If all you know about Charlie Dominici stems from his short-lived stint with Dream Theater on that band's first album, When Day and Dream Unite, you may be slightly short of stunned upon hearing O3 A Trilogy-Part One. The first release of a three-album concept piece, the disc tells the story of a boy taken from his family at a young age and forced to grow up in a foreign land, where he becomes involved in a terrorist plot. In contrast to the story's heavy overtones, O3 A Trilogy is an impeccably produced all-acoustic album featuring only a few licks of harmonica and Dominici's chameleon-like vocals – sounding like a sober, less-throaty Jim Morrison on "The Dream" and a less jolly Ian Anderson on "A Day of Conflict. For the most part, this approach works. Dominici's dramatic, melodic picking and his crisp diction take on almost a folkie feel on songs like "Unwilling Volunteer" and "I Will Return." But other songs, particularly the up-tempo "My New Land," would have sounded much better backed by a band and harmony vocals. Dominici has already stated that the second part of O3 A Trilogy will be a lot heavier and more progressive. Nevertheless, this remains a bold release from a man who has made little noise since the 1989 release of When Dream and Day Unite, and it proves that Dominici has much more talent than that album indicated.
Track Listing:
1) Introduction
2) Unwilling Volunteer
3) My New Land
4) I Found My Love
5) The Dream
6) A Day of Conflict
7) The Order Comes
8) The Plan
9) I Will Return
10) The Hand of God
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