THE DARK CHAPTER

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!Excuse me if I use the term of guitar masturbation to qualify stylistically this album! Only an avalanche of arpeggios and sometimes I got the feeling that Mr Romeo is trying to see if he is able to break the speed of sound with some common and uninspired compositions in the neo classical style!There are so many clichees and nothing special ,excepting the ultra speed of the maestro at guitar ,that's making us to give attention to an album composed and performed 99 % by the leader of the excellent combo SYMPHONY X!The sound is poor and the ensemble of the album is in the second plan,the guitar being on throne and displayed in the first degree!I don't sincerelly understand what Mr Romeo wanted to prove with this album?!?!Second hand instrumental compositions,poor in their register and nothing catchy for an album that will satisfy only guitar afficionados or guitar students.Pure shred madness and compositions without any personality ,and overall pretty weak production as I've mentioned before an annoying drum machine sound that makes the audition oven more difficult!I think Romeo is better in compositions with vocal performances ,what he is doing in SYMPHONY X is more mature,elaborated and prog metal orientated... this album is some kind of bizarre in MICHAEL ROMEO's career!!! Hardly 2 STARS for the guitar work!