THE CHRONICLES OF ISRAFEL: Starborn Tome I (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In 2006, Dominic Cifarelli seems to no longer adhere to the musical project of Pulse Ultra, a Canadian metal band of which he is the guitarist and founder. He takes advantage of this hesitation to devote himself to a more personal writing. A few weeks later, he leaves Pulse Ultra to create The Chronicles Of Israfel, his solo project with his brother Vincent and Joey Bastone. Several weeks of writing followed and an entry in studio at the beginning of 2007 for the recording of 'Starborn Tome 1'. Multi-instrumentalist, Cifarelli ensures the whole creation of the album, composition and writing. Largely influenced by his readings of mangas with black and sometimes violent character, he imagines a concept between Science Fiction and personal introspection around a complex character, Israfel.

The album opens with an instrumental triptych, 'Starborn', which sets the scene for this "Volume I". The music is very typical progressive metal of the 2000's, reminding us of the best of the genre, and particularly Pain Of Salvation for the construction and the numerous breaks of rhythms and ambiances. Following the example of this introductory trio, all the tracks of the album follow each other perfectly, reinforcing the idea that we are listening to a concept album. Essentially built around devastating riffs and vocal parts between power and subtle harmonies, the tracks follow each other naturally despite the rhythmic disparities. Cifarelli constantly walks us between a chiseled progressive metal and more intimist atmospheres like Porcupine Tree, while the melodic flights of fancy often remind us of Pendragon.

If the production is far from the current standards, offering a drum sound a little narrow despite the solid performance of Joey Bastone behind the drums, it does not spoil the whole and even brings a certain authenticity and a sound of great clarity characteristic of the early 2000s. In addition to composing and writing in a masterly way, Dominic Cifarelli distils an exemplary performance on the six strings and shows that he has nothing to envy the greatest. He also gives an exceptional vocal score in a register that reminds that of Mathieu Madani (Anasazi) during the most intimate passages of "Nation" or "The Equinigma". On "Burning Day", the first vocal track of the album, Cifarelli demonstrates from the start that he has an outstanding melodic and vocal arsenal. The album walks the listener between futuristic ambiences without too many electronic artifices except for the subtle keyboards "New Mood Therapy For A Medicated Babylon" or "Eugenics", and more direct tracks with heavy riffs whose highlights are undoubtedly "Born Fighting", "Laudanum" as well as the hypnotic riff and the crystalline finale of "Home To Oblivion".

Apart from some minor production flaws, 'Starborn, Tome I' is a total success. The discovery of this album, even several years after its release, sounds like a revelation. Ciferelli will declare several years after its release that this 'Starborn, Tome I' was written a little too fast and that, with hindsight, he would have done otherwise. Let's thank his impatience which allows us to enjoy an inspired and melodic progressive metal which tends to disappear nowadays. - Official website

THE CHRONICLES OF ISRAFEL

STARBORN TOME I

AUTOPRODUCTION

PROGRESSIVE METAL