Ancient Dome plays thrash metal and hails
from the new capital of thrash: Italy. These guys are actually one of the
longer standing and more prolific Italian thrash groups. They’ve been around
since 2000, and “Cosmic Gateway To Infinity” marks their third full-length
record. As the title and album art give away, Ancient Dome take a different
thematic approach than many of their peers. This album is based around
interstellar travel and other similar topics. While many would expect this
lyrical direction means more technical music, Ancient Dome takes a different
approach. The music is no more or less technical than the standard thrash
affair; however, it is somewhat more melodic. On “Cosmic Gateway To Infinity”,
the use of melody comes more from the vocals than the guitars (though the
guitars are not absent of melody either). Singer Jerry De Feo manages to inject
plenty of singing alongside his thrash grunt. This is most obvious in the
chorus of the opener, “N.I.F. (New Interstellar Force)”, but is relatively
prominent throughout most of the record, and is particularly noticeable in many
of the choruses.
As the album continues on, it becomes clear
that Ancient Dome truly does have a bit more experience than their peers. They
manage to avoid many of the pitfalls of thrash, while providing their own
unique sound. Although this album is fast, it never reaches absurd speeds, and
the fact that this record still manages to be quite enjoyable in spite of its
speed and melody is a testament to songwriting talents of the members of
Ancient Dome. The song structures occasionally seem a bit dense, but that’s all
the more reason to keep listening to the record to discover new layers to each
track. The only one that will be immediately memorable upon first listen is the aforementioned "N.I.F. (New Interstellar Force)", but none of the songs are bad. From a production standpoint, everything is up to par. The mixing sounds
good, and though the bass isn’t the most prominent, it isn’t impossible to
hear. There isn’t too much more that needs to be said about “Cosmic Gateway To
Infinity” because it’s a really solid release. The band manages to sound unique
within the confines of a relatively restricted subgenre of metal, and although
this album doesn’t necessarily stack up with the greats, it is a worthy listen
for any major fans of thrash.
Highlights
"N.I.F. (New Interstellar Force)"
"A Sea of Stars"
"Cosmic Gateway to Infinity"
Final Rating
4.0/5 or 80%.
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