D’Ercole The Art of Self Destruction

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

The gents of D’Ercole have played together for quite a while, combining their efforts on Phil Vincent’s solo efforts as well as the band Tragik. In this incarnation, D’Ercole, you’ll get a decidely more polished and less current-sounding release, as The Art of Self Destruction hearkens back to the days of Scorpions, Dokken and even Journey at times. Melodic, guitar-driven and featuring mammoth choruses, The Art of Self Destruction is a damn fine ride …

Vincent — who owns the claim to fame of writing Hardrock Haven’s theme song — pared back on his responsibilities for this release and focused on just vocals and keyboards, where he typically plays guitar, bass, and everything else. You’ll hear his contributions immediately on “Desperate,” where the flowing keys lead into a heated rhythm from guitarist Damien D’Ercole. Vincent admits that it is hard for him to escape the “you sound like Don Dokken” references, but if true, then Vincent is similar to the Dokken of decades past, not the current one. Not modern sounding in any way, it reminds you of when Melodic Hard Rock ruled the airwaves.

If you don’t hear some Scorpions guitar influences on “The Last Time,” then you just aren’t listening. The opening is a huge “thank you” to Schenker and crew, and then the songs veers off to its own reality. Vincent sings with a fluid anger, especially on lines like, “Do you remember, do you even care? I still remember, you were never there.” The guitars accompany Vincent’s words, sort of supporting that accusation, and all in all, it’s a cool as hell composition.

It’s not just the vocals that will remind of Dokken when you get to “Nothin’ to Me.” D’Ercole is obviously a student of the masters, and he channels George Lynch on this opening guitar piece, razor-edged, intricate and full of menace. This track is about the brutal end of a relationship, the brutal part being one of the lovers can’t let it go. When Vincent sings lines like, “You never let me be the person that I wanted to be,” well, everyone has been there, probably thrice. D’Ercole’s solo is fat, bordering on neo-classical but never going over that edge, and the talent drips from every lick he throws at you.

The song “Destiny” is a keyboard heavy, sort of like something Bon Jovi used to write when they were relevant, or, at least good. The true magic of this track lies in the multi-layered harmonies during the chorus. Haunting, like something Journey could pull off, this is one of the mellowest and one of the best songs on The Art of Self Destruction.

Many of the songs on the release are just pissed off, and that theme carries on to “It’s a Lie.” While not a concept album, you can feel exactly why they titled the album thusly even though that’s not the name of one track on the release. “It’s a lie, falling down on you!” The energy on this one probably ties “The Last Time,” and drummer Tane DeAngelis might be the most steroid-fueled part of this composition with his manic and brutal fills.

Ending with, “The Deluge,” atmospheric and ominious keys swirl around Vincent’s vocals, and the keys turn into more of a synthesizer sound, pounding like an accusation, as the guitars fill the rest of the void. Lyrically, “The Deluge” works, but it also does musically, as the song continues to build and crescendo to wall of passion and umbrage, especially when Vincent sings, “You made your last mistake; now you’ll be lonely for the rest of your days.”

The Art of Self Destruction is a morose yet melodic journey. While musically, you will remember the ’80s, it takes you to a sinister, heartless place at times, where the word “forgiveness” has obviously never been created. D’Ercole is one dark surprise, in a really good way …

Band:
Phil Vincent (vocals and keybords)
Damien D’Ercole (guitar)
William Arnold (bass)
Tane DeAngelis(drums)

Track listing:
1. Desperate
2. The Last Time
3. Face To Face
4. Nothin’ To Me
5. I Won’t Be Denied
6. Destiny
7. Don’t Wanna Be Like You
8. Gone But Not Forgotten
9. It’s A Lie
10. The Deluge

Online: http://www.myspace.com/dercolerox

Genre: Melodic Hard Rock

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.2/10