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Docker’s Guild is a massive progressive metal space opera which will unfold through five “seasons” and four “books” for a total of nine albums. It is masterminded by producer,
songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Douglas R. Docker. Joining him on this album is an impressive guest list of musicians including including Amanda Somerville, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Sascha Paeth, Nita Strauss (ex-Alice Cooper) and Anna Portalupi (Hardline).
As part of the bigger concept envisaged by Douglas R. Docker, this album also marks the birth of the “Black Swan Universe” which links other metal operas, such as The Chronomaster Project and the Vivaldi Metal Project into a single world, making it the first metal opera crossover ever. Well if you are going to do a concept piece go fully at it, no room for timid ideas!
The concept of the album revolves around The Mystic Technocracy, where a silicon-based techno-organic alien race attempts to wipe out all life on Earth through organized religion, while a tormented scientist makes it his mission in life to save humanity. The good thing with this album is you either immerse yourself fully into the world of images, words and music created by Douglas R. Docker or you can listen to this as a stand-a-lone piece. A bit like you can with an author who writes a series of books based on the same main character.
Being a concept piece there is plenty to enjoy mood wise, be it the intro piece with a touch of Mozart, Joel Hoekstra giving it some guitar welly on ‘K475 W.A.M.’ or the instantly addictive chorus on ‘Die Today’, a melodic metal treat.
There are a couple of stand outs for this listener though. First up ‘Lucy’, which was released as one of the singles off the album. A heady mix of melodic rock ballad with a touch of metal in the guitars, with plenty of harmony vocals.
The other ‘wow’ moment is on the Yes cover ‘Machine Messiah’. Never an easy band to cover, especially on this ten minute epic. It fits the rest of the album perfectly and loving the sound on this one, reminiscent of Yes themselves and the Enid, another band who merged classical music successfully into progressive music as Docker’s Guild do.
Those who love a good concept piece full of epic and bombastic music similar to the likes of Ayreon and Avantasia will find much to enjoy on this album. Grandiose pieces like this tread a fine line between success & listener enjoyment to one of confused musical ideas & lack of consistency. Docker’s Guild falls firmly in the former category and I for one can not wait for the next instalment! ****
Review by Jason Ritchie
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KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
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09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
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14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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