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Darktribe: Voici L'Homme
Darktribe - Voici L'Homme Album Art Work

Darktribe: Voici L'Homme

Progressive Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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Scarlet Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 10.01.2020 | Released: 17.01.2020

It's been more than four years since we last heard from French metal quartet Darktribe. Now the band returns with their third full-length album Voici L'Homme, which is French for "Here is the man" or "Behold the man." These were the words spoken by Pilate to the hostile crowd about Jesus Christ, whom he just had scourged and beaten before being led away to be crucified by the Romans. Accordingly, the album press release suggests the songs have lyrical themes from the New Testament. However, having watched and listened to the lyric video for Prism Of Memory, the lyrics seem nonsensical, at best. Obviously, English is not Darktribe native language. So on to the music then.

Darktribe - Click For Larger Image

Darktribe

Once more Darktribe offers their signature progressive power metal which features mildly technical arrangements with strong riffage, synth orchestration, some gallop and groove in the tempo, and ambitious soaring guitar solos. (If you dig strong guitar work, you will love everything about this album.) All these things are wrapped up in melody and harmony, mostly led by the guitar and vocal parts. Anthony Agnello sings clean and melodic, but without the lyrics before you, you can't really understand what he's saying. (Which may not matter when the lyrics make no sense.) Nevertheless, putting these elements together, the songs can sound dense and spry, heavy yet melodic, making for prog power metal wrapped in AOR accessibility. While not a unique formula, it is a formula that works quite well for Darktribe. Of the songs, I found myself more partial to those with more rock groove and thrilling guitar solos such as Back In The Light, Under The Tree Of Life, A Silent Curse, and Prism Of Memory (even with the weird lyrics). In the end, if you like your progressive power metal mildly technical, yet melodic and accessible, you will enjoy Dark Tribe's Voici L'Homme. Recommended.


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The Bottom Line

If you like your progressive power metal mildly technical, yet melodic and accessible, you will enjoy Dark Tribe's Voici L'Homme. Recommended.

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