Future Is Tomorrow

Fit To Die (Part I)

Written by: PP on 01/12/2009 00:13:04

Italy's Future is Tomorrow have been listening to Dream Theater quite a bit before writing their debut full length "Fit To Die (part 1)", it seems. But before we get into the review itself, two things irked me off about this band before hearing a single song by them. Lets start with their name: Future Is Tomorrow. Well no shit, Sherlocks, where else would future be other than tomorrow? Yesterday? Geez. Second of all they've been a band since 2003, have released a demo and an EP before this full length. Yet the promo sheet contains the following dubious statement: "We decided to self release this CD in order to keep a major control on our own music and to be able to make the choices we think are the best for the band's future, so we are promoting the album without the help from any record label or agency". What a load of bullshit to cover up the fact that nobody wanted to sign the band in their 6 years of existence. They are thousands of miles away from generating enough buzz to be on the radar for a record company that wouldn't allow the band to do whatever they want with their music. Such practices are reserved to only the largest of indie labels and majors, not the tiny dormroom labels that Future Is Tomorrow might somehow attract, so really that translates directly into a self-deceiving argument "well we don't even fucking need a label" when the reality is they probably received an unfavourable answer from all labels they contacted. I just don't buy it. But enough ranting, what are these Italians actually good for, if anything?

Writing melodic metal that pays tribute to progressive and power metal territories equally much. As mentioned before, Dream Theater have been a heavy influence, as have Symphony X and perhaps even Savatage to an extent. The soundscape is spiced up with trippy electronics and synths, but while all the instrumentals are proficient and the singer knows how to hit his high notes and vibrato just right, overall the band's expression comes across as flat and uninspiring. This type of music has been done to death more times than I can handle, so unless a band's able to come up with something profoundly awesome, or if that's too much to ask for, then at least something convincingly original, I'm not going to be impressed. After all, if I were just after progressive instrumental amazingness, I'd just listen to Between The Buried And Me's "Colors" instead. The preaching male choir is a good start, but Future Is Tomorrow must find a way to use it better and in more places, and then we'd at least have a better talking point in this review. So let me just re-iterate: while there isn't anything particularly wrong with the release, there isn't anything right either, if you catch my drift.

That being said, if all you do is listen to progressive metal but like it with a dose of colossal power metal soundscapes and a concept to top things off ("Part I" suggests that the story may continue on the next album, I guess?), then the only thing hindering you from liking "Fit To Die (Part I)" is that there's just no way you'd ever put this on instead of Dream Theater or any other significant progressive band. But even in that case you might get some moderate enjoyment out of the album anyway.

5

Download: Another Soul
For the fans of: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Rhapsody, The Dogma
Listen: Myspace

Release date 01.09.2009
Self-Released

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