Adagio - Archangels In Black

[Ultimate_Symphony]

Symphony X and Adagio are similar in theory, but upon futher examination of their songs you can begin to spot the differences.

For example, Symphony X's songs flow a lot smoother than Adagio's; the latter seem to have many songs with a "disjointed" feel to them. For example, listen to Next Profundis - there's an overt transitional fill between almost every section of that song, like they couldn't find another way to transition into the next part. Adagio's songs sometimes feel like a "cut and paste" job to me, while Symphony X's transitions make their songs smooth and creamy like butter.

I doubt that's the reason people here don't like them, most don't even pay attention to these kind of things. Their transitions are good and nowhere near disjointed, besides, it's not like Adagio are Necrophagist or anything.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Susprye sound like Symphony X...

They are better the Adagio abd Circus Maximus also...

 

[proulxski]

eh Suspyre? Man they are alright aswell...But still no symphony x, they lack emotion and feeling. For that matter most bands that people say sound like Symphony X to me are just no where near the same caliber.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

Wow, what's with all the Circus Maximus hate on here? For prog metal, I consider them one of the best, even if they do sound similar to other bands. And Beauregard, you especially, how can you dislike CM?

P.S. Suspyre is nowhere near the calibre of CM, and Adagio does sound disjointed at times. I also noticed the transitional fills in Next Profundis, and other songs. They definitely ruin the overall flow. Opeth are the kings of flow... Ghost Reveries is a perfect example.

 

[proulxski]

Circus Maximus is by far my favourite of those 3 bands. Suspyre is technically pleasing, but it lacks feeling and emotion. Adagio to me is just way to damn repetative. But I suppose to each their own, one thing we all know and agree on is that Symphony X fucking rules \m/

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

The more I listen to this new Adagio album, the less I like it (at least when compared to their older stuff). I find the new vocalist to be pretty weak; I liked the guy on Dominate (Gus?) far better. Also, why does the band feel the need to growl in almost every song now? I think a lot of bands need to realize that an album can be dark without growls (e.g. Paradise Lost). A lot of the growls on the new album are okay, but some are just awful and don't fit the song at all. A great example would be Undead - horrible pre-chorus (with the growls), great chorus. The growls I liked were in R'lyeh from Dominate, during the verses. They weren't 100% growls... I don't really know how to describe them. More of a black metal thing, maybe?

I don't know, it seems like this new album has much less melody. Dominate was really heavy, but had some great melodies in there. It also had some progressive stuff - the only thing remotely progressive on Archangels is Codex Oscura. Also, did anyone else notice that Franck Hermanny was turned considerably down in the mix, and doesn't really have any cool bass parts? Yeah, there's that solo in The Fifth Ankh, but that's it. I also think that a lot of the soft intros to the songs don't fit at all, and were just added after the fact to keep some element of "old" Adagio.

With that said, there's a few songs I really like. They include Astral Pathway, Twilight at Dawn, and my favorite, Getsu Senshi.

 

[Iced Dog]

Yeah, I like the album, but not nearly as much as Dominate...better singer, growls, and overall songwriting.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

Ugh....I just can't understand why people like Gus? He wasn't terrible, but I feel about him the way some here seem to feel about the new guy, his voice reminded me so much of your stereotypical un-unique power metal vocalist....

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Until I hear this new guy (Palin) do a song like "Kissing the Crow," I will prefer Gus. Obviously, neither of these guys could touch David Readman, but that's in the past.

To me, this new guy reminds me of Ripper Owens - no depth to his voice. He hits the notes, but the quality simply isn't there. Gus had more depth in there; listen to a song like Darkitecht, for example.

 

[Swabs]

To me, this new guy reminds me of Ripper Owens - no depth to his voice. He hits the notes, but the quality simply isn't there. Gus had more depth in there; listen to a song like Darkitecht, for example.

Don't agree with that, Ripper Owns at least has a powerful voice, this new guy sounds weak and uninteresting.

 

[Iced Dog]

So I just got my copy of AIB, and in the booklet it says backing vocals by....Gus Monsanto

 

[Ultimate_Symphony]

So I just got my copy of AIB, and in the booklet it says backing vocals by....Gus Monsanto

No shit? I need to order mine.

[Ugh....I just can't understand why people like Gus? He wasn't terrible, but I feel about him the way some here seem to feel about the new guy, his voice reminded me so much of your stereotypical un-unique power metal vocalist....

Exactly what I think.

 

[control-denied777]

ok, AIB needs definitly more than 3 ,4 times listen to get into! i'd give it 8/10! I think Dirk (previous drummer) had a huge part in makin adagio sound progressive !and their producer too Denis Ward knew how to make them sound big without putting the guitar track on 10! AIB is definitly way better than Dominate!by the way, if i had money I'd bribe Stphan to bring David and Dirk back in the band!i wish i was Warren Buffet!

