martindavey87 Dominici is back to finish what would be a daunting undertaking for the most accomplished of bands, with this, the third and final part of his 'O3' trilogy. And I sure hope you enjoyed the previous installment if you're listening to this, because this takes everything that was great with its predecessor and jacks it up with enough steroids to get a lifetime ban from playing sports! (Huh?)

Picking up where 'Part 2' left off, 'O3: A Trilogy Part 3' is practically identical in every way. The production sounds the same, the music sounds the same (although it's certainly a lot heavier and more intense this time around), the vocals and lyrical content for the most part is all the same, this really is just a continuation of the trilogy.

And it's a damn good one, at that.

Bringing a close to Dominici's trilogy, the storyline itself is somewhat over-the-top and almost convoluted. It makes sense, but it certainly takes a lot of twists and turns that steer it completely off-path from where the story started. Not that that's really a criticism or anything, as the music itself is still fantastic and will definitely please fans of the genre. A true highlight of this album is the guitar work of Brian Maillard (who?). This guy has some incredible chops and holds the distinction of playing some of the heaviest riffs known to man. 'King of Terror', 'Liquid Lightning', 'Hell on Earth' and 'Revelation' are relentlessly heavy assaults on the listeners senses, and a sure treat for fans of heavy music, progressive or not.

With songwriting and musicianship that seems a lot more polished, tighter and consistent than before, this is, in my opinion, the best chapter of the trilogy, and brings to a close a fine collection of albums that belongs in every progressive metal fans collection.

martindavey87 After performing live with Dream Theater in 2004 on the 15th anniversary of ‘When Dream and Day Unite’ (the album in which he provided vocals), Charlie Dominici, the bands original vocalist, felt inspired enough to make a return to music. Sadly for fans, his initial rebirth didn't have anything to do with the genre which he helped pioneer in the late 80's, with 'O3: A Trilogy Part 1' favoring the acoustic guitar-laden singer-songwriter style over progressive metal.

Barely anyone paid any attention to it. But that's okay, because the second part of the trilogy is here to rectify that.

'O3: A Trilogy Part 2' is all-out balls-to-the-wall progressive metal, and takes the singer right back to the genre with which he is most well known. Full of some absolutely bone-crushing riffs, intricate song structures and the over-the-top musical passages associated with this style of music, Dominici's return/debut (as in, the man himself and the band respectively), successfully manages to make up for the shaky start this trilogy got off on.

With songs like 'Greed, the Evil Seed', 'Nowhere to Hide', 'The Calling' and 'The Cop', Dominici is a band who sound like, and will appeal to fans of... you guessed it... Dream Theater! Amazing vocals and top musicianship make this an album every progressive metal fan should look out for.

Pelata Original Dream Theater vocalist Charlie Dominici returns with the third installment of his epic, conceptual trilogy. I must confess to ignoring the first two chapters strictly based on Charlie Dominici’s presence. I never liked his vocal style in Dream Theater, so I surmised that I would not like it in his own band either. I am happy to announce, in this case, that I was wrong.

Dominici (the band) are a well-lubricated Prog-Metal machine, vocals included.Much of what is present here is your standard Prog-Metal fare. There are loads of shredding solos, from both guitars and keyboards. The music is a strong mix of metallic riffage and syncopated, choppy rhythms. They never get so chop-happy that they lose the groove, either. The melodies, both musically and vocally, are strong and memorable. We even have a post-apocalyptic, quasi-spiritual storyline. What makes this album enjoyable, aside from the standard elements, is that while they’re treading well known ground, they’re doing it with energy and conviction. This is a band that truly means it. The production is crystal clear, the tones are rich and the energy level is high. I dare any Prog-Metal fan to not be sucked in by the mood and sincerity of these performances.

Songs like “March Into Hell”, “Revelation” & “Liquid Lightning” are simply massive in both intensity and catchiness. The albums’ power ballad “So Help Me God” is strong and moving. The albums two 10-minute epics, “Enemies Of God” and closing cut “Genesis”, entertain, energize and never once get close to boring. There, I’ve said enough. Fans of Dream Theater, Threshold & others of this ilk should be grabbing this one up fast.

Andyman1125 A brilliant show of continuity and traditional metal.

*And a note, I'm rating this on it's progressiveness...* At last, we have the final installment of Dominci's epic trilogy, 03, the story of a terrorist who's mission was to essentially end the world by converting 02 (oxygen we breathe) into 03 (ozone, poisonous to breathe). From each edition, Dominici tweaks and messes with his sound. On the first album, he debuted as a solo acoustic guitar/singer, on the second he debuted his top-notch Italian prog metal band in an epic foray of great progressive metal, and on his third album, he continues this prog metal, but mixes a great many spices (some of them a wee bit stale) of traditional metal and thrash metal that dampens the great taste he had on the last album. Now, the last album was essentially another Dream Theater album with Vanden Plas mixed in, but it was still a great album. On this album, he tales all that and adds some not-so desirable influences. The album as a whole is good, but it's not spectacular. For the plot, it has broken completely from the main character (who has presumably died) and focuses on the entire world as an omniscient character, with some focuses on the detective (apparently named Anthony Dam).

