Dragonland – Under The Grey Banner

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Power metal and fantasy literature go hand in hand, but Dragonland might be taking things just a little bit too far. The brainchild of Nightrage/Amaranthe guitarist Olof Mörck and keyboardist Elias Holmlid, Dragonland’s back catalogue reads less like Helloween’s and more like J.R.R. Tolkien’s. Under The Grey Banner is the third album set in the imaginatively titled land of, well, Dragonland, and the third part in the “Dragonland Chronicles”. Stylistically this is standard fantasy-themed power metal, nowhere near as cringe-worthy as the saccharine wail of bands such as Sonata Arctica, and having a lot more depth and maturity. Some great vocal performances give the album some gravitas – main singer Jonas Hedigert is continually respectable throughout, and all three Amaranthe vocalists guest at various points and deliver slightly better performances than you’d expect (especially Elize Ryd, who is genuinely surprising on the soft Lady of Goldenwood). The narration is a bit overblown (especially the dwarves on Dûrnir’s Forge), and maybe the story is just a bit too generic fantasy – pretty much any fantasy saga still needing to use stock groups such as elves and dwarves these days needs to be reconsidered. Still, the music more than suits the subject matter, and there’s a wide variety and mix here – strong acoustic parts mixed with plenty of heavier classic neoclassical power metal. It isn’t heavy on the technical guitar playing (though there is some, to be fair), but more than makes up for it by bringing the listener into the band’s imagined world. For a fantasy-themed power metal record, that is a sign of success in itself.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Dragonland