Don’t be fooled by the record label’s name, this album is more melodic metal than AOR. This German quintet began its career during the `80s and has so far released 4 albums and 1 maxi single. The intensive listener will be able to distinguish past the European power metal flavour that predominates most of the album (influences such as Gamma Ray in their Sigh No More phase, Helloween after Michael Kiske’s departure, Roland Grapow, Freedom Call) and begin to see traces of many other bands in Dark Sky’s sound. Starting with American or British acts such as Whitesnake, Def Leppard and even A.S.A.P. (you hear Empty Faces and afterwards The Lion of last ones in order to you occupy) on to the progressive forms used by bands such as Shadow Gallery. Dark Sky are not stuck to the European sound even though they clearly have that European metal sound.

Of course, in order to reach the AOR part of the album the listener first has to pass through 6 fast paced tracks, amongst which lies the band’s version of that ‘80s pop classic “Maniac” by Michael Sembello (made famous by its appearance on the Flashdance OST), which is clear-cut case of a pop song covered by a metal band without offering the listener any surprises. In general this could also be the overall view of the album. A record which is easy going on the ears without having the ability to seize you and grab your attention, simply because all the tracks tend to go in one ear and out the other. Unfortunately, apart from the title track and the wannabe Scorpions-ballad “Meaning of Life”, which officially ends the album, this record doesn’t offer any particular excitement. The band plays on all cylinders but just enough in order to give a good impression, there’s no one performer or one track that jumps out at you and the whole effort kind of gives you the impression of a Volkswagen factory, that is to say of an industrial plant that produces good quality mid-range small cars. In music however how much we really want to be driving the comfortable, low consumption and high safety vehicle?