DARIO MOLLO / TONY MARTIN - review added 17th January 2012
Album Review: The Third Cage (2012)
For fans of: Heavy Metal
Italian guitarist/producer Dario Mollo has had a few projects to his name over the years. Amongst others is an album with heavy metal band Crossbones, some alt rock with Noize Machine, and a couple of funk metal LPs with Glenn Hughes under the Voodoo Hill moniker.
The lead up to this new album started back in the late 1990s when Dario teamed up with Don Airey, Tony Martin and others to record the first "The Cage" album. A second followed in 2002, leaving a 10 year gap to this, the third in the series. The line-up is different nowadays, though importantly the major players are still the same.
The Mollo Martin sound is a thunderous heavy metal which draws its influences from far and wide. There is a big evil slab of Black Sabbath throughout, to which you can add the beautiful progressive wanderings of Led Zeppelin, the melodic heaviness of Dario's Voodoo Hill work, and a hefty dose of Ritchie Blackmore's guitar stylings. As a whole it's got a huge feel, not only in terms of the sheer width and volume of the sound, but the chugging power and clever production that ties everything into an almost living entity. Add in Tony's distinctive vocals - I like them but his shout-led style might not appeal to everyone - and you get a very listenable release.
The songs aren't always as successful from an instant catchiness point of view. Yes, the performances and sound are great, but there is so much depth that even after 10 or so listens I'm not fully into every track. It's annoying because I have a sneaking suspicion this is one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time...I just don't have the time to found out and I doubt many other people do either. The problem is that most people want instant gratification these days, and brilliance like this will pass beneath their radar because they can't be arsed to listen to it twenty or thirty times to really get it under their skin. And that's a terrible shame.
In Summation:
Dario Mollo is a genius. This album is probably astonishing (see above). Buy it and listen to it until you are intimate with every facet of every song. If you don't love it I'll eat my hamster.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Wicked World
02. Cirque Du Freak
03. Oh My Soul
04. One Of The Few
05. Still In Love With You
06. Can't Stay Here
07. Wardance
08. Don't Know What It Is About You
09. Blind Fury
10. Violet Moon
Band/Performers:
Dario Mollo - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Tony Martin – Vocals
Roberto Gualdi – Drums
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass
Dario Patti – Keyboards
Brian War – Keyboards
Other Info:
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Dario Mollo
