DGM - Momentum

DGM came seemingly out of nowhere with just the perfect mix of prog, power and melodic metal. Now this is my kind of metal!Hailing from Europe, progressive metal outfit DGM is here to impress the shit out of genre fans with its aptly-titled eighth studio album, Momentum. Offhand you could compare them to Symphony X (whom they toured with last year to wide acclaim), but they go beyond that into melodic metal territory, with its wonderfully appealing choruses, that makes for a really appealing sound. Think Symphony X meets Ark meets Dream Theater and you've got some idea what to expect.

Lending their considerable talents, Russell Allen (of the aforementioned Symphony X) appears on the opening track Reason with a meaty opening riff that sets the pace for the rest of the album, while Norwegian guitar virtuoso Jorn Viggo Lofstad (Pagan’s Mind) lends a really nice solo to Chaos. All of this energy, melody and precision puts this band in a Venn overlap group that sits at the center of progressive metal, melodic metal, and power metal, offering the best of each for whatever eager listener snaps this up. And if you're a metal fan, you really should give this a listen.

The Bottom Line: What can I say? DGM has made one really fantastic album that I find myself listening to over and over again. Italy is really coming into their own with some solid, amazingly talented metal musicians that are making some of the best metal I've heard in a long time. Italia, ti saluto! 

Tracks to Make You Consider Just Giving Up the Guitar: Reason, Trust, Numb, Pages, and Chaos

- Genghis could listen to bands like this all damn day...