(Rated this album with 4 out of 10) Reviewed by
Justin S Gaines
from Oakton, VA
I picked this disc up based solely on the fact that Olaf Hayer was the lead vocalist. Hayer's work on Rhapsody guitarist Luca Turilli's solo albums was so impressive that I had to check out his work on Dionysus. Unfortunately not even a great vocalist is enough to pull this album from being just another mediocre, Helloween-cloned power metal disc. I realize that bands like Helloween (and later Gamma Ray) had an undeniable influence on the whole power metal genre, but I have a problem when bands (like Heavenly and now Dionysus) that copy that signature sound without adding any innovations of their own. Bands like Blind Guardian and Angra are perfect examples of taking that basic power metal style and infusing it with their own unique elements to make music that stands out from the rest of the pack. Sign of Truth might as well have been a recent Helloween disc. The songs, titles, and lyrics follow that tried and true formula, and just don't yield anything noteworthy. I hate to be so negative about any metal album, but I had high hopes for this one and it did not meet expectations. I still enjoy Olaf Hayer's vocals and will look for more of his work in the future, but I hope he moves on to more challenging and exciting projects.
