Band: Adagio
Title: Archangels In Black
Label: Listenable records
Distribution: Rough Trade
Release date: 02/02/2009
Review: CD

In the past, Listenable have always guaranteed qualitative extreme Metal and lately, this French label seems to ‘open’ its catalogue further more. The label signed the French formation Adagio, a band that did record a few well-received full lengths before. Or better: well-received in their home country. Outside France, this band did not gain much attention, but the promotional assistance of a (major) label like Listenable can be helpful, I guess.
In the past, the main critics on this band’s performance were the lack of originality, or better: the almost shameless copying of Symphony X’s music. And this hasn’t really changed that much yet. New vocalist Chris Palin, who is also involved with the Christian Finnish / Swedish Power Metal-formation Essence of Sorrow or the Finnish Rock-band Random Eyes, replaces Gus Monsanto, and I’m not sure every fan will be pleased with this replacement, but I’m sure many will like this ‘new’ voice. His voice does fit to the avant-garde songs and his vocal range is satisfying. Besides ‘clean’ power-vocals, Chris seems to have a nice grunt too (which, unfortunately, gets used only sporadically). Anyway, the progressive Power Metal is pretty firm and, in contradiction to many colleagues, Archangels In Black has many concrete-hard moments. Still the virtuosic guitar solos (Stephan Forté) are of huge importance, and the same goes for the varying yet sometimes over-the-top keyboards (Kevin Codfert). The combination of this pro-instrumental approach with a certain intensity makes the whole absolutely more interesting than so many, too many, Prog / Power-colleagues, so if you’re into, let’s say, Symphony X, Angra, even Queensryche or Dream Theatre, then this album (which lasts, by the way, for 47:45 minutes) is a recommendation!

70/100

Ivan Tibos.