lista zespołów Gothic Metal Tragodia Mythmaker

On the surface, Italy's Tragodia seemed easy enough to pigeon-hole. Power Metal in attitude with Progressive elements. Prog/Power. And yes, the opening track fits nicely into the niche. But as the album continues it becomes evident that they aren't really particularly Progressive, and if Hammerfall or Gamma Ray for instance are Power Metal...then they aren't really that either.

Bollocks. And I thought this was going to be an easy one...
The intro to second track 'The Oracle and the Muse' is Speed Metal – bordering on Thrash – but the chorus is all twinned vocal harmonies and catchiness. The vocals – there's another thing, Luca Meloni is nothing really that different on the opener, competent yet familiar but by the second track the guy is mixing in Jon Oliva impressions! This dual part to his vocal technique (aside from being really entertaining) is a trait that was used to great effect by bands like Savatage and Pretty Maids to great effect in the 80's. Metal Church did it too...so did Malice... Ah, now I was beginning to get somewhere (unlike this review I hear you cry...). Malice used to occupy that sort of middle ground between the Melodicity (is that a word?) of Crue/Ratt and the Thrash of Metallica/Anthrax. Too heavy for one set of fans and not heavy enough for the other. Well times have moved on (unlike this review I hear again...) and genres have multiplied and boundaries blurred, but still Tragodia really do remind me of 'those' type of bands.

There is plenty more elements in Tragodia's sound to get your teeth into. The darker sombre feel of 'Tidal Waves Of Greatness' shows that you don't have to do a “Ballad” to show a more sensitive side. That dark edge is also evident in the epic instrumental 'The Weeping Rock Of Seriphus' that comes across a bit like a more grandiose Paradise Lost. But then there is an Ancara crossed with Sencirow Heavy Progressive edge too in tracks like 'Once In Arcadia', a blending of sinister power with intricate melody. 'Downfall of the Ancients' reminds me massively of Lefay. 'The Stone and the Idol' is almost neo-classical in it's symphonic intro but seems to effectively blend Lion's Share's style of Prog Metal with Vicious Rumors or Jon Oliva's Pain – and JOP/Doctor Butcher is all over the verse for 'Born Under Niobe', yet the chorus is reminiscent of Winterborn. One dimensional Tragodia are not!

There is always a decent hook to keep you interested and an intelligent arrangement, but that whole middle ground thing I was on about earlier still has me thinking - This is a bit too heavy for the Melodic Metal crowd out there but then isn't Power Metal enough for that lot, not complex enough for the Progsters, not particularly Dark...and thus finds itself looking for a new genre and fans of it's own making. It's worked for many bands to varying degrees before, but I feel Tragodia will need a couple of really outstanding tracks to get peoples attention, and while this is a good, solid, interesting and enjoyable album, I don't think think it is going to set the entire Metal world alight. However Tragodia have the potential to gather a healthy selection of more devoted fans who feel they have stumbled on to a band that are just that little bit different. It's happened before...