THE DIVINE WINGS OF TRAGEDY

Entirely predictable and by-the-numbers classically inspired heavy metal rank with fantastic lyrics and pretentious bombast, saved mostly by its energetic delivery and occasionally catchy hooks.

In general I would say that Divine Wings is mostly overrated-- there are many bands playing music like this with more experimentation and ambition. I won't begrudge the group for having fantasy/sci-fi lyrics, because they are a delightful guilty pleasure of mine, but when it comes to lightning fast noodle metal a group needs something special to standout amongst the many, many rivals screaming for attention.

Allen has a nice voice, but not much range; he has a clear delivery with solid sustains but doesn't pay much attention to nuance or phrasing. Likewise, Romeo (guitar) and Pinella (keys) clearly have monstrous chops for their instruments but don't do anything interesting with them. The same rapid crunching and cheesy synth are heard on every song. Musicians as obviously talented as them should be capable of giving us more variety and interesting things to punctuate the heavy riffing. Bass and drums seem to be on autopilot, with Miller's bass sounding curiously soft for a metal album. To the player's credit, they each perform fine solos and have certainly practiced their unison parts-- but Divine Wings is pretty much a one-trick horse.

Solid for the occasional listen, but hardly a match for other progressive metal offerings.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2