 

[control-denied777]

Dominate was musically good but the drumms omg they sound aweful!and Gus's vocals were just unbareable for me!

 

[Iced Dog]

ok, AIB needs definitly more than 3 ,4 times listen to get into!

I agree, it took a couple listens to click...I like it quite a bit. I'd say The Fifth Ankh is the weakest track, with Twilight At Dawn being the strongest.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

AIB is definitly way better than Dominate!

I vehemently disagree. To me, Dominate had some killer, unique tracks, and the album in general was quite progressive. Sure, songs like Fire Forever and Fame were pretty useless, but the rest made up for them. With AIB, I can barely even tell the songs apart. Add to that the majority of the songs have lost the classical flavor that was so prevalent on previous Adagio albums, and that the songs in general have some really bad transitions (e.g., how does the intro to Undead even FIT with the rest of the song?) I also find the vocals to be weak as hell - both the new singer and the growls that Stephan did. I still don't understand why everyone hated Gus. He may not have been David Readman, but I think he blows the guy on this album out of the water.

That said, there are a few songs on AIB that I do like a lot, such as the title track and Getsu Sensi (or whatever the hell it's called).

 

[estYMaj]

Wow, what's with all the Circus Maximus hate on here? For prog metal, I consider them one of the best, even if they do sound similar to other bands. And Beauregard, you especially, how can you dislike CM?

P.S. Suspyre is nowhere near the calibre of CM, and Adagio does sound disjointed at times. I also noticed the transitional fills in Next Profundis, and other songs. They definitely ruin the overall flow. Opeth are the kings of flow... Ghost Reveries is a perfect example.

I agree with you totaly about CM , Great band , and being a huge DT fan Id hate to say it but Id love to have CM vocals in DT (But they can stay that way )
And as people saying they sound DT and SX clones yeah they did more DT Than SX IMO But in there first cd but not Isolate CD at all
Alot of bands like to use there influences , myself I love to hearl little blurbs in songs and go hey thats a little bit like this band and that band as long as its not a compleate ripp off

 

[control-denied777]

I vehemently disagree. To me, Dominate had some killer, unique tracks, and the album in general was quite progressive. Sure, songs like Fire Forever and Fame were pretty useless, but the rest made up for them. With AIB, I can barely even tell the songs apart. Add to that the majority of the songs have lost the classical flavor that was so prevalent on previous Adagio albums, and that the songs in general have some really bad transitions (e.g., how does the intro to Undead even FIT with the rest of the song?) I also find the vocals to be weak as hell - both the new singer and the growls that Stephan did. I still don't understand why everyone hated Gus. He may not have been David Readman, but I think he blows the guy on this album out of the water.

That said, there are a few songs on AIB that I do like a lot, such as the title track and Getsu Sensi (or whatever the hell it's called).

Dominate yeah had killer songs on it ,but the shitty production ruined it for me!and about Gus hmmm.... I absoltly hated his vocals I dont know why maybe because he replaced Readman which is my altime fav metal singer!

 

[horacexgrant]

I vehemently disagree. To me, Dominate had some killer, unique tracks, and the album in general was quite progressive. Sure, songs like Fire Forever and Fame were pretty useless, but the rest made up for them. With AIB, I can barely even tell the songs apart. Add to that the majority of the songs have lost the classical flavor that was so prevalent on previous Adagio albums, and that the songs in general have some really bad transitions (e.g., how does the intro to Undead even FIT with the rest of the song?) I also find the vocals to be weak as hell - both the new singer and the growls that Stephan did. I still don't understand why everyone hated Gus. He may not have been David Readman, but I think he blows the guy on this album out of the water.

That said, there are a few songs on AIB that I do like a lot, such as the title track and Getsu Sensi (or whatever the hell it's called).

i agree with pretty much everything u said, especially the Undead thing and how the piano intro doesn't fit at all with the rest of the song. but after several listens to AIB, it is very very good nonetheless, and Dominate is an amazingly eargasm album. the riffs are fuckin great, the choruses are just as good as ever, and the solos are fucktastic. and the piano and orchestra parts are much more thought out than anything in AIB

 

[symphonyXjapan]

Ok....for the first time in a long time, yesterday I listened to Underworld. It reminded me of how absurd it is to be comparing Dominate and AIB to one another because it is of a much higher class than either of them! And as some say that David's vocals are what make it a much better album I will disagree. While his vocals are outstanding the music really was just done so damn well that the album would have been epic even without vocals.