Dreamtower

Dreamtower Artist: Ring of Fire
Label: Pony Canyon
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
EAN: 8805636021281
ASIN: B00008BNSR


Release Date: 2003-01-23

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Listmania:

  1. Neoclassical Metal
  2. albums containing my favorite songs

Tracks:

  1. My Deja Vu
  2. Dreamtower
  3. Pharaoh's Curse
  4. Refuge Of The Free
  5. Blue Sky
  6. Laputa
  7. Until The End Of Time
  8. System Utopia
  9. Ghost Of America
  10. Invisible Man
  11. Make Believe
  12. Murder By Numbers
  13. Tumescent Rhapsody (Bonus Track)

Similar Items:

  1. Oracle
  2. Ring of Fire

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars More Prog, Less Euro-Inspired Power Metal.......2004-02-14

This is the third album from the Ring of Fire band, featuring underrated vocal god, Mark Boals. Though very subjectively, I must say this is the second best Ring of Fire album(the first one is my favorite), though it's really hard to compare as they are so different.
"Dreamtower" differs in that it is a fairly diverse and progressive album. The first song - Deja Vu, sounds just like it could have been played on MTV during the '80's, during their glam/hard rock rotation. Don't worry, however, because it is a great song with great melodies - no major scales or cheesy cliches; just good, melodic hard rock. The title track - Dreamtower, really stands out as an interesting and experimental prog metal/rock song. Though the melodies are dark and the Harmonic Minor scale is utelized often, I hear many passages that have an unmistakably jazz-fusion vibe to them; and that is one of the great things about this album: their ability to experiment without losing the dark, metal sound. Guitarist Tony Macalpine's ability to mix diverse styles of fusion and classical is very refreshing and pleasing to the ear.
Another great addition to the styles on this album is the increasing use of odd-time signatures. This has made fans of prog - like myself, very pleased.
I should warn some power metal fans that if you prefer the style of the previous album "The Oracle," with its Euro Power metal style and regular employment of the fast, double-bass, uptempo drum beat in almost every song, then you might be a bit disapointed. This album does have some elements of the Euro power metal formula, but nowhere near as much or as frequently as the last album, which for me is a good thing. Overall, this album is probably not as "heavy" as the first two, but is great nonetheless.
The one weak point about this album is the lyrics to the song "Ghost of America." Basically, it's a revisionist-history of the Native American Indians, complete with noble savage allusions: "From two thousand years of peaceful life to only strife and pain." or how about this one: "Life in harmony with nature reigned, until the white men came." You get the idea. Seldom are heavy metal musicians convincing when they attempt a perfunctory foray into politically-inspired lyrics - especially of the whining, leftist PC-type; and Mark Boals, unfortunately, is no exception. A small and forgivable error.
I must say, this review wouldn't be complete without a comment on the incredible vocal talent of Mark. Upon hearing him sing the song "Leonardo," on Yngwie's "Alchemy" album, I knew he was one of the best vocalists in metal history. That he isn't a household name, I can only lement, for he is truly amazing. Boals displays some voices that he didn't use with Malmsteen - particuarly a very high falsetto, that resembles King Diamond. He also utilized this tone on the frst ROF album. It's great because it adds a different tecture to his voice.
a great album.

Music CD:

  1. Where the Light Touches None ~ Twin Obscenity
  2. Peel Sessions ~ Bolt Thrower
  3. Red Sea ~ Warhorse
  4. Live ~ Metal Church
  5. Sour Times EP ~ Confessor
  6. Pleasure Principle ~ Treat
  7. North from Here/Shadows of the Past ~ Sentenced
  8. Company of Strangers ~ Bad Company
  9. Blackout ~ Scorpions
  10. In Concert: Merchants of Cool ~ Bad Company

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival ~ The Albion Band

Can't Get There from Here ~ Great White

Fermi Paradox ~ Tub Ring

World Library Of Folk & Primitive Music, Vol. 4: Spain ~ Alan Lomax

Just the Norm ~ Norm

Zauber Der Panflöte ~ Gheorghe Zamfir

Underground and Beyond ~ Lucifer Was

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason ~ Various Artists

Sukina Mono Wa Suki Dakara Shouganai Vocal ~ Japanimation

Musiques Pour Les Plantes Vertes ~ Various Artists