Band : Dominici

Album title : O3 – A Trilogy, Part 3

Label : InsideOut

Distributor : SPV/ CNR

Release date : 21/04/2008

Release : CD

For those interested in the background/ history of this band founded by former Dre am Theater frontman Charlie Dominici , please go back in the review section to 11/02/2007, when the review for Part 2 of this trilogy was posted.

"Wow man, what a finale," is what I thought after the first listening session I gave this album! Because part 3 of the O3 A Trilogy is both surprising and somewhat puzzling at the same time. I mean, I stíll do not get what the story is leading up to. I mean, I've understood that our "terrorist" from Part 2 is getting aware of the fact that he got his mission (along with six other people at the same time) to make the end of the world happen...something which he is now remembering in lucid dreams...entrusted to him by the aliens who've created Man and given us our commandments and prophecies...which sóme men chose to set aside in their search for profit. So, are those the same aliens who first "take" and then return the skeptic cop (to whom our "terrorist" has "confessed") with a mission of the contrary, to try and save it all? Or have I somehow gotten the story mixed up? Because the two last songs of the story/ album have somewhat of a controversy in 'em, you know!

Whatever! It sure is a grand story anyway! Musically, the album continues in the same vein as on Part 2, but lyrically Charlie now worked fifferently. Whereas for Part 2 the music was written to fit the lyrics, this time around he waited with writing the lyrics until he'd begun writing the music with the other band members. As he puts it himself: "The lyrics for Part 3 were not written, they were "grown" like a garden. I separated eight blank word files and wrote a synopsis for each song at the top. I then went to each file as we were completing the music and completed the lyrics. I did it this way so the story had the best chance of being fully completed in the limited amount of time a CD can provide". Musically, the Prog Metal works with moments tension and relief, even adding a beautiful ballad in the acoustically started "So Help Me God" . A lot of Prog metal bands will create long songs in order to make the statement that they àre "Progressive", but damn me if there is óne note in either of the three longer songs (album opener "King Of Terror" = 7:52, "Enemies Of God" = 10:07, album closer "Genesis" = 10:50) which doesn't belong there. And all without giving you a feeling of longwindedness. Thumbs up also for the spoken word parts in the songs. They are truly relevatory, and give the whole a movie soundtrack feel. Which is the first indication that nice things are happening here! They also keep one cloistered to one's seat for the next part of the story and, as I said, that comes without any stretching of the story, without any un-necessary interludes! For a sample of the new album, listen to "March Into Hell" (which is when our "terrorist" is beginning to get doubts about his mission and feelings of hatred, doubts which will eventually set his subconcious memories to arise in lucid dreams) at myspace.com/charliedominicimusic, where you'll also find 3 mp3-files for tracks off Part 2 of the trilogy. The latter as further proof of this band's excellent top qualities!

I don't really have to tell you that O3 A Trilogy – Part 3 is goin' into the "Best Albums Of 2008" list, do I? I mean, even the previous album went thadda way, and...so help me God...this one's even better! So there you, and it, goes! Last year, Dominici the band went on a European tour with Dre am Theater , which led to a total of 5 shows being played (at least, as far as I know). Let's hope THIS album will set the band out on a somewhat more extensive tour which may lead the act to some of the venues in our beloved little country as well!

98/100

Tony.