For whoever is living in darkness, or banishes himself from the world that is outside, maybe this is the right time to peep out of that small hole you call a window and take a look. Sure that some would see bloodshed, corruption and filth, but others would be evident to their natural home, reformation of the way of life, hope for a better future. Within the depths of every dimness there is a chance for a touch of light, and I am not being too much idealistic about it, it may also depend on how you get up in the morning. You can always turn out the victor if you are an optimistic individual in a regular basis, however, I believe that every person has to look back and watch if his efforts aren't in vain. When I reached the debut release of the French band DARKTRIBE playing Symphonic Power Metal, I found out that idealism has a weird but mystifying shape. Nearly every chant of their debut, "Mysticeti Victoria", via Massacre Records, awaked a different feeling in me that wished to express itself about this band's chosen darkened journey. Yet, while suppressing myself, I just let it roll, again and again and again.

With the sounds and rhythms that had crossed my mind throughout "Mysticeti Victoria", the whole sensation reminded me why I appreciate bands like KAMELOT, EMPIRE, SONATA ARCTICA while also being a devotee of IRON MAIDEN. It seemed to me that DARKTRIBE have been trying to tell their stories with the shades of grey and black, leaving the listener to interpret things on his own, take the voyage into strange grounds while on and on getting blasted by chops of heavy music. Anthony Agnello's addictive vocals, a mixture between Roy Khan, Joacim Cans, Sting, Tony Martin and Bruce Dickinson, led me, as if hand in hand, through cold barren fields, out there in the nothingness looking answers, while his peers kept on hammering with explosive passages of vigorous yet spiritual in the same time. The rhythms crossed between vintage 80s Metal and modern features directed by chunky heavy riffing, tremendous harmonies, tasty soloing, and decisive melodic riffages that kept my nourishment in check. I was dazzled with sounds of "Eyes Have You" and the closing epic of "Life, Love & Death" the grasped me with their atmospheric nature and commanding vocalic and instrumental performances. "Beware The God" had me surprised a little with an all around Thrash Metal attack mode, DARKTRIBE showed anger of some sorts towards something unrecognized, was it towards God maybe? Whether it was towards something holy or not, it was bliss as I have been a sucker for this kind of picking for years. Actually the album turned out to be quite heavy at its mid way point and a little flowing than the first few songs. There wasn't a song here that let me down, maybe "Lost" which was a little generic and it lost me after a few minutes, yet the rest of the story kept me going looking forward for more.

DARKTRIBE, a French band with a fine future ahead of it did the right thing while choosing to craft a version of Euro Power Metal that is more mature, darkened, utterly heavy with various of additions that made them one of my favorites in a while after not listening to something that overwhelming from the European continent. I just hope that their future efforts will be in the same standards or even better.