DarkTribe
The Modern Age
Scarlet Records
2015
I was quite betrigued when I heard this second full album by the previously unknown to me DarkTribe. The intro of the album is the futuristic sounding “Humanizer” that sets you up for something quite up-tempo and bombastic… as soon as “Red House of Sorrow” burst through the speakers, I got even more curious, as even if they sounded a bit “Italian”, I thought that the accent of the vocalist, (which is fine by the way) sounded a little different, a bit more refined. Turns out these guys are French. Not too many French power metal bands I can recount, to be honest so I will not even try to… they do sound fairly modern and their production even underlines that fact even more, as it’s very clean and precise, but also a little clinical as a result of that. Their singer Anthony Angello, has a very clean and lean voice and did remind me a bit of a more down to eary Kotipelto, without the heavy Finnish accent, which I suppose ain’t too bad.
Actually on “My Last Odyssey” they do sound like a more prog-inspired Stratovarius. The title track, actually, gets a lot more introspective and even the next track “A Last Will” doesn’t get much faster or joyful, but more symphonic towards it’s close.
“No Train to Earth” is a bit brighter, but has Angello, reaching for some over the top notes that sound rather forced and not so good.
“Holy Water Day” is a lot more tranquil and sounds a bit like a prayer… (no not Madonna’s…)
“Wild Call” sounds a bit like bad Sonata Arctica and isn’t that “wild” bar in a couple of places.
“Rainwar” has more interesting parts, but isn’t fine through and through…
“Anthem for a Planet” is no “Fighting for the Earth” but it is in fact a bit of a power metal hymn/dynamic number that did remind me of a weaker Highland Glory, type of thing with not as muscular vocals.
Last on the album “Darkside of Imagination” tries to sound more dynamic and darker, and sure enough is interesting, but it’s not that “Dark” and it really begs the question why the band calls themselves as they do, when the sound is quire bright and mostly happy/up-tempo. Jacob Hansen has given them a decent sound, but the overall result needs a lot more work, if they are too seriously compete on an international level...
Actually on “My Last Odyssey” they do sound like a more prog-inspired Stratovarius. The title track, actually, gets a lot more introspective and even the next track “A Last Will” doesn’t get much faster or joyful, but more symphonic towards it’s close.
“No Train to Earth” is a bit brighter, but has Angello, reaching for some over the top notes that sound rather forced and not so good.
“Holy Water Day” is a lot more tranquil and sounds a bit like a prayer… (no not Madonna’s…)
“Wild Call” sounds a bit like bad Sonata Arctica and isn’t that “wild” bar in a couple of places.
“Rainwar” has more interesting parts, but isn’t fine through and through…
“Anthem for a Planet” is no “Fighting for the Earth” but it is in fact a bit of a power metal hymn/dynamic number that did remind me of a weaker Highland Glory, type of thing with not as muscular vocals.
Last on the album “Darkside of Imagination” tries to sound more dynamic and darker, and sure enough is interesting, but it’s not that “Dark” and it really begs the question why the band calls themselves as they do, when the sound is quire bright and mostly happy/up-tempo. Jacob Hansen has given them a decent sound, but the overall result needs a lot more work, if they are too seriously compete on an international level...