ADAGIO: Life (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Adagio is one of the symbols of French melodic metal, whose last album ("Archangels In Black") was released in 2009. The band was then put to sleep after a dark management story. Stephan Forte explained this, with transparency, during an interview on the occasion of the release of his solo album in 2014. The decisions of the management at the time to move towards something mainstream seemed to go against the artistic choice of the band leader. This situation eventually led to a long silence and allowed Stephan Forte to concentrate on his solo project. So the announcement of Adagio's comeback leading to the release of "Life" was expected by the band's fans.

This new album was recorded with a new singer: Kelly Sundown Carpenter (Civil War, Zierler, ex-Beyond Twilight, ex-Outworld). The American had already accompanied the band live on a tour in 2007 and is therefore not completely new. "Life" gathers what makes the band so charming: a mix of epic, cinematic, aggressive and sentimental.

The eponymous opening track immediately sets the record straight and asserts the level that Adagio should never have left in the hierarchy of great melodic metal bands. The 9 minutes long introduction starts like a movie like the summer blockbusters before the symphonic turns into a raging heavy metal. Everything is there, jerky techniques, melodic, velocity, the guitarist demonstrates his technical mastery of the instrument that will enamel the whole album.

But to summarize Adagio to the technique is a step not to cross because the lines of song and in particular the choruses convey many emotions ('The Ladder'). Kelly does not have an incredible power but uses at best all his potential without forcing it and delivers a very pleasant vocals. The growls present on the previous album have almost disappeared except on 'Subrahmanya'.

Thus, all the art of the group is to find the right balance between the technical demonstration and the transmission of the emotions, what it manages perfectly to make with notably concise titles rarely exceeding 7 minutes. The group also integrates a violin which brings a quite singular oriental touch and whose interventions are not simple figurations ('I'll Possess You'). The band invites to escape in 'The Grand Spirit Voyage' with its Indian atmosphere and a dantesque final instrumental part in which the monstrous bass of Franck Hermanny and the keyboards of Kevin Codfert take the lion's share. The album seems to evoke the opposition between spirituality and dark, aggressive and anguishing technology ('Darkness Machine'). As the record goes on, the tracks become more calm as if inner peace had been found, especially 'Trippin' Away', the only ballad of "Life" with this very nice violin that accentuates the emotions, followed by a superb guitar solo of which Stephan has the secret. The album ends with the very Dream Theater-like 'Torn', epic and concise.

This new album is underlined by a production that highlights each instrument, leading to a perfect balance where each member has its moment of glory. Kevin Codfert uses judicious keyboard sounds ranging from hushed strings to dynamic piano, the bass is sometimes brought to the forefront, letting Frank Hermanny's talent shine through, supported by the precise and dry hitting of Jelly Cardarelli's drums, all of which contribute to create a magnificent rhythmic architecture.

"Life" strikes a great blow and shows, if it was still necessary, that Adagio didn't lose anything of its talent to create tracks which make pass many emotions. Sometimes luminous, dark, oppressive, this new album can be listened to like a movie whose images will come to haunt the listener. A melodic wonder. - Official website

ADAGIO

LIFE

AUTRE LABEL

MELODIC METAL