DARKTRIBE — The Modern Age (review)

Album · 2015 · Power Metal

4.5/5 · 2017-07-13
DippoMagoo

Back in 2012 I reviewed an album called Mysticeti Victoria, the debut from French power metal band Darktribe. I remember being very torn about it at time, instantly impressed by the strong instrumental work and overall sound, but also a bit disappointed and frustrated, mostly due to the weak vocals and inconsistent songwriting. Nonetheless, I was excited when I discovered they had a new album coming out this year, titled The Modern Age, even more excited when I received my review copy, and that excitement had only grown by the end of my first listen, because this time around the band has taken a huge step forward, and delivered one of the most enjoyable power metal albums of the year.

The overall style of the album remains similar, though with subtle changes to the sound to improve things further. Like the debut, The Modern Age is for the most part a traditional European power metal album, filled with speedy songs, catchy melodies, and some extremely happy sounding choruses, though this time around the band has decreased the symphonic elements and instead replaced them with some very modern, at times electronic sounding keyboards. This is most noticeable in the surprisingly strong intro track “Humanizer”, but can also be heard throughout the album, often serving as a backdrop to the guitars. Speaking of which, this album has some surprisingly heavy guitar work for this kind of power metal, as well as some very good solo work, and a few tracks have subtle prog elements as well. But for the most part, this is some very catchy, ultra melodic power, which should easily please most fans of the genre. Another big improvement over the debut is the production, which sounds much clearer and more powerful compared to the debut. The guitars sound especially impressive.

Perhaps my biggest concern for Darktribe after hearing their debut, was that I didn't think Anthony Agnello was a good enough singer to carry the band. Boy was I wrong! Where before he often sounded a bit weak and unsure of himself, this time around his voice sounds much stronger, and he sounds much more confident. I think part of the problem from before may have been that he was uncomfortable singing in English, because it often sounded like he was mumbling on the debut, making it hard to comprehend the lyrics more often than not, but on this album his voice is very smooth and crystal clear the whole time, and the lyrics come through perfectly, so whatever problem he had before has clearly been dealt with. He now sounds like a perfect fit for the band, and on songs like “My Last Odyssey” and “A Last Will”, his vocals are the definite high point.

I remember saying in 2012 that the band seemed to have a hard time putting full songs together, instead having the occasional memorable section thrown into otherwise mediocre and forgettable songs for most of the album. Well, that's yet another area where they've greatly improved, because the songwriting on The Modern Age is excellent the whole way through, with no less than enjoyable tracks. There's still a ton of big highlights, though, starting with the opener “Red House of Sorrow”. This track starts off with slow and surprisingly heavy section that instantly impresses, and while the rest of the song is mostly more upbeat, the instrumental part in the middle brings back the heavy guitars from the start, and that section is perhaps my favorite moment of the entire album. The following track “My Last Odyssey” is a much more melodic and more traditional Euro power metal song, with a more noticeable keyboard presence, and a fantastic chorus, where the vocals really shine. That's probably my favorite of the speedier tracks, though other highlights include “No Train to Earth”, which sounds like it could have come from the 90's, “Rainwar” and “Anthem for a Planet”.

The first slower track on the album is actually the title track, more of a mid tempo song, which again features more keyboards, to go along with the occasional heavy riff. It's definitely one of the more progressive tracks, though the most progressive is probably “Wild Call”, which has a calm extended intro, and then it fluidly blends together fast and slow parts as it moves on. Closing track “Darkside of Imagination” is similar, except much heavier and with a darker tone. The lone ballad of the album is “Holy Water Day”, a nice enough vocal showcase, although it seems to end before it can really get going. Perhaps the oddest track is “A Last Will”, a very calm and melodic track, where the vocals really dominate. I wouldn't quite call it a ballad, though it's definitely one of the softer tracks, and I think it would sound great on the radio, so it makes sense that the band chose it as the first single. The guitar solo in the middle is absolutely fantastic, though the chorus is the highlight, and it really demonstrates how much Anthony has improved over the past three years.

When I first heard Mysticeti Victoria, I thought Darktribe had potential to be a great power metal band, but I knew they had a lot of work ahead of them. With their second release The Modern Age, they have stepped up their game in a huge way, and delivered one of catchiest and most enjoyable power metal albums of 2015 so far. Highly recommended for fans of melodic power metal, with occasional prog elements.

Note: An old review that somehow never got published, so I decided to dig it up and publish it myself.