by Joe Mis
– Senior Columnist —
Path Of Destruction is the fifth studio release from the Phil Vincent fronted power trio Tragik. Following a familiar path, this new album displays what Phil Vincent does best – making modern, edgy melodic hard rock that tips its hat to the great bands of the ’80s and ’90s without imitating them. Always energetic and with just a touch of swagger, Path Of Destruction will appeal not only to fans of Phil Vincent and his bands, but also to fans of the hair band days of long ago.
Tragik’s latest release shows that even the prolific Phil Vincent has the room to grow. Musically, Path Of Destruction is stylistically more diverse than the band’s prior efforts, rolling in more acoustic passages and varying tones and tempos from track to track. The band’s lineup will be instantly familiar to those who follow Phil and any of his projects (Tragik, Legion, D’Ercole). Phil handles all vocals and contributes some guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. Damien D’Ercole kicks in his usual outstanding guitar, and Dirk Phillips does a solid job behind the drum kit. Guest musicians Vince O’Regan (lead guitar) and Eric Ragno (keys) lend their talents to Path Of Destruction. Vincent, as usual, handles production and engineering duties, and his skills behind the board have also grown resulting in the best sounding Tragik release to date.
“Look At Me Now” opens the album with a truly intense wall of sound. Heavy guitars and gritty vocals power this tune, and Phil’s great backing harmonies are a highlight. Crunchy old school rhythm guitars and big bass dominate “The Last To Know,” but the unsung hero on this track is Dirk Phillips who delivers a powerful yet understated drum line. “All The Time In The World” is an upbeat 80s-style rocker done in the Winger/Dokken mode, and is a fine example of Phil Vincent’s solid songwriting skills. It also features a killer guitar solo. “What A Fool I’ve Been” is an intense and heavy rocker with a real edge, and the entire band seems to be at their absolute best. The tone changes with “Reflections (Walk Away)” – a soft, mostly acoustic power ballad with nicely done synths and electronic effects, and again a killer guitar break.
“Lake Of Tears” is simply epic. This near 17 minute monster track is the band’s “everything but the kitchen sink” track – acoustic, electric, soft, intense, mellow, gritty all apply at one point or another. Listeners will note the influences of bands ranging from The Beatles to Scorpions to Dokken among many others – and everything meshes together nicely thanks to the versatility of the entire band. “Destination Unknown” has a more modern tone as it blends in touches of progressive rock, and “Right By My Side” is a radio friendly commercial rocker with a great vocal line. The album concludes with the softer power ballad “Thank You,” a track with nicely layered vocals and interesting synthesizers.
Tragik’s Path Of Destruction is another strong release that should have broad appeal. It is another melodic rock gem from the bottomless well of music and inspiration that is Phil Vincent. As is always the case, he’s surrounded himself with top notch musical partners who can give the music the treatment it deserves – and he allows them all a chance to shine. Highly recommended for all fans of melodic rock from 1980 to the present.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock
Band:
Phil Vincent (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums)
Damian D’Ercole (guitars)
Dirk Phillips (drums, percussion)
Guest musicians: Vince O’Regan (lead guitar), Eric Ragno (keyboards on track 1)
Track Listing:
1. Look At Me Now
2. The Last To Know
3. All The Time In The World
4. What A Fool I’ve Been
5. Reflections (Walk Away)
6. Lake Of Tears
7. Destination Unknown
8. Right By My Side
9. Thank You
Label: Phil Vincent Music
Website: www.philvincentbands.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10
