Single Review: Barque of Dante – Enlightenment for #METALMOMENTUM
Band: Barque of Dante
Title: Enlightenment
Label: Independent
Release date: September 23, 2025
Country: China
Format reviewed:High-quality digital recording
Single Review: Barque of Dante’s “Enlightenment”: A Story of Legendary Rebellion, Wisdom and Power for #METALMOMENTUM by Elyna
“Barque of Dante returns with a thrilling glimpse into their epic saga with “Enlightenment”, a track that fuses technical mastery and mythic storytelling.”
Welcome to a new edition of Metal Momentum, the sacred space of new singles from the metal realms.
China is a country with one of the richest cultures in the world. With its religion, mythology, traditions, and iconic characters, China offers a plethora of elements that inspire a wide range of art expressions. That said, and honoring the truth, China isn’t particularly remarkable in terms of metal music. There aren’t many Chinese bands of the genre, so it is a golden find to come across top-notch metal music from the land of the Great Wall. Today is an honor to delve into the most recent release by Barque of Dante, one of the best metal bands from that part of the world: the single “Enlightenment”. It is the first insight from Barque of Dante’s upcoming release “Legend of the Great Wall II”, scheduled for December. This forthcoming work is the second part of the concept double album that began with “Legend of the Great Wall I”, released in 2021 as a remix of earlier songs plus three fresh tunes at that time. Both albums pay homage to the icons, legends and stories from Chinese culture.
The line-up of “Enlightenment” is led by founder Xie Zhiheng, handling guitars, arrangements, composition, and production, alongside Zhang Qing on guitars, Wang Wenjia on bass, Dick Gilchrist on drums, Peng Lianjing on keyboards, and maestro Roberto Castiglioni (Cas) on vocals, who also mixed and mastered the track.The choir supporting Roberto features Steph Venditti and Luis Lucchesi, who also wrote the lyrics. The cover art was made at Goatart.
The recording process involved multiple studios: Xie Zhiheng Guitar Studio, Zhang Qing Guitar Studio, and Wang Wenjia Music Studio for instrument tracking; La Nota Marron Studio for vocal recording, mixing, and mastering; and Dick Gilchrist Studio for drum recording.
Now, turning to today’s main topic, let’s explore “Enlightenment”.
The lyrics tell the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, one of the most legendary characters in Chinese culture, derived from the classic novel “Journey to the West.” The narration tells that this king was born from a magical stone and presents him as a rebellious and smart character, willing to challenge both gods and demons. He can also take 72 different forms, change size at will, and has outstanding force and agility. He is immortal and can travel through clouds.
Throughout his journey, he learns discipline and wisdom under the guidance of his mentor, becoming a mighty and enlightened creature. The lyrics depict his life as an hymn honoring personal growth, the pursuit of knowledge, and the triumph over adversity, turning Wukong into an icon of courage, tenacity, and intelligence in Chinese culture.
Structured in a diverse, galloping fast tempo and set in a 4/4 syncopated time signature, “Enlightenment” definitely embodies the best from power progressive and symphonic metal in a precise balance. The song delivers a rich diversity by including a bossa nova rhythmic section in the kick-off verse. A bridge before the majestic solo evokes the progressions of Angra in Temple of Shadows and Aurora Consurgens. Another noticeable and endearing aspect is that the general instrumentation of the guitars leans towards a Neoclassical approach, which resembles the best of Galneryus riffs and solos.
The composition features dynamic shifts in rhythm and expertly applied string distortion, which greatly enhance its impact. Muted guitar passages interplay with expressive piano and bass lines, creating intricate layers that add both richness and intensity to the overall soundscape.
Meanwhile, regarding vocals, the performance of Roberto Castiglioni stands out for the emotional storytelling and powerful rendition that blend perfectly together. Beyond the resemblance that Roberto’s voice may have to Fabio Lione, his own personality brings out passion, sobriety and elegance when it comes to singing, which adds a personal print to the music of Barque of Dante. In this sense, China and Argentina unite to create a proper, distinctive sound that has no parallel beyond influences that does justice to the genre, enriching it and delivering an exciting and magical sonic experience.
Finally, the sound quality of the track The sound quality achieved thanks to the magic of Cas and the various studios involved in the recording of “Enlightenment” allows you to enjoy the melody and the story, as all the elements of the whole are in balance. Everything sounds perfect; there are no volume imbalances or key “slippages.” This Swiss watchmaking work only enhances the majesty of the track, turning it into a sonic adventure of the highest level.
In a nutshell,“Enlightenment” is a solid preview of Barque of Dante’s forthcoming album, a magic journey that blends technical brilliance, mythic storytelling, and magic through one of the most iconic tales from China. “Enlightenment” is the first delivery that prepares the listener for what is coming in December with the second part of the saga that began in 2021, filling a space that only the maestro with his genius and mastery, along with one of the best voices in Latin America, could achieve. 10/10
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