Tragik And We All Turn to Dust

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by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

And We All Turn To Dust is the latest from Tragik, a trio fronted multi-talented musician and songwriter Phil Vincent. Based in Rhode Island, Tragik puts out melodic driving rock clearly influenced by some of the greatest metal acts of all time.

Tragik’s latest release is solid modern rock with a bit of the ‘80s mixed in, along with a dash of pop rock and a touch of progressive rock. Led by multi-instrumentalist and singer Phil Vincent, Tragik shines as brightly as almost any other power-trio. With Vincent on vocals, keys and guitars, the music easily moves from one style to another without any obvious hiccups or weak spots. Unlike some bands led by such a talent, Vincent does not allow himself to dominate the album. Damian D’Ercole plays most guitars and bass while Dirk Phillips handles the sticks quite capably. Guest musician Billy Roux plays all guitar, bass and drums on “Nothing.”

Phil Vincent has a good voice, for the most part smooth and expressive. At times he sounds like Don Dokken, at other times like Ian Gillen. His songwriting is very good both musically and lyrically – nothing offensive or over-the-top anywhere on the disc. He also produced and engineered the album, and did a very professional job without hogging the spotlight or overemphasizing his own musical contributions to the CD. Damian D’Ercole plays a great rhythm guitar, setting the mood for the songs nicely, and working well with Vincent’s keyboarding. He also plays a very solid bass, but is not the strongest soloist out there. He seems to hold back a little on many solos, but no guitarist is perfect. Phillips is a very solid rock drummer, doing exactly what is needed at the proper times

The CD opens with “Overture III,” a soft and sweet instrumental allowing Vincent’s keyboarding skills to clearly show before turning heavier. “Jaded” is a good blues-rock track, reminiscent of some of Michael Schenker’s later work on The Endless Jam CDs. It also paints an amusing picture of life as a musician. “Can’t Find The Words” is a very Dokken-esque track – just like old Dokken with keyboards. “Black & White” could have come off one of Dokken’s later CDs – but these are not rip-offs or copies, rather they are original tracks that show heavy influences of the greats. “Giving In” is a very smooth and melodic track with excellent guitar work – a fine piece of music, although the lyrics are a bit sappy.

“At The Shore” starts as a nice mellow track, again showing influences of the 80s greats. It features a big Kip Winger-style chorus and fine vocals throughout. The musical intensity picks up and by the end it is nothing but pure metal. It also features D’Ercole’s best guitar solo and displays the talents of the entire band.

“Before It’s Gone” is a very upbeat, almost “happy rock” tune – very Boston in tone. “Long Way From Home” has a Steve Perry / Journey groove to it, and gives Phil Vincent a chance to really show off his vocals and keyboard skills. It also shows flashes of prog rock with a nice orchestral backing track.

“Shadows Of Loneliness” opens with some electronica, but quickly becomes a big time rocker with an amazing drum line and some fine guitar work. “Nothing” wraps up the disc with some fine instrumental work by Billy Roux and powerful multi-layered Vincent vocals – perhaps the strongest track on the album.

All in all, And We All Turn To Dust is a good album. Almost every fan of modern melodic rock will enjoy this, and any fan of the great band from the 1980s will find much to appreciate. Never harsh or grinding, always smooth and musical, Tragik proves that what’s old can be made new again. It is unpretentious rock performed with lots of enthusiasm and shows a true love of the genre, and is one of the purest melodic rock albums in recent memory.

If you want to sample pure modern rock, pick it up.

Label: Phil Vincent Music

Web: http://www.myspace.com/tragikrox , http://www.philvincent.com/cd_awattd.htm

Track Listing:

01. Overture III
02. Jaded
03. Can’t Find the Words
04. Black & White
05. Giving In
06. At The Shore
07. Before It’s Gone
08. Long Way From Home
09. Shadows of Loneliness
10. Nothing

HRH Rating: 8/10