'On the Road to Bablylon' is the 3rd album of the Italians of 'Walk In Darkness' after 'In the Shadows of Things' in 2017 et ' Welcome to the New World' in 2018. And like in the last opus, 'Emiliano Pasquinelli' always brings his growls in opposition to the clear vocals of 'Nicoletta Rosellini' in a metal atmosphere certainly darker with powerful and heavy rhythms between symphonic and gothic but never tiring because, unlike doom which is often very linear, the changes of intensity and tempo bring a certain variety to the whole. In terms of the theme, we are starting to get used to it in this anxiety-provoking period, they talk about, I quote 'Shaman' the guitarist and author/composer of the group : 'On The Road To Babylon' is a milestone in our endless musical research and evolution, almost like a prophecy and a warning to a world imploding due to pandemic crisis, self-isolation and trans-humanity'.
It is with 'The Sound of Rain' that the album begins with an energetic introduction in which the opposition between the clear voice of Nicoletta and the growls of Emiliano are already present, the whole being punctuated by much calmer verses, then, the eponymous title of the album welcomes us with some notes of acoustic guitar and continues in a slow powerful tempo with a preponderant place for the growls in the verses always in opposition with the clear vocals of Nicoletta, the register being sometimes low but which evolves towards the acute bringing an aerial side to the whole. 'Walk on the Sky' continues with a ballad that can remind the Dutch of 'Imperia' and 'On the Moon or on Mars' and its heady chorus continues in this dark atmosphere. The suite continues with slow tempos that unroll beautiful melodies, the growls that were very present in the first titles have completely disappeared and we can mention the magnificent ballads 'Nothing', 'In the Mists of Time' and 'Critical System Failure' of an admirable emotional intensity, the other tracks not being outdone with 'My Restless Wings' and its magnificent vocal duo bringing together 'Elisabetta Bettini' and 'Nicoletta Rosellini', very complementary, or even the mid-tempo 'Time to Rise' with a great force. Note that the Italians have put the small dishes in the big ones with regard to the videos which are all very worked with in addition to the video of 'On the Road to Babylon' that I put in link above, those by 'The Sound of Rain', 'Nothing' or even that of 'Time to Rise'.
In summary, the Italians of 'Walk In Darkness' continue to offer us a "gothico-symphonic" metal with slow tempos served by very beautiful melodies and by remarkable vocal performances of 'Nicoletta Rosellini' and 'On the Road to Babylon' should appeal to an audience loving the dark and moderate side of symphonic metal... | |
