Dakesis' 'Fractures' - Album Review

I have commented on this blog previously, and discussed the topic somewhat during my review of Pythia's The Solace of Ancient Earth album (which you can read here) that came out last year, that European-style melodic metal has always been very under-represented here in the UK. While there are plenty of new bands from Europe popping up all of the time in the power, symphonic, and progressive metal genres; there are relatively few from the UK. Those genres are certainly less popular here in the UK than in the rest of Europe, with the exception of a few 'big hitters', but there is still a lot of love here for all things grand and melodic. It does mean however that new bands playing European-style melodic metal from the UK are fairly few and far between, or at least never really gain any traction beyond their local scenes, so it is always good to support and follow the few that there are. One such band is Dakesis, a four-piece band from Birmingham, who I first became aware of in 2012 when I saw them open for Edguy and Voodoo Six in their hometown - which was a great night as all three bands really gave it their all for a good-sized and appreciative crowd. The band at the time were a five-piece, fronted by the charismatic Wayne Dorman, and I picked up a copy of their debut album Trial by Fire at the gig which had been released the year before. Unfortunately, Trial by Fire just never really lived up to the excellent live show I witnessed. As a result I shelved the album and never really returned to it - and the next year Dorman was gone so I almost forgot about the band. Dakesis, now fronted by keyboardist Gemma Lawler (who had always provided some lead vocals for the band), soldiered on however and released their second album The New Dawn in 2016. I pre-ordered the album but for whatever reason I did not actually listen to it until a couple of months ago. I am not sure why I did that, as I seemingly ordered the album out of a strange sense of loyalty or to support a rare UK power metal act, but when I finally did give The New Dawn a spin I found it to be a hugely enjoyable, and ambitious, piece of work. It is a lengthy album with a lot going on inside its thirteen songs, but is one that I am going to enjoy spending some more time with. While Trial by Fire had more of a straightforward power metal sound, The New Dawn is more of a progressive metal album with lots of lengthy songs and big orchestral arrangements - which all sound very impressive for a self-produced work. I found myself finally discovering The New Dawn in the run up to the release of Fractures, the band's latest and third album. I decided to pre-order Fractures too, but I decided not to wait so long this time to play it! I have been enjoying the new album a fair amount over the past few weeks, and it seems like a natural successor to The New Dawn while cutting some of fat. The New Dawn, despite its strong points, was probably a little over-ambitious - there is just so much of it! Fractures maintains a similar style and approach, but tightens up the songwriting a little - meaning that this new disc is a bit more digestible while still containing lots of progressive and symphonic tropes.

As with most power metal albums, Fractures opens with an instrumental scene-setter. Eos is a bit lengthier than the average opening overture, with folky melodies dominating early as the piece slowly builds up around dense strings and enchanting melodies. All of the album's keyboards are played by session player Jacob Underwood, who also plays live with the band sometimes, letting Lawler solely focus on the frontwoman role. When Matt Jones' big guitar riff crashes in the album transitions into the two-part Ends of Time - this first of which is snappy, memorable power metal anthem packed full of technical, heavy riffing. The band flex their progressive chops elsewhere on the album, but the first Ends of Time song is somewhat reminiscent of the sound Dakesis were going for on Trial of Fire - with big melodies at the fore of everything. The verses here are fast-paced, with Adam Harris' drumming really driving everything, while the choruses slow everything down as the strings take on a more prominent role - which form a great backing for Lawler's powerful vocals. She has a great voice, and she is able to take on a number of different shades as and when required. The chorus of the song's first part sees her reaching some impressive high notes, while elsewhere she takes on a slightly deeper tone to fit in nicely with the heavier riffing. As the song moves into the second part, with a knotty, Michael Romeo-esque riff, the band showcase their heavier side somewhat and their progressive influences rear their head. The Symphony X comparisons do not stop at the opening riff of the second part, but continue on throughout the song as both Jones and Underwood play off each other perfectly in the style of Romeo and Michael Pinnella from the great US prog band. It is an extremely impressive couple of minutes of music, with both men showcasing their talents for their instruments in a big way. It is also great to listen to a power metal band that are not afraid to show off. All too often in power metal the guitars just chug away in the background - but in Dakesis Jones constantly leads the charge, and an expressive solo or an explosive riff is never too far away. In truth, Dakesis are more of a prog metal act than a true power metal band these days, but they retain enough power metal trappings to make the comparison apt. The two-part Ends of Time shows off all that is great about the band, with strong melodic vocal hooks sitting nicely side-by-side with impressive instrumental showboating that all ties together in just under eleven minutes of music. Overthrown sheds the darker tones that were introduced in the second part of Ends of Time, and goes for a more overblown, overtly power metal approach with pompous, driving keyboards and a greater emphasis on vocal melodies. Lawler is placed at the front and centre of the song, and her vocal lines provide the main hooks - with the riffing throughout is largely relegated to providing tough rhythms. Underwood provides a dramatic, gothic backing with his keyboards, but the melodrama he creates never upstages the vocals. This is a song written to be catchy, and it does its job perfectly by providing memorable hooks and a grand atmosphere.

