Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Dominici
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2007
With the first part of the O3 trilogy (2005), Charlie Dominici returned to the music scene after more than eighteen years. He crept back in quietly with a fully acoustic record, and it looked like he was deliberately distancing himself from his progressive metal past. Many of us were wondering what path Dominici would take next. The first part of the trilogy offered something completely new and fresh in Charlie’s discography, but the second part promises a full 360-degree turnaround. The goal: pure progressive metal in all its glory.
This time the whole band joins Charlie, and largely because of that, the trilogy concept comes alive even more than on the first part. Thanks to its acoustic approach, the first part worked more like a kind of story narration, but this time the excellent lineup throws it straight in our faces! The new lineup works as one great whole, its members are technically seriously skilled, and this time Dominici, as a band, return to their progressive metal roots – from Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Shadow Gallery to newer acts like Circus Maximus and Vox Tempus, you can name them all as influences, even though the record sounds very fresh and like a self-contained whole. Back to the basics of technical metal, then.
The record opens with a mighty 8-minute instrumental overture, The Monster. A real blast of excellent progressive metal, with the band shining in the best possible light. The track is packed with keyboards, fantastic guitar bits and sound effects that build the ambience. Dominici, as the main writer of both music and lyrics, shows off his strengths right on this opening track.
With Nowhere To Hide the band hits harder and the music fits the lyrics perfectly. They introduce the main character and his background as a violent alcoholic (a funny coincidence, but I’d just finished reading King’s novel The Shining, whose protagonist has similar “issues”, and that gives the song an even deeper meaning). Charlie proves himself right from the start, singing in the style of Geoff Tate, but the band is the real killer, not lagging one bit behind Dominici’s former bandmates.
Captured and then Greed, The Evil Seed carry on, dark but emotional, touching on the ever-relevant themes of political corruption, greed and abuse of power. With incredibly fluid guitar lines, Maillard has no trouble getting close to his fellow six-stringer Petrucci, Yan shines on drums, and Charlie reaches for the vocal heights. Dominici already proved on the first part that he’s more than an excellent vocalist, but on the second part he simply shines, serving up his unique style that builds on the influences of Geddy Lee (Rush), Halford (Judas Priest) and similar vocal giants, yet is completely his own.
School of Pain is a proper metal shockwave, with the Maillard brothers shining again, and Yan acting like a war drummer dictating the tempo of the attack to his soldiers. The Calling continues in a similar vein with a catchy chorus, where Charlie once again sounds like he’s singing for his life. The excellent symphonic ballad The Real Life slows things down, with Rigoldo shining through with gorgeous keyboard lines.
Out of a heap of great tracks, it’s hard to pick the best one, but maybe it’s The Cop. The vocal and guitar lines complement each other incredibly well, and Dominici and Maillard both shine. The rhythm section keeps up, with Atzeni showing off nicely with some beautiful bass tapping.
The closing A New Hope, in contrast to the dark atmosphere of the album, touches on more positive and optimistic themes. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel after all… The surprising ending seems to hint that the story will continue.
Even though the two parts of the trilogy are completely different from each other, I can still say that the second part is better and works as an upgrade of the first. The record is full of fluid guitars and rich keyboards backed by an excellent rhythm section, and the whole thing is spiced up by Charlie’s fantastic vocals. According to Dominici, we’ll have to wait until 2008 for the conclusion of the story.
What on earth will Charlie have in store for the finale…
Lineup
Charlie Dominici – vocals
Brian Maillard – guitar
Americo Rigoldi – keyboards
Riccardo “eRik” Atzeni – bass guitar
Yan Maillard – drums
Track list
1. The Monster
2. Nowhere To Hide
3. Captured
4. Greed, The Evil Seed
5. School Of Pain
6. The Calling
7. The Real Life
8. The Cop
9. A New Hope
