MISTHERIA
– Dragon Fire
Lion Music Records
Lion Music has long been associated with progressive
and neoclassical metal, and the label occasionally brings together projects
featuring well‑known
musicians from across the scene. Dragon Fire, the fourth full‑length album by Italian keyboard virtuoso Giuseppe
“Mistheria” Iampieri, follows that tradition. Under the MISTHERIA banner, he
has assembled an impressive roster: vocalists John West, Mark Boals, Rob Rock,
Titta Tani, Lance King, and guitarists George Bellas, Roger Staffelbach, Emir
Hot, and Neil Zaza, among others. Listing who appears on each track would take
more space than it’s worth—anyone curious can easily find the full breakdown
online.
What matters here is the music. Dragon Fire is rooted
firmly in neoclassical metal, yet it approaches the genre with a more
progressive mindset, occasionally touching on 70s hard‑rock aesthetics. This blend gives the album a sense of
variety, and fans of the style will certainly find material that resonates with
them.
The album’s main limitation lies in its lack of strong
originality. While the performances are consistently high‑level, the overall sound does not stray far from what
listeners already expect from neoclassical/progressive metal. Still, the
caliber of the musicians involved—and their distinctive interpretive
styles—elevates the material enough to keep even demanding fans engaged
throughout the album’s duration.
At the same time, with a lineup of this quality, one
can’t help but feel that the final result could have been more ambitious.
Dragon Fire is undeniably a good album, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on the
collective talent behind it or deliver the kind of breathtaking moments these
artists are capable of.
My personal highlight is “The Beast,” a track that
feels tailor‑made
for a voice in the lineage of Ronnie James Dio—powerful, dramatic, and
commanding.
Verdict: A solid neoclassical/progressive metal
release with excellent musicianship, though not one that pushes the genre—or
its contributors—to their full potential.
Nick Parastatidis
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