Kairos ups the gothic melodrama in a big way with a huge string-based opening; which perfectly sets the tone for the heavier vibe the song goes for. Parts of this song are much tougher than the previous tracks, and at times the second part of Ends of Time is recalled as Jones' guitar work is pushed to the fore. The verses are really his domain, and he locks in nicely with the fast feet of Harris to create a heavy and fast-paced atmosphere. The verses here are some of the album's heaviest moments, but the choruses act as something of a contrast with a bit more of an emphasis on soaring vocal melodies and keyboards. In some ways, the song contains a bit of everything that makes up the Dakesis sound. They are a band that is never scared to push the heaviness of their sound (unlike some power metal acts), but they also know when to strip everything back and provide soaring, accessible melodies. There is also an impressive instrumental section that sees some furious neo-classical shredding from Jones - while Underwood provides occasional counter-melodies on his keyboard. Surrender Your Fears, for which the band recorded a video, is less tough than the previous number and presents a more vocal-heavy approach with Lawler once again the star of the show. Her vocal melodies are really what hold the song together, but that is not to say that the rest of the band are left in her shadow. Dakesis often manage to squeeze technical moments into otherwise-accessible numbers - with the occasional technical riffing and short guitar leads here proving this. I also like the rhythms in the verses, which have something of a gallop too them, but slowed down somewhat to produce a strong groove. Jones, bassist Amie Chatterley, and Harris all lock in perfectly for this verse groove, and the power of all three playing together makes it work. Despite the catchy melodies found throughout the track, there is still also time to showcase some progressive flair. A percussive breakdown that comes part way through the song allows Harris to showcase some tribal-esque playing, which soon becomes a showcase for Eastern-tinged melodies before Jones takes a solo. Hold Forever takes the tribal-style drumming from the ending portion of the previous song and builds this nicely into the intro here - with the addition of dramatic, symphonic strings. The band's symphonic side is on show again here, and there is a dynamic approach taken that includes plenty of light and shade. Much of the song is quite heavy, with the dense strings and guitar riffing continually adding to a gothic and dramatic tone - while Lawler lays down one of her most expressive and urgent vocal performances yet. Despite this however, there are brief moments of calm where the heavy instrumentation drops out and more delicate vibes take over - but these are usually short-lived and act as short breathers before the toughness once again returns.

Legacy in Memory is the album's ballad, and it opens slowly with Underwood's rolling piano melodies and subtle strings - which Lawler sings over. It does seem a bit strange that Underwood has not been made a full member of the band, as he is an extremely important part of this album. His keyboards are all over the songs here, and it always seems strange when bands that rely so heavily on keyboards do not have a full-time keyboard player. That aside, the song is a decent effort - but it is probably my least favourite track here. Something about Lawler's voice does not sound quite right throughout the track, and there are plenty of better piano-based power ballads around. Lawler is a great singer, but I think she sounds better when she is really going all out during the album's heavier moments - with her 'calmer' approach not having the same impact. Dakesis generally sound better in tougher environments, and it probably telling that this song is the only true moment of quiet on the album. The album's fifteen minute-plus title track is the final song here and, given the song's length, it is also the album's most progressive effort. It opens slowly, with synths and atmospherics building up the mood, before Jones launches into another Romeo-esque riff. It is clear from listening to this album just how much of an influence Symphony X are on Dakesis. There are lots of little moments here that recall Symphony X, but the band more than have the talents to pull of this dark, prog metal sound. After faltering somewhat on the ballad, Lawler is back to her best here, with an expressive vocal that fits in perfectly with the busy riffing - while subtle harmonies during the dense chorus elevate her voice further while creating a creepy sound. Being a lengthy song, there are unsurprisingly lots of parts to it. There are a few more-sombre piano-based moments, which fare better than Legacy in Memory due to the song's darker overall atmosphere, and plenty of moments for the band to shine instrumentally. There are a few solos from Jones here, all of which allow him to showcase different sides of his playing. While Dakesis are a very talented band in general, I feel that Jones is their real secret weapon. There does not seem to be much on the guitar that he cannot do, and throughout this album's nine songs he really showcases every side of his playing. There is a slow-paced guitar solo on this song that shows off his more emotional playing style perfectly - while other moments showcase unrestrained shredding and an ability to make heavy riffing accessible and melodic. It is Jones that elevates Dakesis above many 'bog standard' power metal bands, but I say that without want to belittle the efforts of everyone else involved in Fractures. Overall however, the album is a really strong collection of prog/power metal songs that showcases Dakesis as one of the best British bands of their kind. There are very few weak moments here, and this is an album which I can see myself enjoying a fair amount over the coming months.

The album was released on 28th March 2020 via CapsaArx Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Surrender Your Fears.