The King of Terror outlines the current state of the world at war. It talks about the absolute chaos the population is currently in, after the massive explosion/terror attack that the main character had initiated. Musically, the song is quite diverse, starting out as a slow and somber track, but at one point it blasts into a metallic fury, which is actually quite a blast. The music is a little boring at times, but the lyrics, as always in this trilogy, are actually quite creative and poignant.

March Into Hell continues with the story of the chaotic state of humanity, delving deeper into the fact that the apocalypse is coming quite soon (if it hasn't already happened). Musically, the song is a little harsh. Dominici really strains is vocal chords this time with some crunchy vocals in the verses... it's a little alienating. The music sounds a little traditional, with some interesting instrumental sections and some pretty simple soloing, not like the complex solos heard in the last album.

So Help Me God focuses on the Detective Anthony Dam. Dam is praying to the Gods who he blames for the most part for the tragedy. He prays to stop it and get him out of this, which is legitimate. Some really great lines can be found in here lyrically, with some fantastic meanings. Musically, this track is another "eh" track. Of all the tracks, it is the most "eh" track. I mean, it borders on pop. Everything about it screams cheesy ballad, which is a little sad for the great metal man Dominici.

Liquid Lightning is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with some actually pretty cool riffing and instrumental and vocal pieces happening through the album. This track details how the armies of the world are experiencing the first signs of divine or extraterrestrial influence in the wars. This shows how the Anti-Christ wars detailed in the book of Revelation (I'll get to that in a second) are beginning. Musically, as I said before, this song for the most part ends the trend of boring tracks on the album. However, this track is one of the more Metallica-inspired tracks with a little but more thrashy roots, with much more "prog spice" thrown in as well, making this one of the better tracks on the album.

Enemies of God (the first 10+ minute track he's made! hooray!) is the next in line for this album's better tracks. This track details someone's (most likely the detective's) experiences with some kind of capture (most likely of a divine nature). Musically, it is again pretty interesting, with a lot more divergence from the typical thrash metal of the rest of the album. Typical of any good "epic", there is some really nice dynamic changes, from the hard metal to a softer proggish sound. Overall, this is one of the better tracks on the album.

Revelation is, sadly, an "eh" track in a chain of great tracks. Lyrically, it is essential, detailing how the detective dug "deep" and found a long lost (gasp) bible! In the bible, he found the (gasp!) book of Revelation, which essentially told the same story as what was happening around him. Musically, I call it an "eh" track only because the tracks surrounding it are bounds better than it, but it is bounds better than the tracks before Liquid Lighting (the "very eh" section). The music can get a little but traditional pop-metal at times, but then it breaks into some really cool experimental soling and prog metal-sounding soloing.

Hell on Earth is a good track, although Dominici's vocals sound rather strained again. It tells of the Gods' disappointment with humanity because of their failure to do anything they (he? she? it? I don't know) told us to do. Musically, the song is rather interesting, with some rather creative sections, and some more traditional sections, which continues the amazing continuity of traditional metal throughout the album.

Genesis is no doubt the best track on the album. Nearly no boring repetitive metal sections are found in this quintessential track. This track, lyrically, is purely amazing. The God's take Anthony Dam, the last living human on earth to a secluded garden where he is to live the rest of his days. His name tag when he is first captures reads "A. Dam," so the divine figures refer to him as Adam. They take some human DNA from his ribcage to make a female counterpart for him so they can live in harmony, restarting the cycle of life. Musically, it is spectacular, opening with an infective little proggy riff on the keyboards, which quickly is matched by the guitar, bass, and drums. This creative riffing changes throughout the song, but is still incredibly proggy and creative. The song puts such a great twist to the story and ends the trilogy spectacularly. Bravo!

ALBUM OVERALL: The epic conclusion to an epic trilogy is... not as epic as I just made it sound. At the forefront of this album, one may begin to believe Dominici had fallen into the grasp of popular metal. The music is a stale combination of the prog metal that most of us love, and the thrashy metal that most of... don't. As the album progresses (how fitting), the music gets progressively (ha ha) more progressive! Traditional song structure breaks down, songs get longer, all that good stuff. The story line is really what holds this album up above a lower rating, however. Dominci's lyrical skills haven't diminished since he helped Dream Theater way back in 1989, and this album's great lyrics and story really hit a chord. Overall, 03 part 3 is good, but it's not a must-have. 3+ stars.

