bands out there, Rhapsody still remains number one. As for this album, it comes pretty close. I found this album in the cover of another album by lmp records, and decided to pick it up since it seemed similar to a rhapsody album. I am glad i did so, for it was well worht the money!!

Overall, if you havent heard Rhapsody, the sound is a very unique type of metal. It makes use of an extrodinary wide variety of instruments, adding an epic feeling to the entire cd. My personal favorite are those times when they have this symphonic feeling added in the background.

A little bit more about the cd? Most noticeably to me, the drums are near perfect. SOmehow, they jsut fit into the rest of the music perfectly. They're nothing outstanding by themselves, but they add exactly what the band needs to produce this epic sound. The use of the double bass drum petals are also well placed, which adds a fast, driving feel at critical times.

The accompanying symphony is extrodinary. The choir is extremely powerful, giving a deep and fuller sound to the lead vocals. Next, the miscellaneos percussion sounds add another layer to the songs. Makes the cd extremly enjoyable to listen to, as well as promoting the atmosphere of the storyline. Finally, it adds a nice fanfare aspect to the songs. I am a personal fan of powerful sounding music, and the choir and fanfare aspects make this cd spectacular.

The guitar parts aren't noticeably brought out, but when they are, its extremely well done. The solos are... thrilling... for lack of better words. Also, there are several places where it is just the guitar, and these happen to be my personal favorite parts. If you want out-of-the-ordianrry guitar work and solos, this isnt the cd, but like the drums, it fits in perfectly to the overall effect.

Finally, the vocals. Not much to say here. DOn't get me wrong, they're awesome, but again, they sound a lot like the vocals from kamelot and other various metal bands.

Overall, I would definately advise any metal fan to get this cd. The reason for this is for the overall effect of the music and the sound of the cd. No oneaspect is anything supernatural, but they all come together to create an atmosphere unique to only the best of metal bands. FOr this, it easily earns 4 stars.

I bought this cd 'cus it was limited editon to 4,000 and had a bonus cd, a poster and a sticker. The cover artwork is quite eye-catching, so I thought I'd give it a try. The sticker on the cd it said it was a conceptual melodic metal masterpiece and this is true. I've always been a fan of concept albums, and this album delivers from heaviness to melodic metal. With great orchestrations, great guitar work and an outstanding drummer, with a rememberable vocalists. With all the bonuses this is a must have for people who like a story to go along with their music.

Fourth post-reunion album by German melodic/power metal band "Domain" originally released in 2005. The band is led by guitar hero Axel `Ironfinger' Ritt and fronted by singer Carsten Schulz ("Evidence One"); the line up also features bassist Jochen Mayer, drummer Steffan Kolner and key player Erdmann Lange.

"Domain" is equally a melodic metal band as it is a power metal band, which suggest that melody is never sacrificed in favour of speed; and this ability of balancing the two aspects of their music makes for a hugely appealing sound extending beyond the boundaries of Power metal. On that count `Last days of Utopia' is probably their most diverse album demonstrating a variety of tempos and different levels of heaviness/aggression.

Equally important is the fact that the sound of "Domain" is not simply a guitar/drum affair instead the keyboards carry a huge amount of orchestrations and bold melodies while the bass plays an equally important role, underlining the more intense parts of each song; Never neglecting the contribution of lead singer Carsten who puts the soul into each song.

Looking into particular songs, `Ocean paradise' is probably the most representative of the album (amongst the best they have ever written) that moves through various twists to reach an explosive chorus. Next you get `The beauty of love' which despite the obvious title is an immense ballad so good that breaks any a power metal stereotype, plus the guitar frenzy of the title track which brings the album back on the power metal track.


Finally, a really good melodic/power metal album and one of the best "Domain" have released; If you are a fan of melodic/power, you will find great depth in `The last days of Utopia'.

Young bands often hold down day jobs - it's acceptable. These guys aren't young lads though and I get the impression they work at the mail sorting room in Stuttgart or something. Nothing wrong with that but now I've been uncharitable and said it you know exactly what this thing will be like. And if your still not sure have a look at the cover artwork and factor in it's a concept album I bought from a delete bin for around the price of a chocolate bar and you'll know.

But it's not as bad as it could of been. The in-house production is pretty good for what must of been a very tight budget and the music isn't bad. The guitarist - Axel `Ironfinger' Ritt does at least live up to his name by coming up with some really good solos throughout the songs and the vox are quite acceptable for the power/trad metal category. And bonus points for not being all over the high end of the register but instead more mid range.

The album itself is a concept piece and really it all sounds pretty good and the booklet gives the back story (thank you Rhapsody and Savatage) and a couple of instrumentals punctuate the flow of things. I won't go into the concept of the album in order not to spoil it for any prospective buyers but parts of it are obviously the work of men who have a few years life experience under their belts.

All up a highly derivative effort but far better than I expected. Perhaps for fans of Shadow Gallery and the like as this is a serviceable enough album of alternately sad and triumphant music with care and attention lavished upon it.