I first became familiar with DARKTRIBE when I reviewed their second release The Modern Age for this very website way back in 2015. The track “Wild Call”, and indeed the whole album became a personal favorite very quickly. Since then, I’ve been waiting impatiently for their next release, and it’s finally here – Voici L’Homme comes out January 17 on Scarlet Records!
Anthony Agnello’s powerful vocals absolutely crush it again on this new disc, and adding in his unique manner of English pronunciation, really evokes a Michael Kiske from HELLOWEEN vibe both in his delivery and his technique. He’s continued to develop into one of the best young power metal vocalists that I’ve ever heard. Loïc Manuello’s guitars are soaring and inventive; as good as he was on the last one, he outshines that performance here. Bruno Capriani (bass) and Julien Agnello (drums) absolutely kill it in the rhythm section with straight up thunderous playing and some really nice transitions from power to thrash to light prog and back again.
The songs themselves? Amazing, for the most part. The first track, “A March For A Prophecy”, is an orchestral throwaway that we’ve heard dozens of times. I get the mood that they’re trying to set, but until the last fifteen seconds it just really doesn’t go anywhere or do anything to set up the rest of the album. However, the remainder of the record is a complete banger. “Prism of Memory”, “Faith and Vision”, and “According to Darkness” provide that classic Europower sound that I love, and DARKTRIBE also brings a nice darker, and brooding sound with “Voici L’Homme”, “A Silent Curse”, and “Symbolic Story”.
Bruno and I have been friends for several years, and I joked with him that I wanted to hear an album of nothing but “Wild Call” type songs. Well, I didn’t get that, but with “Back In Light”, they came pretty close. For me, this is easily the best track on the whole thing, and I could listen to it on repeat all day long. I haven’t written a review in a few years, but I’ve been looking for the perfect spot to jump in and give my thoughts on something special over the last few months. I definitely chose the right album to do that. Voici L’Homme is a sure-fire winner that should be in the collection of any power metal fan.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Back In Light”, “Prism of Memory”, “Faith and Vision”, “Under the Tree of Life”, “According to Darkness”
RATING: 9/10
-ASHER ZABER
