03 A TRILOGY PART 2

Wait, this isn't DT? Then why the hell does it sound exactly like them?

Guess someone still has some pent-up angst for getting dumped almost 15 years ago.

Obviously pissed off that he got trashed in the can from a band that now is living in in the proverbial "hall of fame" of prog bands, Charlie Dominici obviously wanted to get in on the action. His first album was acoustic, so this is technically his first album. From an aesthestics standpoint, I'm drawn in to the fancy album cover and the first track intrigues me. Yet, once you dig in deeper, you realize one true fact. Dominici obviously had NO intention on being innovative for this album.

The concept is there, and I'll give him two stars for the concept alone. A story about a life- changed suicide bomber in America spanning 3 albums is very ambitious to say the least and is definitely one worth applauding. But, unfortunately, those are really the only positives I can take from this disc. Dream Theater fans have scalded me for not liking this album simply because I am a diehard DT fan and that I just can't really get into this album.

Right from the start "The Monster", the riffs and chords are recognizable, and since this trck is instrumental, I'm all for it. Yes, I'm a little upset that Dominici doesn't have the slightest bit of ingenuity in his head to make an album that differs at least a little bit from Dream Theater, but as for as aesthetics are concerned, he hits it right on the head. If I didn't know and memorize ever single Dream Theater song and listened to "The Monster", I could easily mistake it as a DT song. From the riffs, to the acoustic interlude to the all out blitzkrieg solos at the very out, the whole song just screams Dream Theater. The conversation at the end of the track could have been staged better but in all senses concerned, my attention has now been gained, and further exploration inside this album must commence, and it's a promising beginning.

And then Dominici starts singing. And I immediately start looking for the nearest power drill so I can shove it in my ear.

This is a clone unlike any other. The chorus' are DT esque as usual, but during the verses where it's just Dominici and no overlap, it's a sound that reminds me of Godsmack covering "Good Times Bad Times". They both sound like crap. Litteraly. This is Dominici pretending to be who he isn't. There is a reason why Dream Theater gave him "das boot", because he can't sing like James LaBrie, therefore, he shouldn't sing for Dream Theater. Did that deter him for releasing an album that sounds exactly like Dream Theater's "Train Of Thought"?

Nooooooooooooooo.........................

Before I start pissing people off, Pt. 3 is the better of Dominici's trilogy, simply because it's a more refined Dream Theater clone and Dominici realizes that he can't hit the high notes that LaBrie (used to) hit (even though he can still hit pretty high in the register). But this particular disc can almost be mistaken for a demo of all things! "Captured" is just another example. Dominici is just s***s the bed everywhere all over this song. Not only does he sound terrible, his songwriting is terrible as well! The instrumentaion is all fine and dandy, it's just Dominici himself can't sing DT's style of prog metal!

And when you sound terrible on the record that bears your own name........

Song after song is like grain of rice after grain of rice. You may get a brown grain of rice or an abnormal grain of rice, but it's all still rice. Yes, I just did it. I compared this album to grains of rice (now I know I'm an asshole). "School Of Pain" is approached differently compared to "Greed The Evil Seed", but it all just seems to end the seed. This entire disc sounds like a broken record, and I'm getting rehashed versions of Dream Theater. If I'm wrong, then so help me, do me a favor.

Listen to "The Calling" of this disc. Then, search for Dream Theater's "Train of Thought" and listen to "Honor Thy Father". If you can't realize the riffs are exactly the same, you need your freakin' head checked. Then Dominici starts singing and kills the song again. This is where I just stopped and ran outside my house and started covering my face in my hands. Then I went back inside and made myself a sandwich listening to The Rolling Stone's "Wild Horses" on the radio.

All in all, if you love Charlie and his voice, get this album. If you think he's a chump, avoid this disc like the plague. I wish I could give this an extra star, but it's just not worth it. It's like trying to sell a lump of dog crap for 5 cents simply because it's the nicest pile of s*** you've seen.

I love the guy, but his music? Ehhhh.... that's a whole different story. 1 star for the concept, but nothing more, I'm afraid.

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