Dragony - Legends 4/5
Reviewed: 1-1-12
Tracklist:
1. Of legends
2. Burning skies
3. Land of broken dreams
4. Dragonslayer
5. Wings of the night
6. Vaults of heaven
7. The longest night
8. Hero´s return
9. The ride
10. Alcador
11. Sparta – Elegy of heroes (bonus track)
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Out of Austria, Dragony unleashes their full-length debut 'Legends' to the power metal world. While the band's base style is melodic power metal, there are some symphonic highlights and just like many other power metal bands, they've gone with fantasy related lyrics, which is obviously something that appeals to power metal fans like myself. The band that first popped into my head as a general comparison is the excellent band Crystallion, and after many weeks of spinning this CD, that band still stands out as the closest comparison. There are influences from bands like Freedom Call and Timeless Miracle though, as well as some hints of bands like Hammerfall and Dreamland. All of this said, simply imagining Dragony wandering somewhere in the middle of the power metal genre should give you a good idea of what to expect.
Vocally, the band is fronted by Siegfried "The Dragonslayer" Samer, whose clear voice is perfect for power metal, and he'll surely please fans of the genre. There are some guest vocalists too, including Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) on track 2 "Burning skies" and a fantastic female vocalist Katarina Bilak from Sirens Cry on track 7 "The longest night", a band that's releasing their debut 'Scattered horizons' this month. Just like other power metal bands like the popular Freedom Call, Dragony is successful at providing memorable choruses (track 9 "The ride" is the best example) and this CD doesn't really come off as a debut, but rather a band's 3rd or 4th CD. Seriously, all of the ingredients are in place and this is a very promising band.
My favorite song is "The longest night", which starts out slow and then quickly picks up in an extra-catchy manner. The chorus is awesome, and the female vocals from Katarina add another element to this amazing song. It only took me a few spins to realize that every song on this CD is of high quality though, and consistency is another aspect of it that deserves praise. In addition, there is plenty of speed, some extra-catchy galloping riffs, but no ballads; this will be either a good or a bad thing depending on your own tastes. I will say that I personally don't miss a ballad on this CD, so the band probably made the right decision in not having any. I also want to mention that the overall rhythm/tempo is balanced out quite well, as they avoid too many mid-paced songs in a row, or a continuous onslought of speed.
In my opinion, what we have here is a fairly young band that has listened to power metal for many years and knows what positive aspects exist in the genre, and they've then executed the formula with this impressive debut. Power metal fans will find a lot to like about this CD, and I personally hope we see many more CDs from this exciting new band.
CLINT
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