Style: power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal
Label: self-released
Year: 2009
Home: New Jersey
Members: Dan Sorber ~ guitar
Chris Colalillo ~ keyboards/vocals
Chris Allgood ~ bass/vocals
Steve Goldberg ~ drums
Together since 2004 FC started as a power trio that, like the history of many bands, found themselves breaking up, reuniting, expanding & turning into something they didn't expect. Having been in a band that went the opposite direction to no result except for some nostalgic rehearsal recordings I'm always pleased to see a group have success with the dynamics that is inherently a rock band. As for their music ... it's good to see them have success there too with a great sound. "Dark Knight" opens their first EP with keyboards playing a droning textured background against classical piano rolls, that continue through the song, before breaking into soaring guitars and eventually a pounding riff and group singing. Dream Theater might be a close proximity, as it's hard to describe a band without bringing in a reference point, sans the LaBrie's soaring vocals. Actually, the gritty vocals would be the complete opposite of LaBrie and create quite a counter to the music as not just are two voices echoing each other but they remind me more of a punk band in style and energy but without shouting. I can imagine a producer probably recommending, for their betterment, bringing in some chick singer with lots of high notes or a someone like Z.P. Threat formerly of Dragonforce. But, then, they'd probably end up sounding like Dragonforce or Nightwish and lose that interesting counter-point that makes your ears perk up a bit more. Not every song is of the Dream Theater-esque melodic progressive style. "Tomorrow", "Break Of Dawn" and "Freedom" are all more straight ahead power metal, albeit "Tomorrow" features a creative dueling keyboard and guitar solo. Though, when I say straight ahead power metal I'm not talking the bombastic Firewind or Van Halen but a lot more melodic a la Jon Oliva's Pain, which I chose because their melodic metal also feature gritty vocals. The ending song "The Avenger" takes a similar approach to "Dark Knight" but with a an interesting and unexpected harpsichord sounding keyboard and some of FC's most aggressive playing, perfect for the comic book imagery of the avenger they're singing about. FC is a very interesting band that in five tracks is still undoubtedly experimenting. I await their first full length where they really have room to go some interesting places ... if not throw in a few more superheroes! In 2012 the band renamed itself Thy Kingdom Done.
