Dreamland

Untitled Document This is DGM's third album to date (with a new lead singer), and yet I must admit I have not heard either of the band's prior releases. DGM hail from Italy and play neoclassical / progressive power metal. Ahh, another member of the NWOIHM that I referred to last week . Italy is certainly making its presence known in the metal world over the past few years. Unlike several up and coming metal bands out of Italy that feature shabby production and mediocre to poor vocals, DGM has wonderful production and a very talented vocalist. I've been listening to this CD for two weeks now prior to writing this review. Over the past two weeks, this CD has grown and grown on me. This album takes several listens to really sink in to your mind. With each listen, I am more impressed with the vocalist who reminds me quite a bit of Kamelot's frontman, Khan. After another listen, yet another technically challenging solo stands out that I somehow missed prior. After yet another listen, a time change stands out in my mind that had not sunk in before. After the next spin, I might notice a majestic keyboard layer that I had not focused on during the last listen. Well, after many spins of this disc, when the entire album has been absorbed into your mind, you will truly appreciate this album for the listening pleasure that it is. This is not the type of album that you can blare in the background and fully appreciate. No, this is not the type of album that can be used as "audio wallpaper." I would recommend giving this disc your full attention to allow the many elements of the overall sound sink in. The song structures are quite complex and will take more than a single listen to fully appreciate. Dreamland feautures powerful double bass throughout as well as prevalent use of keyboards. The keyboard layering is quite thick and dynamic, yet gives the overall a nice neoclassical feeling. I am very impressed with the guitar work on this album. Full of interesting and intricate solos and shredding in the background on each and every track, fans of excellent guitar work will not be let down. The many time changes and thick keyboard layering prevent any dull or boring moments from appearing on this disc. It is an interesting listen from beginning to end. DGM does not go for the big hook or huge harmony vocal lines to attract the listeners attention. There are some harmony vocals used (Canticle being a noteworthy example), but they are used sparingly. The band's musical talents are on display throughout (the guitarist rocks!!), and the mature, complex song structures makes for a captivating listen from start to finish. Each track on this album is strong. The band has put their outstanding musical talents to work on each and every track. I like an album that I can play start to finish without skipping tracks, and Dreamland is now one those albums for me. Any fan of Prog metal or Neoclassical metal should give this album some consideration. I must admit that there aren't too many catchy moments on this CD (not quite enough for me), but the thick, complex, and powerful song structures coupled with the band's ability (lead guitar especially) to play these complex tunes makes this album a rewarding listen.