7Hard/SG Records/Cargo
Italian DREAM OF DECADENCE was formed in 2003 and played covers. From 2005 they started playing in bigger circumstances. In 2007 they swopped a female vocalist for Francesco Valenti. Also in the band are guitarists Riccardo De Fanti and Andrea Giarola, bass player Marco Melegaro and drummer Gianluca Raisi.
The intro is an enigma that doesn´t add anything since this is not a concept album. Modern and original metal has been promised, but I find “The Crow” quite ordinary. No modern mischief but an agreeable voice, good riffs and a melodic touch. Riccardo and Andrea have good bite in the guitars, and this doesn´t sound like a debut, apart from the occasionally un-English sounding vocals. 14 tracks might be a little over the top and they end up with a bit of hit and miss. One miss is “Hysteria”, a track that is both joyous, melodic and heavy without thought. Of the heavier tracks towards the end only “Back to the Evil Age” works. But it works very well indeed. I get the feeling we could get more out of DREAM OF ILLUSION if they went for a lighter and more progressive style. That seems to be a very Italian case? This is nevertheless a mature debut, but there is still some work left undone.
Track List
Intro
The Crow
Spiked Rain
Rocker Warrior
Mistery
One Last Chance
End of the World
Two Skies
Through the Storm
Born to Rock
Interlude
Hysteria
Back to the Evil Age
Outro
www.7hard.com www.myspace.com/dreamofillusion