Andyman1125 Eclectic prog metal for the win! It's not a surprise that the former singer of Dream Theater's music will sound something like Dream Theater. For this reason, I will not rip on Charlie Dominici for his DT-esque riffs and soloing. However, within this powerful gem, one can find many modern prog metal references. Obviously Dream Theater is foremost, but Symphony X, Kamelot, Vanden Plas, and other popular symphonic prog metal band's styles can be found compiled into one fantastic piece of music. The O3 trilogy comes back in this second installment, now actually rocking and progging along, unlike part 1. This part details the main character's experience after his parole and release after his hearing and the gut-wrenching decisions he must make. The music is powerful the whole way through, only slowing down to take a breathe when absolutely necessary. Although some of the songs sound uncannily like the singer's former band, but the music is still creative and powerful.

The Monster is a crushingly powerful instrumental track. Dominici is apparently one of the few solo singers who is willing to put an instrumental track on his album-- to great results! Although the soloing is extremely Petrucci-esque, the whole performance is very impressive. A lot of Vanden Plas sounding keyboard work is going on, adding to the whole traditional prog metal feel. You can see that Dominici has done a lot of listening over the near 20 year gap between this release and his last prog metal gap. At the end of the track, you can hear a sound bit that opens up the story for the next few tracks about the detective who arrested the main character.

Nowhere to Hide is the first track where we can finally hear Dominici's voice in its crushing power. In this track, the concept breaks away from the main character (see my review for Part 1) and tells the story of a troubled detective who has been chasing the terrorist. The song tells how the detective captured the terrorist, but he lost his temper and basically tortured him. Because of this, the court hearing let the terrorist walk because of tampered evidence. The detective muses about how he'll get back at the terrorist and convict justly. Musically, the song still has that amazing power, with a little more creativity behind the riffing. It shows Dominici has not only prog metal, but also a lot of traditional heavy metal influence behind his music.

Captured opens with a radio bit, saying that the government is becoming more aware of terrorist activity. The detective tells his griefs about the justice system and it's flaws. He thinks about how all the criminals who know the ins and outs of the justice system can avoid any contact with the feds and cops. Musically, the tracks slows down with the emotions of the detective, which shows the great attention to character development and conceptual basis. As the detective's anger grows, the song picks up and gets more aggressive, following the compassionate vocals. This track shows the more dynamic side of Dominci's music.

Greed, the Evil Seed starts again the crushing power of symphonic prog metal. We are now hearing from the main character, the terrorist, who thinks about the injustice of the system and the power of greed in our society. He thinks about how humanity tried to get along, but the greedy ones ruined it all (greed=evil). Musically, this starts again the Dream Theater influence, with some fantastic synchronization and great Petrucci-esque soloing again. Instrumental sections abound in this song, powerful, melodic, and fun.

School of Pain tells the main character's time in prison after he was captured and wrongly convicted. He talks about how screwed up the "school of pain" is and how he really learned nothing. Musically, the song is a slow bloomer, starting out slow and gaining momentum throughout the song. Once it picks up, however, it doesn't slow down, constantly ripping up the pavement with it's impressive power and musical might.

The Calling tells how the terrorist now understands that he has to do what he was originally told to do (essentially destroy humanity). He calls humanity the greatest virus and his chemical the solution. Musically the song starts off rather boring, but the verses are so incredible I really can't dis the straightforwardness of it. The choruses get a little more boring again, but that verse riff is incredible.

The Real Life is a melancholy and beautiful track consisting of piano and vocals. In this song, the main character has reached a breaking point. He muses on how he will be a martyr when he releases his chemical and how the afterlife is the "real life." Musically, it is melancholy and beautiful, with fantastic melodies and fantastic piano work.

The Cop tells of the deal the detective makes with the main character; the main character tells his entire story to the detective so he might be able to escape prison. Musically, the song rocks again. It has fantastic prog metal-heavy metal crossovers, with some great instrumental sections again.

A New Hope tells of the main character's journey to releasing his chemical. It displays his rise to some kind of a prophet or something along those lines, for you can hear crowds of people chanting after he speaks about humanity ending being a new hope. At the end of the song, a massive explosion is heard, showing obviously that he has succeeded in releasing his chemical. Musically, the song has some obvious influences more than ever to Dream Theater, at some points their modern work, at some points their classic work, but everywhere Dream Theater. As I said before, this is acceptable, seeing as the singer is a former member of that very band. If it were another band, I would give a much lower rating. The soloing is fantastic, showing all the members' musical capacity to really rip on their instruments. This track really leads nicely into the next and final installation.

ALBUM OVERALL: A really great symphonic progressive metal album. Dominici and his backing band have really hit it big here. However, musically, the album lacks in originality harshly. Now, influence is good, but when it seems like your listening to that particular band when you listen to the music, for example the extreme Vanden Plas and Dream Theater influence, the music sounds cheesier and cheesier. The concept, just like the last album, is fantastic, as are the vocals, but the one thing holding this album back is the unoriginality of the music. The players are technically over the top, but the music they wrote is disappointing. 4+ stars.