Without batting an eyelid, the stripped down Maltese quartet has undoubtedly conquered the supposed tricky third album. They have taken the heaviest elements of thoroughbred Metal and deftly sprinkled generous chunks of atmosphere amongst their new compositions. Their evolving sound is all the more striking due to the distinct lack of keyboards, and far from suffering from their absence, the songs are all the more bombastic. The additional space this has created lends greater weight to the crushing guitars and the beautiful, soaring voice of Leo Stivala. Thus, “Daylight Dies” and “Wretched Of The Earth” easily rank as some of their finest anthems. But that only paints a fragment of the picture because it would not be Forsaken without some gently stirring interludes, such as “Paradigm Of Chaos” and “Blood Of The Son” or some bold experimentation. In “Obsidian Dreams” and “The Celestial Alchemist” they take epic to truly new heights by instilling these songs with operatic grandeur through the sparing incorporation of the Saint Monica School Choir. The effect, haunting. In all, “Dominaeon” is a high calibre album by a pioneering band that will continue to lead and inspire those around them.

http://www.forsakenmalta.com

albertbell@rocketmail.com