ALBUM REVIEW: Forgotten Reveries – Darktribe

With plenty of progressive elements, symphonic dramatism and lyrics concerned with internal struggles and the world around us, DARKTRIBE capably continue their journey to be the thinking person’s power metal band on their latest album, Forgotten Reveries.

Setting the stage for the record is the haunting instrumental opener Paradox, its light and shade neatly encompassing what to expect for the next hour. As it segues into first track proper, I Walk Alone, DARKTRIBE’s musical focus quickly becomes clear. Sparkling, cosmic synths are juxtaposed with down-tuned, aggressive guitars before it all builds into a sweeping chorus with just a touch of melancholy. Indeed, what DARKTRIBE absolutely excel at is huge, evocative vocal melodies while keeping things suitably grounded through guitar-dense heaviness. The following track, The Fallen World, is another prime example, jumping between chug-heavy riffs and a wistful, almost pop-like chorus. It’s a strong formula that DARKTRIBE employs, defining much of the material of the album to mostly great effect.

There is of course some variation within that framework though. Sicilian Danza sees DARKTRIBE lean more strongly towards their symphonic tendencies, with big and punchy orchestration complementing the twirling guitar riffs. Ghost Memories on the other hand embraces some of the more traditional tropes of power metal, with swirling guitar harmonies a la HELLOWEEN even rearing their head at one point. However, the band are at their best when they tap into a moodily euphoric atmosphere such as on tracks like Eden And Eclipse. From a restrained opening, the song quickly morphs in to a pounding, contemplative musical charge of a chorus replete with angelic choirs and soaring vocals. It’s one of the album’s biggest highlights, showcasing DARKTRIBE’s evocative songwriting skills at their finest.

To balance things out, From Star To Dust sees the band at their heaviest, with thick, crunchy riffing driving the song forward (though we’re still treated to another massive chorus, naturally). Reality bounces back towards the early 2000s Euro metal vibes however, providing an extremely upbeat antidote to the previous tracks heaviness. Throughout it all, it’s worth noting that much of the material is expertly hewn together through the formidable pipes of singer Anthony Agnello. His silkily smooth vocals fall somewhere between Lance King in his PYRAMAZE days and HEAVENLY’s Benjamin Sotto, but with an additional palpably emotive quality that helps inject some real feeling in to every track.

Whilst there are shifts in tone throughout the album to keep things fresh, its towards the end that DARKTRIBE’s formula starts to wear a little thin. Both Kings In The Sand and Mornings Of Fear don’t do much that hasn’t been done better elsewhere on the album, the cuts lacking impact as a result. Final track Son Of Illusion on the other hand doesn’t quite live up to the closing epic it’s clearly striving to be. Ostensibly a powerful pseudo power ballad, it often feels like its dragging itself along rather than naturally progressing. That’s not to mention the child’s spoken word section that strays in to SPINAL TAP levels of cheese.

Still, despite a slight tailing off towards the end, there’s plenty to love here. Heavy, melodic and full of emotion, Forgotten Reveries provides nearly everything you could want from melodic metal and is a great addition to DARKTRIBE’s repertoire.

Rating: 7/10

Forgotten Reveries is out now via Scarlet Records.

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