DRAGONHAMMER – Time for Expiation review

 

DRAGONHAMMER – Time for Expiation

My Kingdom Music

http://www.dragonhammer.com/

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