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REVIEWS: DALI'S DILEMMA Manifesto for Futurism back to artists page Discography • Audio • Tour Dates • Links To Be Released May 18, 1999 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The debut offering from California-based progressive metal rockers Dali's Dilemma is quite impressive. Most of the ten songs on offer are powerful progressive pieces, a wonderful combination of Dream Theater, old Rush, and old Metallica (Master Of Puppets era). The musicianship is simply mind-blowing in parts, stirring instrumental passages that sound fresh the tenth time through. While every member of this five-piece is incredibly talented, drummer Jeremy Colson is my favorite of the bunch. Playing at lightning speed throughout most of these tracks, he throws in plenty of fancy fills and runs without overpowering the songs, a subtle yet delightful effect. All four musicians are terribly talented, placing this group in the upper echelon of progressive bands. Additionally, vocalist Matthew Bradley has a soulful and passionate voice, reminiscent of legends like Glenn Hughes and Jeff Scott Soto. The songs themselves are lovingly crafted and brilliantly executed. From the razor-sharp thrash riffs of opener "Within A Stare" to the tumbling cadence of "Can't You See," "Manifesto For Futurism" is jam-packed with compelling music. Seven of the ten tracks are flat-out rockers. "Whispers" and "Andromeda Sunrise" are both shorter keyboard instrumental pieces. The haunting keyboard-driven "Whispers" is particularly heartfelt, whilst "Andromeda" serves as an ultra-melodic segue into the gorgeous "This Time Around." Lone ballad "Hills Of Memory" is my least favorite track. Although well crafted, it sounds exactly like older U2 tunes, even down to the vocal melodies. This track feels out of place and can really disrupt the flow of the album. With the exception of "Hills Of Memory," Manifesto for Futurism is all aces. Remember the wonderfully odd time signatures and quick changes of Dream Theater's Images and Words disc? Do you relish the precision of classic Rush tracks like 2112? If you answered yes to either (or both!) of those questions, then I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of this album. It took me several listens to really get the feel of this disc, but patient listeners will be well rewarded by this stellar debut. – OpenUpAndSay.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– This is the debut album of Dali's Dilemma, and what a debut album it is! I have never been so impressed with an album since Images and Words by Dream Theater. How do I start to describe this musical masterpiece? Well I'll start with the vocals, done by Matt Bradley, which shows his wonderful range and his ability to sing in many styles from edgy to smooth. His harmonies are solid and complimentary to his lead vocals. Steve Reyes plays the Zonbass with the holy trinity: clarity, foundation and technique possible. He has no problem doubling the intricate sections of any of the songs and does a quite nice bass solo in "Miracles In Yesterday". Pat Reyes does some of the best guitar work of the year. His solos bring back images of Yngwie's Rising Force album, but he is no way a rip off or a clone. His style is his own and he is an individual. Jeremy Colson has to lay rhythms over this complexity and he is equal to the challenge. He may be hidden in the background but what he does is impressive and maintains a groove to keep the album moving. Last, but not least, is Matt Guillory on keyboards. I first heard him play on the tribute to Rush and I knew he was a major player. He is to be rated at the top with names such as Kevin Moore, Jordan Rudess, Rick Wakeman, Derek Sherinian, etc. He plays with a variety of sounds and has a cool solo tone. He is incomparable to any keyboard player and a credit to the field. This album is amazing, great end to end, and I wouldn't change a thing. This defines a 10 in my books. Highlights: "Within A Stare," "Miracles In Yesterday," and "Living In Fear" Rating: 10 / 10 – Statusseeker –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Well, here we are with yet another review of a release from the Magna Carta label. This time around I'm listening to Dali's Dilemma, and their CD titled Manifesto for Futurism. And much like other Magna Carta projects I've listened to, its an exciting CD that's chock full of shred. Axe man Patrick Reyes serves the shred here up on a sizzling platter. Reyes reminds me of John Petrucci and Alex Lifeson, in the way that he is able to mix his way of playing "comfortably" into a CD that's also packed with his blazing fretwork. He's just plain talented. While the band are newcomers to the prog-metal scene, their playing is definitely not. This disc is a finely tuned example of what today's prog-heads want to hear. Hearing it for the first time makes me think of the first time I heard Rush's A Farewell to Kings, or Dream Theater's Images and Words. They have a very tight sound, one that would lend itself well to live performance. But hey, what separates good prog-metal from great prog-metal is the live performance. I'm willing to bet that a live Dali performance would be great! My favorite song by far is titled, "Hills of Memory." Mathew Bradley's powerful voice slices through the driving rhythm with force. I just love his voice. Any prog band would KILL to have him belting out the shredding vocals! While there's plenty of songs on the CD with a higher degree of "shred" than "Hills of Memory," the overall song is great. Rhythm is a big part of the entire disc. The band really captures a "groove" on every track, as the songs mesh together in a very comfortable way. Matt Guillory's keyboard playing is becoming legendary in the annals of prog-metal. James LaBrie knew this, as he selected Matt to play the keys on his Mullmuzzler project. The drumming of Jeremy Colson reminds me of vintage Ian Paice, laying down a bed of precision thunder. But the crème of the crop here is the tightness of brothers Patrick (guitar) and Steve Reyes (bass). A couple of friends of mine who are brothers have the same uncanny tightness. I think the whole "brother" thing clearly gives them an edge over other musicians. They are so tight and precise... it seems like they just know what the other is thinking, and they use this to build thick layers of shred. It's really something to hear! Manifesto for Futurism is a mainstay in my car now; it's a great cruisin' disc. I find myself cranking it more and more, and then when I come to a stop, I realize that people are staring at me because it's so loud. I'd like to apologize to all those other drivers whom I've forced Dali's Dilemma on... NOT! This CD is great, but I can't wait to hear the next one. I would REALLY like to see these guys do a concept album... they seem to be well-equipped for it! – House Of Shred –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Click here to order Manifesto for Futurism. |
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