Italian progressive metal unit DGM released their eleventh studio album, “Life,” on November 17th, 2023, via Frontiers Records. The follow-up to the band’s 2020 excellent outing, “Tragic Separation,” delivers pretty much everything expected from a DGM record and raises the question: why is this band so underrated? With “Life” the band around Simone Mularoni proves once again that they belong on the same list as DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY X.
Even if on a superficial listen you’d think that this is a style over-substance –type of album given the big, sweeping choruses, impressive technical passages, captivating vocals, and jaw-dropping guitar work, there’s more here than meets the ear. There are plenty of uplifting messages and emotions in these songs that go hand-in-hand with the tight songwriting and technical delivery. As such the opening duo, “Unravel the Sorrow” and “To the Core,” are both feel-good tracks with powerful melodic backbones, blazing guitar solos, and smooth ebbs-and-flows between the passages. I mean, these are skilled musicians who have honed their craft to perfection so, of course, everything will flow without a hitch.
Albeit vocalist Marco Basile and guitarist Simone Mularoni attract all the attention with their abilities, the rest of the band is equally up to par, and such melodic numbers like “The Calling” or “Find Your Way” showcase this with thundering bass lines, sprinkled keys, and pounding drums that complement the soaring vocals and intense guitar work. Speaking of guitars, the riffs, leads, and solos on this album are absolute ear candy with each one being better than the previous one, making “Life” feel like a guitar-centric album. Heavy “Second Chance” moves between gritty and aggressive parts and mellower passages with another uplifting message at its core. In the same vein, “Dominate” has a killer chorus and an even more killer melodic hook with strong hard rock vibes coming from the instrumental section.
The instrumental piece, “Eve,” gives Mularoni more space to show his shredding skills even if the bass is rumbling in the background and the drums are light and pacey thus making the track feel denser and fuller with a nice melody guiding the proceedings. Melodic delight “Journey to Nowhere” enchants with its sci-fi keys, layered vocals, and emotional lyrics that tug at the heartstrings all the while being one of the most progressive pieces on the album (alongside “Unravel the Sorrow”) with neat transitions between ominous soundscapes and soaring melodies. If “Leave Everything Behind” feels like a standard DGM track with a catchy chorus, dynamic rhythms, and powerful deliveries all around, the closing track, “Neuromancer,” is a real attention-grabber with its swirling synths, intense crescendos, and impressive vocals. This is probably Marco Basile’s best vocal performance on this album as he really showcases his range and versatility.
The band’s mixture of progressive and melodic metal with touches of AOR is what makes listening to “Life” so enjoyable as this is not one of those uber-serious prog albums that is way too technical and clinical. Sure, there are many instrumental passages and complexities in the sound design but there’s also an overall feeling of accessibility that is hardly ever associated with prog metal. Yet, somehow, DGM managed to bring these elements together into a cohesive and fluid album that will resonate with both progressive metal enthusiasts as well as with the casual metal listeners, and everyone else in between.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
01. Unravel The Sorrow
02. To The Core
03. The Calling
04. Second Chance
05. Find Your Way
06. Dominate
07. Eve
08. Journey To Nowhere
09. Leave All Behind
10. Neuromancer
Lineup
- Marco Basile – Vocals
- Simone Mularoni – Guitars
- Andrea Arcangeli – Bass
- Fabio Constantino – Drums
- Emanuele Casali – Keyboards
Label
Frontiers Records
