DRAGONHAMMER – Time for Expiation
My Kingdom Music
Another re-release for
DRAGONHAMMER and this is their sophomore album released back in 2004 through
Scarlet Records. This one has sold 5000 copies through the years and it is also
considered sold out and because of that My Kingdom Music decided to release it
again.
THE COVER: This one has a dark feeling since it shows a huge demon
playing chess in hell and some hooded people in front of him watching his game.
I can’t say that I like the cover, but somehow underlines the changes the band
made both in its sound and lyrics with this release.
MUSICAL STYLE: The core of their sound has not changed much from its
debut since they are still playing European oriented power metal, but somehow
they have expanded it. This time I have noticed parts in keyboards and guitars
that brought to my mind STRATOVARIUS and also there are some references to
QUEENSRYCHE. Also the compositions have a progressive metal structure, without
losing their genuine power metal identity.
COMPOSITIONS: The album consists of 12 compositions from which the 9
were already released in the first edition of this album and you will get here
as a bonus the song “Letters of Pain” which previously was included only in the
Japanese edition of the album and 2 live recordings of the songs “Believe” and
“Fear of a Child”. The main characteristics of the compositions are the
melodies and the use of keyboards, however once again the band doesn’t manage
to create something memorable.
CONCLUSION: In their sophomore album DRAGONHAMMER show that they
have evolved musically and sometimes they flirt with progressive metal, but
once again they didn’t manage to create something memorable. So, once again I
have to suggest this only to the fans of the band and European power metal
sound.
Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis
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